【Prefecturally Designated：Natural Monument (Fauna)】Miyako Uma Horse

The Miyako Uma is a small-sized horse, with a height of about 120cm, and despite their large head, the rear of their bodies are insubstantial. They have strong legs with thick and hard hooves. They have thick roan coats and some have bay or chestnut-colored coats as well. The Miyako Uma have gentle characters and they are known to be physically strong, even against illnesses, and can endure meager diets. It is unknown where they were brought here from, but over its long history, they were used for farming and other tasks and it is believed they evolved over time to meet the climate and natural features of Okinawa.

With changes toward larger working horses in the recent years with the promotion of streamlining in farm work and others, as well as with the modernizing of farming equipment and rationalization of transportation measures, the population of the Miyako Uma has rapidly decreased. To meet these challenges, the Miyako Uma Preservation Society was established to address issues such as increasing the number of these horses.