Horses are incredibly interesting and unique animals, and few people can remain indifferent when looking at them. They have been helping people for many years. And they are especially valued where it is impossible to do without them: in North Africa and the Middle East. What other interesting and educational facts about horses are there? We know at least ten and are eager to introduce you to them!
It's hard to believe, but horses have an excellent sense of smell. Thanks to this wonderful property, they can easily find their way home to their home, which a good memory helps them with. And even though these animals do not see very well at night, they have an excellent sense of smell, and therefore they are excellent at navigating the terrain with the help of their nose.
In addition, horses have an excellent sense of touch - they feel touch well on the entire surface of the body: skin, lips and even hooves. It is on the high sensitivity of the lips that the control system of this animal is built. Now you know how sensitive these animals are to touch. We advise you to use this knowledge more often: encouragement with affectionate stroking will help establish friendly relations with your horse.
Medicine horses
Probably everyone has heard about the ability of cats to “heal”, but what can be said about horses in this regard? There is no doubt that the horses here are no worse than domestic small tailed ones! There is even a science called hippotherapy, which can be more understandably interpreted as “horse riding treatment.”
But to improve your mood and find peace of mind, you don’t have to ride a horse. Just being close to these beautiful animals is enough to feel relaxed and take your mind off everyday problems. This pleasant healing property is associated with the special biofield of horses.
Interesting facts about horses are supported by statistics. People working with these ungulates do not suffer from colds and have 50% less diabetes.
Horse IQ
The calm disposition of horses is often mistaken for low intelligence. At first glance, the calm standing of an animal in a stable can indeed be mistaken for thoughtless submission and disinterest. But only people who spend a lot of time with horses have the good fortune to experience the open character, intelligence and intelligence of these beautiful ungulates.
It has been proven that among animals horses occupy fifth place in terms of intelligence, ahead of dogs. They are able to analyze human actions and even situations, often saving the rider from harm. They can also be friends: they often develop warm relationships with cats. Ungulates allow them not only to rub against their feet, but also often let them bask on their backs.
Amazing eyes of horses
What secrets do the thoughtful and large eyes of these ungulates hide? It is worth emphasizing that they are really large in size - even larger than it seems at first glance. The organ of vision in these animals is even larger than that of an elephant, and almost half of its size is hidden under the skin. This size allows the horse to see much more clearly distant objects that are indistinguishable to humans.
In addition, facts about horses say that they have color vision, and their viewing angle reaches almost 360 degrees. The “blind” zone remains immediately behind the tail and approximately two meters behind it. That is why you cannot approach horses from behind without first calling them: out of fright and surprise, the animal will immediately hit with its hoof.
Having musical taste
Horses are able to distinguish music and even have some preferences. To some extent, this ability is associated with their well-developed hearing: it is this that allows them to distinguish the steps of a predator and quickly escape. But when choosing music for your pet, it is worth considering that he is unlikely to like hard rock, as it will be too irritating to the sensitive ear. You should choose melodic and calm compositions.
Honorary Service for Mounties - Mounted Police
High intelligence, learning ability, as well as a noble appearance have allowed these animals to guard order since the beginning of the 17th century. Traveling on horseback makes it possible to travel through the narrowest streets, which is successfully used, for example, by police officers in Paris. But not only the mobility of these animals plays into the hands of the police: a peace officer on a horse looks more impressive and noble.
Not every horse is given the honor of performing such service. The most balanced, large and beautiful geldings are selected for her.
Horses and the law
Although these animals sometimes work for the law, they are sometimes regulated by it. For example, in America there are several rather ridiculous rules regarding horse riding. Thus, in the state of Utah, unmarried women are prohibited from riding a horse on Sundays, and in some others, married men are required to take their spouse with them on horseback riding. You can leave your life partner only if the legal marriage lasts more than a year.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Where did this proverb come from? Everything is very simple, because you can determine their age by the teeth of these animals. Saint Jerome also emphasized that one should not judge someone’s gifts, saying: “Do not check the teeth of a gift horse.” So this phrase has reached our time, only slightly changed, but without losing its essence.
