Like its Japanese brother the Misaki Horse, the Miyako horse is very rare. The Miyako has the appearance of a smaller Mongolian horse, and shares that breed's almost primitive appearance and boxy shape. Also like a Mongolian, the Miyako Horse is normally a bay or dun color.

They are a very gentle breed and can be ridden, though they are now a protected species and therefore limited in use. The Miyako was originally a light draft horse used on farms and for transportation. Their population peaked around 1955 at about ten thousand but then declined rapidly with the introduction of mechanization. According to an Okinawa newspaper, as of 2002, there were only twenty-two Miyako Horses left.

Their safety is entrusted to the Miyako Horse Conservation Society, helmed by the Shimajiri family of Hirara City who have been charged with overseeing the well being and breeding of the Miyako.

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Miyako - Horses for Sale