Why are horses so cool? Is it because from around 4,000 BC to early 19th century they were the preferred mode of transport? Is it because all you needed to do is ask a horse to take you in the battlefield and it obliged – no questions asked? Is it because they are a spectacle to watch when they are racing down the race course or is it because you stand to win a fortune if the horse you bet on wins?
Well, any of this reasons is good enough to be fond of the majestic creature. However, we have a more comprehensive list of cool facts about horses below. Take a look and you will begin to understand why nobody seems to dislike horses.
They Can Sleep Standing Up
Who sleeps standing up huh? Horses do. The beasts can sleep while standing and while lying. The instinct comes from years of evolution where the horse had to evade predators. It had to stay alert through and through.
They Can Start Running a Few Moments after Birth
This is another survival instinct that is found in all the herbivores. A foal can outran the average man a few hours after birth. This evolution characteristic developed because herbivores are in constant danger from the predators. They have to be alert and the foals have to keep up with the herd when they are surprised by the predator.
They have a Lifespan of 25 Years
A domesticated horse can last up to 25 years. This is twice as much as a dog. So if you can afford it, buy your pony when it is young and take good care of it. You will have a friend for quarter of a century.
When horses lie down, they expend more energy than they do when they are standing up. You will never encounter a horse panting the way dogs pant after doing an extremely hard run. Horses breathe through their noses and never through their mouths.
When they speed up, the horse’s lungs expand through its languid body, give it a good dose of oxygen which is needed to burn food.
They have 205 Bones in their Body Frame
At birth, the human body has approximately 270 bones in the skeletal framework. This dwindles to around 260 at adulthood. It is therefore not surprising that a horse has about 205 bones, thereby being much quicker than the humans since they have few moving parts.
They are Herbivores
Horses feed on plants. They prefer grazing on short grass and are therefore bad feeders in the prairies where the grass is tall. Herbivores are usually docile. The horses are even more docile than the members of the equus family. They have been domesticated to become man’s friend.
Have Larger Eyes than Any Other Mammal on Land
The horse, just like all the other members of equus family can see almost 360 degrees. This is an adaptation among many herbivores who also happen to be prey to the predators. It helps them scan the area they are grazing so that when a predator appears on the scene, they can spot it and react immediately. The horse’ eyes are bigger than any other land mammals. This makes it one of the best animals to use when you are going into a danger zone.
They Can Gallop 44 Kilometer per Hour (27mph)
Usain Bolt’s speed is 23.4 miles per hour. This means that if he could maintain his speed for more than the 9 seconds he runs 100 meters, he will still fall short of the average horse speed of 27 miles per hour. The fastest man on earth is still not as fast as a horse. He cannot maintain the pace for more than 22 seconds but the horse can do such a pace for an hour without getting tired. The fastest recorded horse sprint was approximately 88 kilometer per hour or about 55 miles per hour.
Horses Names
Do you know the horse’s names? You can impress other horse enthusiasts with your knowledge of the terminologies used with horses. Take a look below;
- Male – Stallion
- Female – Mare
- Young Male – Colt
- Young Female – Filly
- Small Horses – Pony
- New Born – Foal
Close Relatives
The horse belongs to the equus family. The name “equus” has been adapted from Greek and it means “quick”. Zebras in Africa, Kiang and Onager in Asia, the wild ass and domesticated donkeys in Africa. There are at least 350 breeds of horses and ponies in the world today. The total number of horses on planet earth is estimated to be 50 to 60 million.
11 Months is the Horse’ Gestation Period
The gestation period is the time the horse holds pregnancy. It is one of the animals with the longest gestation periods in the animal kingdom, the other being the elephant. A horse that is undergoing needs maximum care. The heaviest horse will weigh about 1524 kilograms, even when pregnant. They are wily, tall and languid animals whose body shape is made for racing. The average horse stands between 15.1 and 16.2 hands.
Whether you have the pasture land for a horse or not, you will fall in love with the horse. When it gallops across the field and you get a good dose of warm fresh air in the country, you want to behold those memories. When you watch old movies and see the depictions of the horse to the world, you wish you were born during the golden ages when horse was the selected mode of transport. If you are a gambling man, you know that no energy beats the adrenaline rush you get as you shout encouragement to your favored horse. Despite the advent of the motor vehicles, people have continued to rear horses either as pets, breeders or racers. Whatever your reason for wanting to have a horse around you, make sure that you take good care of them. Perhaps its ancestors took good care of your ancestors during a battle. Return the favor!