If you ask different people “Who is a horse?”, everyone will unconditionally say that it is a large animal with high legs and hooves. Few will add that horses run fast, jump well, and love oats and carrots. And with this, perhaps, the knowledge about some of the most beautiful and graceful animals will be exhausted. However, the world of horses is fraught with many fascinating and unusual facts that will be of interest to both adults and children. We invite you to find out all the most interesting things about horses right now.
Horses are one of the most beautiful and graceful animals, whose world is fraught with many amazing facts.
Everyone knows about horses as herbivorous farm animals, but unlike cows and goats, the entire physiology and body structure of horses is oriented toward movement. Various gaits, jumps, and tricks are possible thanks to a very flexible skeleton, which consists of 205 bones and more than 700 muscles. It is surprising that horses do not have a collarbone, but it is precisely due to this that a good extension of the front legs is achieved for fast running and high jumping.
Here are some more interesting facts about horses that you didn't know:
- the lungs of horses are capable of pumping up to 115,000 liters of air per day;
- the breathing rate of a horse in a calm state is about 16 breaths per minute, while when running it increases to 114-120 breaths;
- horses cannot breathe through their mouths, so if their nose is closed, they will suffocate;
- Of all domestic animals, horses have the biggest hearts. Its average weight is 4-4.5 kg, for racing horses it reaches 8 kg;
- No domestic animal sweats as much as a horse. Thin skin, strewn with large sweat glands, removes up to 85% of all heat.
Mare and stallion
Based on the size and dimensions of the body, it is easy to distinguish a stallion from a mare, regardless of their breed.
Sexual dimorphism in horses is well developed, so you can easily figure out where the stallion and the mare are. Visually, a stallion is distinguished from a mare, regardless of breed, by the size and dimensions of the body. Stallions are always larger and more massive, have higher height and chest girth. The character will also be different: stallions are bolder, more flexible and easily excitable.
The most reliable and error-free method of distinguishing horses by gender is examination of the genitals. The stallion has a prepuce (the location of the genitals and urethra) on the back of the belly, the testes are located between the hind legs, and the anus is under the tail. Mares have both an anus and a genital slit (entrance to the vagina) under the tail, and there are two mammary glands between the hind legs.
The strongest bones and hair
For horses, constant movement is vital, so their bones can withstand very heavy loads. Their strength can be compared to granite. However, a broken bone can cost the horse its life. Even at home and with good care, horse bones heal very slowly.
Horses also lead in hair strength. In ancient times, horse mane and tail hair were used to make bowstrings and strong ropes. Today they serve as material for hard brushes, tassels, fishing lines, and can even be used as a violin bow.
Broad outlook
Of all mammals, horses have the most voluminous eyes, for example, 9 times larger than those of humans. Thanks to this, they see almost 360 degrees around them. Nature made sure that while grazing with their heads down, animals could notice an approaching predator in time. However, not everything is so simple here, since there are some “blind” zones. They are located on either side just behind the animal's tail, and also right in front of the nose. This is why experienced horse breeders teach not to approach horses in an abrasive manner: without seeing what is happening, the animal may get scared and hit a possible enemy.
Thanks to their three-dimensional eyes, horses see almost 360 degrees around them.
Horses have color vision, but they cannot see blues or reds.
Musical ear
Horses' ears are very mobile and are able to pick up sounds from different directions over several kilometers. In addition, horses have an ear for music, which is easily demonstrated by participants in horse shows, as well as dressage athletes. Graceful horses change gaits to the music and perform various movements, as if they were dancing. As scientific research shows, horses like calm and melodic music, while heavy and too loud music causes them anxiety.
Hoof shoes
The hoof is a very important part of the horse's body. It takes on the entire weight of the animal and experiences enormous impact force during movement. Therefore, hooves require regular inspection and careful care. To increase their safety and reduce impacts from hard surfaces, back in ancient times people came up with protective “shoes”. At first they were bast shoes woven from dry grass, then they were transformed into the form of modern horseshoes. They vary in size and material, but always provide a durable lining for the bottom layer of the hoof.
Smile of a horse
Many have seen horses raise their heads up and lift their upper lips. They say that this is how horses smile. Of course, such an unusual sight makes us smile, but in fact this phenomenon has a scientific explanation and is called Flehmen's syndrome. It is exhibited not only by horses, but also by other domestic animals, such as goats. Thus, animals try to catch the smell and better “sniff” the aroma.
With their "smile", called Flehmen's syndrome, horses try to catch the smell.
