Horses and humans have coexisted for centuries. Before, it’s used for combat, trading, and mostly for traveling. Well, one can definitely say that civilizations are built on the backs of horses. Today, horses are still essential animals and can still serve many industries, whether for pure entertainment or labor. Besides that, horses have also sped up communication between cultures and migration.
For centuries, horses have helped countless people do work, specifically from hauling goods to plowing fields. They have also helped the spread of cultures around the world. From that, there is still more to know about these equestrians. So if you want to know more about one of the most domesticated animals in history, set your thoughts with these horse facts.
Horses Almost Have a Perfect Range of Vision
One of the horse facts you might want to know is that they almost have a perfect range of vision. The horse-eye or equine eye is considered the largest of all land mammals, and the only animals with larger eyes than the horse are the ostrich, seals, and whales.
So, the horse’s eyes lay flat against their head, and that’s also the reason they have 350-degree vision. Their vision allows them to see further and widely to avoid and evade predators.
The Oldest Horse to Ever Live
The oldest horse to ever live is Old Billy. In 1760, he was born in England and served as a workhorse. He was pulling up and down barges near canals. Old Billy was 62 years old when he retired and lived until 1822. After he died, his head was preserved and is currently displayed in the Manchester Museum.
They Have Their Own Measurement
The unit measurement of a horse is four inches or 101.6mm, which is equivalent to one hand. That’s also applicable in English-speaking countries. However, it’s read as hands when you’re talking about whole units. Decimals are read as inches. A horse with a height of 4.5 inches is read as 4.5 hands plus 5 inches in height for a better understanding.
Keep in mind that hands are only used to measure the height of the horse. Their weight is still measured in kilograms as per the metric system.
The Current Record for the Oldest Horse
Sugar Puff currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the oldest horse alive. The 10hh Shetland-Exmoor gelding was 56 years old when he died in 2007. His hometown is in Sussex, United Kingdom. So far, no horse has broken this record.
Competition Horses Have the Same Birthdays
Most competition horses shared the same birth date for standardization. They disregard their birth date and share the same birthday on January 1 for the northern hemisphere. Competition horses in the southern hemisphere share their birthday on August 1.
Horses for endurance riding are an exemption as they still use their actual birth data to determine their age.
Various Names Show a Horse’s Age
Usually, Foals are used to determine baby horses as long as they’re still under a year old. Horses with ages one and two are determined as Yearlings. Horses between the age of two and four or younger than four years old are considered as Colts. In comparison, female horses are under four years old are called Fillys.
In addition to that, female horses that have aged over four years old are called Mares. If their male counterparts stay uncastrated, they will be called Stallions. But, if they were already castrated, males are over four years old will be called Geldings.
Baby Horses Drink Milk
Foals or baby horses also drink milk. In fact, they drink their mother’s milk for six months. Some foals also stop drinking from their mother’s milk as early as four months. Once they stopped nursing, that’s the time they started eating solid food like grass.
Horses for Riding Start Their Training When They’re Still Young
Horse trainers train to ride horses as early as two years old. From then on, they’ll start getting used to wearing harnesses and saddles. Other horses start their training at the age of four, though it’s only to get them used to wear harness and saddle. One common rule of trainers is that you shouldn’t ride a horse until they’re five years and over. This allows their bones to grow stronger and develop without putting the horse under any risks.
The Breeds of Horses Have 3 Categories
First and foremost are the hot-bloods. They are marked with superiority, including endurance and speed. The next category of horses is the cold-bloods, which have superior strength. Cold-blood horses are very much suitable for hard labor. The last category of horses is warm-bloods. Warm-blood horses are typically born from cross-breeding cold and hot-blood horses. Most of the riding horses belong to the warm-blood breed.
The Hanoverian Horse Breed
Hanoverians are considered to be one of the most famous horse breeds in the world. They are also one of the warm-blood horses which resulted from a breeding program in the 18th century. The breeding program was led by King George II, which mixed various older breeds to produce the Hanoverian.
The breeds that were used for breeding the Hanoverian are the Cleveland Bay, Mecklenburg, Andalusian, Neapolitan, Holsteiner, and other Thoroughbred breeds. The result of the breeding program was a horse that is suitable for pulling carriages and coaches. Hanoverians before are also used to carry cavalry into battle. After world war I, this breed became famous for both pleasure riding and sports.
Takeaway
Horses aren’t as dangerous if you compare them to other animals. They can become huge and tall, but most of them are still considered prey. They may have a tough history, but today, most of them are loved and used for sports. There are more to horses than what you could imagine, and the list above is just some primary horse facts you need to know. We hope this article helps you to know more about these magnificent creatures.