facts about horses

facts about horses facts about horses

29/12/2022

Horses have a nearly 360 degree field of vision
This is due to the positioning of their eyes on the sides of their head. However, they have two blind spots – one directly behind them, and the other just in-front and below their nose. This means that they cannot see the grass they are grazing on, or the carrot you are sticking out to them! Instead they use their mobile and sensitive lips, whiskers and sense of smell to know what is in-front of them and decide if they want to eat it.

There are no true wild horses left in the worldUntil recently, the Przewalski’s horse was thought to be the only “true” ...
18/12/2022

There are no true wild horses left in the world
Until recently, the Przewalski’s horse was thought to be the only “true” wild horse breed. Most horses considered to be wild today, such as the American Mustangs or the Australian Brumbies, are actually descendants of domestic horses. The correct term to describe these horses is “feral”, as true wild horses have never been domesticated.

As a 2018 study concluded, Przewalski’s horses are also mere descents of the first horses domesticated by the Botai culture around 6,000 years ago. Some of these horses likely escaped and became the feral Przewalski’s horse we see today.

Sandra Olsen, a zooarchaeologist at the University of Kansas summarized the study’s findings on reuters.com: “The world lost truly wild horses perhaps hundreds, if not thousands of years ago, but we are only just now learning this fact, with the results of this research.”

Did you know that all Przewalski’s horses today can be traced back to just 15 individuals captured from the wild a century ago? Named after the Russian explorer who discovered them in the 19th century, the breed was saved from extinction and recently reintroduced to their homeland in Mongolia.

Horses can sleep both lying down and standing upHorses have a unique survival adaptation called the stay apparatus that ...
18/12/2022

Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up
Horses have a unique survival adaptation called the stay apparatus that allows them to completely relax and sleep standing up. It’s comprised of a series of tendons and ligaments that connect the stifle to the hock and lock them in place. This is the reason why horses can’t move their knees separately from their hocks.

The point of this special ability is to enable horses to run at the first sign of danger. However, they still need to lie down for short periods of time to achieve deep (RAM) sleep and complete their sleep cycle. As a matter of fact, horses can’t lie down for too long as that would put undue strain on their bones and internal organs.

18/12/2022

Horses can sleep standing up
Horses have what’s called a “stay-apparatus” which is a system of tendons and ligaments that allows the horse to lock their legs in position so they can relax without falling over. When not sleeping, horses also use this apparatus to rest while standing for long periods of time so they don’t fatigue. This allows them to conserve energy while standing so they are ready to take flight if needed. But it is a myth that horses never lay down – they do spend a short amount of time each day laying down for deeper sleep.

Horses have an almost 360-degree visual rangeBecause of the position of their eyes, horses can see roughly 350 degrees a...
26/11/2022

Horses have an almost 360-degree visual range

Because of the position of their eyes, horses can see roughly 350 degrees around themselves. This is nearly four times our visual range!

However, horses see the world very differently from us. They can only see 55 to 65 degrees with both eyes; the rest of their vision (190-230 degrees) is monocular. This means that their depth perception and ability to see details are quite poor.

On the other hand, horses are exceptionally good at detecting motion, which is how they survived for millions of years. As soon as a predator came into their visual range, they were able to run instantly. But because they can’t make out moving shapes in their peripheral vision clearly, horses will spook at just about any sudden movement.

The oldest horse ever was 62 years oldOld Billy (1760-1822) holds the record of the oldest horse in history. He was an 1...
20/11/2022

The oldest horse ever was 62 years old

Old Billy (1760-1822) holds the record of the oldest horse in history. He was an 18th-century barge horse from Woolston, Lancashire, England. His exact breed is not known, although he was most likely a Shire-type horse with a brown coat and a white blaze.
At the time of his death, Old Billy was approximately 165 years old in human years! Surprisingly, he had a very active life and continued working until his late senior years.

The portrait above is the work of W. Taylor, who wanted to immortalize the famous horse. His head has also been preserved and is currently on display at the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museums.

There are over 600 horse breedsDue to extensive selective breeding over the past few centuries, there are over 600 horse...
29/10/2022

There are over 600 horse breeds

Due to extensive selective breeding over the past few centuries, there are over 600 horse breeds in the world today.

According to a 2017 genetic study, all modern horses descent from two ancient horses breeds: the Arabian and Turkoman horses. While the Arabian horse still exists today, the Turkoman horse that is similar in appearance to the Akhal-Teke is now extinct.

All existing horse breeds fit into these five categories: hot-blood, warmblood, cold-blood/draft, pony, and miniature. Hot-blooded horses include the Arabian, Thoroughbred, and Barb breeds with origins in the Middle East. In contrast, cold-blooded (heavy) horses and ponies developed in northern Europe.

A warmblood refers to any horse breed whose ancestors were crosses between hot-blooded and cold-blooded/pony type breeds. Finally, miniature horse breeds are scaled-down versions of their big cousins with a specified maximum height.

29/10/2022

Horses have existed for 55 million years.1 Our own human history has been greatly shaped by our partnership with these creatures, and they have been shaped by us as well. Since domesticating the horse 6,000 years ago, humans have created hundreds of horse breeds, used for everything from racing and war to plowing and pulling carts and carriages.

In honor of these widely adored animals, here are 12 fascinating facts you never knew about them.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of horses for mankind. Horses have always been loyal helpers and friends ...
07/10/2022

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of horses for mankind. Horses have always been loyal helpers and friends for many hundreds of generations of people, and who knows where we would be now if it weren't for them? Of course, with the development of technology, the role of horses in the economy has decreased, but in some countries these animals are still widely used in the economy. And although many of us are fascinated by these animals, there are many interesting things about them that we probably didn't even know about. For your attention, a selection of interesting facts about horses.

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