Praise to memory and sense of smell
Many legends and epics tell about how horses find their way home, make their way in the dark in dangerous areas without problems, and navigate the terrain even with their eyes closed. All this is possible thanks to the very strong sense of smell and excellent memory of horses. A special role in the sense of smell is played by the hooves and special hairs on the face - vibrissae.
Scientists confirm that, in the totality of all receptors and senses, the capabilities of horses cannot be compared with any other animal. Horses perfectly remember sounds, situations, numbers, events, can build a cause-and-effect relationship between them and even count.
Horses sleep standing
In nature, horses have a lot of predatory enemies, from which the horses flee by running fast. Therefore, horses can very rarely allow themselves to sleep, as they say, lying “without their hind legs.” They spend most of the day on their feet and also sleep. The special structure of the limbs allows them to block the knee joints, thereby reducing the load on the legs. In this “standing” position, horses doze for several hours a day.
However, this does not mean that horses do not sleep lying down. Feeling safe and in need of proper rest, the animals lie down on their sides, falling into a deep sleep. They even dream in this position.
Horse professions
Horses are used in many areas of human activity. But if earlier these animals mainly played the role of transport or draft force, today the horse is a friend, policeman, artist, athlete and even a doctor.
Two in one - a magnificent horse athlete in the police service.
- Horse policeman. Mounted police first appeared in 1806 in London. The advantage of a horse as a means of transport is that it allows you to maintain law and order in places where a car cannot pass. For example, in a park, in a residential area. On a horse you can easily catch up with a person and overcome obstacles. Today, mounted police units exist in many countries around the world. Particularly famous are the “red coats” of Canada, the law enforcement riders of Spain and the United States.
- Horse artist. Many movie scenes cannot be imagined without the participation of horses. For this purpose, specially trained animals are used that can safely perform various tricks. Even such a concept as a circus arose precisely from horse training and acrobatics. The arena's diameter of 13 meters was created specifically taking into account the characteristics of horses.
- Horse athlete. Equestrian sport is included in the Olympic Games and is the most important industry for the use of horses throughout the world.
- Horse doctor. The world has long known that a horse has an extraordinary effect on a person, giving positive emotions and health. Hippocrates, in his writings, recommended spending more time in the stable. And people who work with horses are half as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease. Horseback riding in many countries is a mandatory course of therapy for children with cerebral palsy. In this case, horses and children spend up to 8 hours a week together.
Conclusion
No animal is immortalized in all genres of art as much as the horse. Painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, theater and cinema - there is information about horses everywhere. However, this is not enough to understand the whole world of this amazing animal. Read other interesting facts about horses and the peculiarities of their life on our website.
Horses have accompanied man for many centuries. The most interesting facts about horses are dedicated to the work of these animals next to humans, their sports and circus achievements, character traits, and unique breeds.
Horses have accompanied man for many centuries
At the service of people
Although law enforcement officers ride motorcycles and patrol cars these days, police horses still exist. Many countries have mounted police units. They are used at various street meetings and events. The advantage of mounted police is that an animal in pursuit of a criminal can go where a vehicle cannot go. Animals for service are carefully selected and trained for a long time. Geldings are considered the best police officers, as they have a calm and easy-going disposition.
Horses not only carry people, they can also drive them. For training assistants for blind people, the miniature Falabella breed, the shortest variety of pony, is best suited. Candidates undergo a rigorous selection process and must meet the following criteria:
- move your ears well;
- quickly remember what you see;
- have a calm disposition;
- have a quick reaction;
- not to be afraid of people and animals;
- be able to bypass obstacles and barriers.
These unusual horses, like guide dogs, live in the owner's house. They are clean and accustomed to go to the toilet in a certain place. Special silent shoes are even made for them. A guide horse is excellent at navigating large cities. In addition, a pony lives for more than 30 years, which is another advantage.
Throughout history, horses have not only helped people, but often saved them from starvation. Today, eating horse meat is viewed negatively only in the United States. In Russia and many European countries, this type of meat is also not very popular, although in France they like to eat not only horse meat. Some internal organs of the animal, such as kidneys or heart, are considered a delicacy there. But during the war, soldiers did not disdain horse meat. It fed Napoleon's soldiers in devastated Moscow, as well as the German troops of Field Marshal Paulus, surrounded at Stalingrad.
