Acer the tiny horse thinks he's a dog

A normal miniature horse stands about 34 inches. That makes Acer, at three years old, a miniature miniature. He was born on a miniature horse farm in Essex, where his owners brought his father over from America and paired him with an American mare. Both turned out to carry the dwarf gene, and Acer was the result.

Plenty of people would have given up on a foal that small. His owners stuck with him, and he grew into "a lovely little chap." Maureen, who owns him, thinks he's one in a million. She's never seen anything like him.

His size calls for a few special arrangements. He sleeps in the stable where he was born, a very big stable for a little horse, and it's his for life. It has a door made just for him, so he can put his head over it and see the other horses.

He's free to wander the farm, with a few limits. He isn't allowed in with the big horses, since his head only reaches about their knees and he could end up under their feet when they play. He did slip under the fence once, which had everyone worried.

Acer seems to think he's more dog than horse. His best friend is a Labrador, and the two have played together since Acer was a foal. Along the way, the little horse has picked up some of his friend's habits.

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That may explain the house visits. One day he simply wandered in, and nobody stopped him. He doesn't stay long. He walks around and has a sniff, and they keep an eye on him, since he isn't house trained.

Off the farm, Acer goes for walks on a leash, sometimes down the road to the pub, and he always draws attention. People love him, and some have tried to buy him. "He literally stops the traffic," Maureen says. There's even been a very big offer from abroad, but Acer is staying put.