Taishū horse

Taishū

Distinguishing features	Average height: 123 cm[1]
Alternative names	Tsushima Taishū
Country of origin	Tsushima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Notes
Conservation status, FAO (2007): critical-maintained[2]
Equus ferus caballus

The Taishū (対州馬,taishū uma) or Tsushima (対馬馬,tsushima uma) is a rare Japanese breed of small horse from Tsushima Island in the Korea Strait, in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.^[1]

In 1989 the population was reported as "critical" at 89 head.^[3] In 2007 it was listed by the FAO as "critical-maintained",^[2] and a population of 30 was reported in 2008.^[1]

The Taishū is small, with strong legs. In the past, it was used for transport on the narrow paths between remote villages in the mountains of the island.^[1]

References

1. Tsushima/Japan. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2016.
2. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed September 2016.
3. [National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences] (2007). Country Report (For FAO State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources Process), annex to: Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed September 2016.