The most incredible facts about horses (video)
Horse behavior
The famous horse smile is the so-called Flehmen syndrome. In fact, the animal does not smile this way, but tries to sniff someone. When a horse lowers its head, lifts its upper lip and exposes its jaw, its sense of smell is enhanced. Interestingly, Flehmen's syndrome most often occurs in horses.
The horse's gaze is unusual. The eyes of this animal are the largest among all mammals. They are designed so that the upper retina works like a magnifying glass, and the lower one like binoculars. The horse raises its head up when it tries to see something on the horizon. When the gaze is directed downwards, the animal looks at a close object. But these animals can immediately see everything that is happening from both sides and even from behind. Horses see the world in color, but do not distinguish between red and blue colors.
Horses are smart and caring animals. Their intellectual abilities are only slightly lower than those of primates. Animals remember their owner well and respond to affectionate treatment with great affection. They treat their offspring very affectionately. If in most animals the female takes care of the offspring, then both a mare and a horse can raise foals.
The memory and senses of horses are very well developed. There are many cases when a lost animal traveled a long distance and returned home, guided by smell. The sense of smell helps blind animals navigate in space. In addition, horses are able to intuitively leave unfamiliar places. Animals perfectly sense the mood of the owner, they understand and remember bad or good attitude towards themselves. It’s not for nothing that every circus has trained horses, because it’s easier to teach them various actions than many other animals.
Gallery: horses (25 photos)
Horse records
The largest horses are representatives of the Shire breed. These ancient heavy trucks trace their history back to knightly war horses. The breed was improved by infusing blood from other breeds. As a result, we received strong shires, which were used in battle, and later in heavy field work. The largest draft gelding, Sampson, was born in England in 1846. He weighed more than 1,500 kg and reached 2 m 19 cm at the withers.
Horses are smart and caring animals
On average, horses live 30 years, but there are also long-livers among them. The absolute record holder for life expectancy was Billy the horse, born in 1760 in England. Billy towed barges all his life, but he was in such good health that he lived to be 62 years old. If we convert horse years to human age, we can say that Billy lived to be about 170 years old.
In equestrian sports, horses have set many records. Usually, horses in competitions do not jump over barriers higher than 2 m, but the stallion Huaso in 1949 set a world record by taking a barrier 2 m 47 cm high. And in 1975, the Samting stallion jumped over a moat with water, the width of which was 8 m 40 cm .
Horse racing is the sport of aristocrats. Since ancient times, fast stallions have competed in speed. The absolute record belongs to a stallion named Beach Rackit, who reached speeds of up to 70 km/h over a short distance. Pacer Kambest is the best at the 1 mile distance. In 1993, he covered this distance in 1 minute 46 seconds.
10 facts about horses (video)
Facts from history
You can learn something unusual and interesting about horses if you look at history. For example, modern wild horses are just feral animals. The only species that humans have never been able to domesticate is the Asian wild horse. But the famous wild mustangs are the descendants of horses that were brought to America by the Spanish conquistadors.
Horses were domesticated 6,000 years ago, but even before that time they were held in high esteem. From time to time, archaeologists find burials where the owner’s horse is located. These animals were sacrificed to the gods in eastern countries. In the Caucasus, this tradition was observed until the middle of the 19th century. Many horses have gone down in history.
For example, the rebellious Bucephalus of Alexander the Great, Napoleon's favorite Arabian horse Marengo, the war horse Babiek, whose owner was the hero of the Reconquista El Cid.
Horse racing and chariot competitions were favorite pastimes of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Interest in equestrian tournaments did not fade away in the Middle Ages, although the rules for holding them were very different from modern competitions. The active development of modern horse racing began in England, where horses have always been especially valued. The first hippodromes and jockey clubs were opened there. Horse racing appeared in Russia thanks to Count Orlov, a passionate lover of thoroughbred horses.
Thoroughbred horses have always been valued, because for a long time these animals were the only means of transportation. A good horse cost a fortune, so only members of the upper class could afford a thoroughbred animal. And only members of royal families and very rich aristocrats had their own stables. A thoroughbred horse, like an expensive car today, was an indicator of the status of the owner. The Arabian horse breed was considered the purest and most unique.
