The Misaki is the only native Japanese feral horse breed. It is named after the cape (in Japanese: 'misaki') of Cape Toi where it roams feral.

Origins:
It is unclear how, when, or from where the ancestors of the Misaki arrived at Miyazaki, Japan. Regardless, in 1697, the horses were rounded up by the Akizuki family, who owned the region, to be used for both farming and riding. When not in use, the horses were kept in the local pastures, fending for themselves and breeding freely.

Moving to Cape Toi:
After World War II, the horses were transferred to the hilly park of Cape Toi, located along the eastern coast of Miyazaki. There, they were left to roam freely, thus becoming feral horses. They were declared natural monuments and are today protected by law.

The Misaki today - Japan's only feral horse breed:
Today, a herd of about one hundred Misaki horses still roams the hills of Cape Toi. People are welcome to visit the park and watch the horses graze, as long as they don't interact with the horses.

The Misaki is a feral horse, meaning that it lives in the park without any assistance from humans. That said, volunteers do visit the herd daily to check if there are serious issues with the park or the horses that require emergency intervention.

Conformation:
Being a feral horse who breeds freely, there's no official breed standard for the Misaki. That said, there are several characteristics that these horses share.

The head is large and boxy with a straight profile, the neck is short and usually held horizontal, the withers are unobtrusive, the back is straight (with some individuals having a flat back), the croup is mostly flat although slopes slightly toward the tail, the legs are slender, and the hooves are small.

The mane can be anywhere from short and upright to medium-in-length and bushy. The tail is short or medium in length but can grow thick. The legs often have light feathering behind the fetlocks.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Misaki horses in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 14.0-15.2, 14.5 (0.3), 0.05.
Sprint: 35-44, 39 (2), 0.42.

Accel: 0.76-0.94, 0.84 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.80-0.96, 0.88 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 4.86-5.11, 5.00 (0.05), 0.01.
Pull: 1.42-1.95, 1.69 (0.11), 0.02.

Turning: 40.34-54.45, 46.90 (3.27), 0.64.
Reverse: 2.1-2.8, 2.5 (0.1), 0.03.

Stamina: 47.75-52.28, 50.13 (0.84), 0.17.
Reaction: 0.66-0.78, 0.72 (0.03), 0.01.

Coats & Height:
Colors: usually bay, but more rarely black, brown, and chestnut.

Additionals: flaxen, medium mealy, sooty. The coat is always solid and lacks white markings.

Height: 12.1hh to 13.2hh.