20 Fascinating Facts About Horses

Horses are such fascinating creatures. There are hundreds of horse breeds such as the Arabian, Andalusian, Friesian, and mustang. Each breed has its own unique personality and appearance. Whether you’re in awe of powerful draft horses or you can’t resist adorable ponies, horses make great companions. They are beloved by the people who love them. Even if you have never learned to ride one, you could spend your whole life studying them. You would still have plenty to explore.

Horses can’t burp. They are measured in an interesting way. Here are 20 interesting facts about horses. Discover a bit more about these incredible animals.

Horses Sleep Standing Up

Horses can sleep standing up. They also sleep lying down. Horses must lie down to achieve a full restorative sleep cycle. They need to do this for a minimum of 30 minutes per day to avoid sleep deprivation. There are many factors that influence a horse’s ability to lie down to sleep and rest. These factors may be environmental, such as weather, available space, and comfortable bedding, or physical deterrents, such as musculoskeletal impediments.

Horses Can Only Breathe Through Their Nose

Unlike other animals, including humans, who can breathe through their nose and mouth, horses can only breathe through their nose. They are known as obligate nose breathers. This is something that horse riders and trainers should keep in mind while exercising their animals.

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Horses Can’t Burp

Horses can’t burp, at least not the way humans do. They can’t vomit or breathe through their mouths like humans do either. A horse’s digestive system is a one-way street, unlike cattle and other ruminants who regurgitate food to re-chew it. They have a pretty efficient way of processing tough fibrous foods that make up their forage. However, this long, one-directional system can cause problems that result in colic.

You Can Estimate a Horse’s Age by Their Teeth

While you can’t tell the exact age of a horse by their teeth, you can estimate their age. Horses need proper equine dental care for their teeth. Sometimes a horse lives longer than the teeth do. Extra care is needed when feeding senior horses.

Horses Can Live to Be More Than 30 Years Old

One of the most common questions about horses is, “how long does a horse live?” The answer may surprise you—some can live over 30 years. Knowledge of horse nutrition, horse care, and veterinary medicine has increased. Because of this, just as human life expectancy has increased, so has equine longevity.

The American Quarter Horse Is the World’s Most Popular Breed

Appreciated by beginner riders and professional horsemen alike, the American Quarter Horse is the world’s most popular breed. These strong animals are known for their friendly demeanor. They are also recognized for their gentle nature. Additionally, they have a calm temperament whether they are trained as working horses, show horses, or family horses.

Arabian Horses Have Fewer Bones Than Other Breeds

The Arabian horse is the foundation of many other light horse breeds. They also possess some unique characteristics. Most Arabian horses have one fewer vertebra. Their tail has one less bone in it, too, as does their rib cage.

Horses Are Herd Animals

Horses in the wild live in small herds, and domestic horses feel more comfortable if they have companions, too. It can be quite stressful for a horse to live alone. Companionship for horses may be an equine stablemate or even another species such as a goat, donkey, or mule. Even a dog may become a suitable companion for a horse.

The Original “Horse” Was the Size of a Golden Retriever

The original horse was no larger than a golden retriever. Diminutive Hyracotherium may have looked more like a small goat or deer than a modern-day horse. Hyracotherium lived during the Eocene Epoch about 50 million years ago.

Humans Domesticated Horses More Than 3,000 Years Ago

Dogs may have become domesticated around 14,000 years ago. Cats became human companions about 8,500 years ago. Humankind’s relationship with the horse began a little more recently, around 6,000 years ago. Some evidence has come to light that horses may have been domesticated even earlier.

Most White Horses Are Actually Gray

Most of the white horses that you see were actually a much darker color at birth and gradually turned white. These “white” horsesmay start as bay, chestnut, or almost black. These horses aren’t called white, but gray.

Horses Are Not Native to North America

Every horse on the North American continent is a descendant of European horses. Even the horses that we regard as “wild” are actually feral horses whose ancestors escaped from captivity. Horses disappeared from the Americas more than 11,000 years ago. There is ample fossil evidence of the horse’s ancestors living there prior to that.

A Baby Horse is Called a Foal

A foal is a baby horse, but a filly is female and a colt is a male. After they are weaned from their dam, they are called a weanling. Horses remain fillies or colts until they are 4 years old.