There are still many laws regarding riding on horseback in the United States. Although no one uses this type of transport anymore, many laws are still in effect. For example, in Utah, a woman could go to jail if she is seen riding a horse on Sunday. And in some states, bachelors are prohibited from riding a horse alone.
Attention, TODAY only!
This educational article contains some interesting facts about horses: varieties, sense of smell and hearing, horse tongue, and much more.
According to various sources, there are from 160 to 250 breeds and varieties of horses in the world. But only three of them are purebred: Akhal-Teke, Arabian and English racing horses. In horse breeding practice, they were used in the development of many famous horse breeds. According to legend, Arabian horses appeared on Earth 2000-3000 thousand years before the birth of Christ.
Representatives of the progenitor breeds can cost a fortune. So, in 1983, a thoroughbred English horse named Shareef Dancer was purchased at an English auction for forty million dollars.
The horse's hearing system is much more developed than its vision. The horse's ear is capable of detecting sounds that are not perceptible to humans. Therefore, an animal that finds itself in an unfamiliar area “twists” its ears, scanning the sound space. The horse will hear the owner approaching before he appears in the stall.
Horses are capable of making up to one hundred vocal signals. The most famous is neighing. The mare calls the foal with a loud neigh, and a quiet uterine “moo” is satisfaction with the presence of the calf. The horse warns of danger by snorting. A high-pitched sound is a sign of ill health. With its voice, a horse is able to express anger, rage, fear, dissatisfaction, desire for love and friendship and other emotional states.
A horse sees the road with its hooves, since its sense of touch is highly developed. Horse lips are also sensitive. The power of smell of this animal is comparable, perhaps, to that of a dog.
A horse's dreams are colorful; it is able to distinguish its own image. Horses know how to make friends, and this animal is also the best compass created by nature. In the days of the dominance of horse-drawn transport, a traveler who lost his way had only to give up the reins, and the horse itself would find its way to housing. In a waterless area, a horse will find the shortest path to a source of water, and in a river it will find a ford.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of horses for humanity. For centuries, these animals have served people faithfully, and even today in some parts of the Earth they are still extremely important for survival. 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 farming.
Facts about horses
- In the culture of more than two dozen nations, the horse is considered a sacred animal.
- The country with the most horses is China ().
- Horses were domesticated about 6,000 years ago.
- The African Maasai tribe believes that a person killed by a horse will definitely go to heaven.
- Europeans brought horses to North America. The famous mustangs are the wild descendants of these horses.
- Horses see colorful dreams.
- Many horses like coffee.
- This is one of the few animals that can recognize themselves in a photograph.
- The ancestors of modern horses appeared on our planet about 60 million years ago. They were modest in size - 30-35 cm in height and about 5 kg in weight.
- The only breed of these animals that has never been domesticated is the Asian wild one.
- Horse eyes can move independently of each other ().
- Horses living with people are able to distinguish different emotions sounding in the human voice.
- Many horses love music, but not just any music - they like relaxing melodies, but hard rock usually irritates them.
- A horse's hooves act as a pump, helping with blood circulation - when a horse steps on a hoof, the blood from it is forced up into the leg.
- These animals really know how to sleep standing up.
- There are about 160 horse breeds in the world.
- The officially registered maximum weight of a horse is 1520 kg. It was a stallion named Samson, and he was just huge and muscular, but not fat.
- In Hinduism, the white horse is considered one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu.
- Cases have been recorded more than once when horses, who had learned how to open the doors of their stables, used this knowledge to release their locked brothers into freedom.
- In packs of wild horses, the leader can be either a male or a female.
- Particularly large horses were brought out in the Middle Ages in Europe, as troops needed powerful horses capable of carrying heavily armed knights ().
- Their bones are stronger than those of most other living things on Earth, but if broken, they heal very slowly.
- The smallest horses in the world are the Falabella, they are about the knee height of an adult.
- The age of a horse is easily determined by an experienced specialist based on the condition of its teeth.
- Unlike most other herd animals, horses do not necessarily have a male leader.
- The wool of New Zealand horses is almost impossible to get wet - it repels water that falls on it.
- There is chronicle evidence confirming the fact that the mighty horses of the crusaders, clad in armor, not only carried armored knights, but also broke through the adobe walls of Saracen fortresses at a gallop.
