Sweetie the miniature horse will be swishing her glorious tail with pride after finding out it’s broken a record.
The tiny trotter officially has the longest tail on a miniature horse after her luscious locks measured in at 181.02 cm (5 ft 11.26 in) – that’s longer than the height of the average person.
Sweetie, who lives in South Carolina, USA, with her owner Risa Formisano, stands at just 96 cm (3 ft 1 in) tall from her hooves to her withers, meaning her tail trails behind her as she parades around the pasture.
And while she may be miniature in stature, she plays a very big role in Risa’s home… as an emotional support animal to her two horse friends.
Risa brought Sweetie home in 2012 to soothe Ricki and Oakley after the sudden death of their best friend Stormy.
“If I had to take Oakley somewhere, Ricki suffers from severe separation anxiety and would stress until Oakley returned,” Risa explained.
But when a friend told her about Sweetie, whose owner was looking to rehome her, everything changed.
Risa said: “I went to his barn, trailer in tow, and picked up Sweetie! She hopped right in the trailer and the rest is history.
My geldings, Ricki and Oakley, pretend they don’t notice her but adore her and are very appreciative of her presence when one or the other is gone for the day.
Sweetie, who celebrated her 36th birthday in March, quickly made herself at home.
Risa describes her as an “emotional support pasture puff”, meaning she enjoys being ‘retired’ and spending her days in the field.
“She is kind of a loner for the most part and tolerates attention but deep down I’m pretty sure she eats it all up… kisses and all,” Risa said.
The length of Sweetie’s tail is quite unusual. It only just reached the ground in 2012 and has grown substantially since then.
Horses use their tails to swat away flies and insects that might bite them and they are a part of their spinal column.
Risa washes and conditions Sweetie’s tail twice a year and combs it very delicately - using hair detangler gel and hair oils - to reduce the risk of pulling any hairs out.
Sweetie’s tail is wrapped up daily to protect it from dragging on the ground and getting damaged.
The downside is that she’s less able to swat away those pesky critters, so Risa is planning to cut it to a more manageable length soon.
It was when Risa was washing Sweetie’s tail during one of her bi-annual pamper sessions that she decided to see if a record for the longest tail on a miniature horse existed.
“My veterinarian has called her my personal My Little Pony,” Risa joked.
Her advice to other owners of animals with unique attributes is: “Take care of your animals’ mental and physical health and don’t over exploit their unique attributes as they will burn out.”
To celebrate her record title, Sweetie was treated to a photoshoot and a special treat. Her favourite snacks are raw fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and apples.
Neigh wonder she's such a happy girl!
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