Horses can stand when they sleep
They don’t always, but for light sleep they usually stay standing. This is because, in the wild, it’s safer to stand as it takes less time to flee.
Their teeth continuously grow
Horses stop them getting too long as they get worn down from grazing. As a result of this, looking at a horse’s teeth can provide a rough estimate of its age.
They cannot vomit
Although this sounds like a bonus, it actually causes more problems than anything else. As a bonus fact they only have one stomach, setting them aside from cows which have four.
Their herds are usually led by a Mare, a female horse
Other names for groups of horses include a string of ponies and a rake of colts.
Only one species of wild horse remains today
Most horses you see in the wild are more accurately called feral horses, as they’re the ancestors of domestic horses. Only Przewalkski’s Horse has never been domesticated and so remains truly wild, found in central Asia. They are endangered and were at one point extinct from the wild.
They will run shortly after birth
Not complete running, but a walk-run hybrid will usually be seen within two hours of being born – not bad considering it takes us the better part of a year to even take our first steps.
Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal
The biggest eye overall in the animal kingdom goes to the colossal squid.
Horses almost have 360-degree vision
Just like birds, horses have eyes on the sides of their heads, leaving them with only two small blind spots, one in front and one behind. This is why it’s a bad idea to stand behind a horse.
There are a number of different names for horses
Baby horses are called foals, male horses under four are called Colts, and females are called Fillies. Horses over four years old are called Mares if they’re female, and either a Stallion or a Gelding if they’re male.
Horses have 64 chromosomes
Chromosomes are where the DNA is stored within a cell. Humans only have 46 chromosomes. Other animals with 64 chromosomes include skunks and the echidna.
One Response
Ebony
Wow I love to ride and I did not know all of these