Horses

Horses can survive on grass alone, but domesticated horses usually need supplemental feed to stay healthy!

Horses have excellent night vision and can see well in the dark!

Wild horses live in herds of 3–20 individuals for protection from predators!

There are about 60 million horses in the world today!

True wild horses are extinct in the wild, except for Przewalski’s horses from Mongolia!

There are over 350 different breeds of horses in the world today!

The smallest horse breed, the Falabella, can be as short as 30 inches (76 cm) tall!

Mustangs in North America are actually feral horses, descended from domesticated horses that returned to the wild!

A horse’s sense of smell is about 50 times more sensitive than a human’s!

Horses can jump obstacles nearly 8 feet (2.44 m) high!

Horses can recognize different colors, but they see them differently than humans do!

Horses can hear sounds up to 4 kilometers away!

A horse’s brain weighs about 22 ounces (832 g), about half the size of a human brain!

Horses have a nearly 360-degree field of vision, but have two blind spots: directly in front and directly behind them!

Horses can read human facial expressions and remember if someone has treated them kindly or not!

Horses were first domesticated around 6,000 years ago in what is now Ukraine and Kazakhstan!

The first horseshoes were made of leather and were used in Asia around 3,000 years ago!

Native American tribes didn’t have horses until Spanish explorers brought them to North America in the 1500s!

The oldest known horse fossil is 50 million years old and belonged to a tiny horse the size of a dog!

The first horse-drawn chariots were invented around 2,000 BC!

Horses helped humans explore every continent except Antarctica!

The US Pony Express used horses to deliver mail across America in just 10 days during the 1860s!

Horses were used in farming until the 1900s when tractors began to replace them!

The word “horsepower” used to measure engine strength comes from comparing engines to how much work horses could do!

The Shire horse breed can pull weights of up to 8,000 pounds!

Miniature horses can be as small as 34 inches (86 cm) tall — about the size of a large dog!

Miniature horses can be as small as 34 inches (86 cm) tall — about the size of a large dog!

The Akhal-Teke horse breed has metallic-looking coat that shimmers in the sunlight!

The Marwari horse breed from India has unique ears that curve inward and can touch at the tips!

The Friesian horse breed is completely black and has long, flowing hair that looks like it belongs in a fairy tale!

The Appaloosa horse breed was developed by the Nez Perce Native American tribe and is famous for its spotted coat!

The Arabian horse breed can run long distances in hot desert conditions without getting tired!

The Gypsy Vanner horse breed has long feathery hair covering its hooves!

The Icelandic horse breed has two extra gaits (ways of moving) that most other horses don’t have!

The Clydesdale horse breed can be up to 6 feet (183 cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh over 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms)!

Horses need their hooves trimmed every 6–8 weeks, just like we need haircuts!

A horse’s normal body temperature is between 99.5°F and 101.5°F (37.5°C and 38.6°C)!

A healthy horse’s heart beats between 28–44 times per minute while resting!

Horses can’t breathe through their mouths like humans can — they only breathe through their nostrils!

A horse’s legs have no muscles below the knee — only tendons and ligaments!

Horses produce about 10 gallons (38 liters) of saliva every day to help them digest their food!

Horses can recognize their own names when called!

Horses have been helping humans in therapy programs for over 60 years!

Horses can tell when a human is feeling sad or happy by their voice and body language!

A horse’s whiskers help them judge distances and feel their way around, just like a cat’s whiskers!

Horses can form strong bonds with their human caretakers that last their entire lives!

Horses use more than 17 different facial expressions to communicate with humans and other horses!

Horses can learn to respond to voice commands, hand signals, and even tiny movements from their riders!

Horses working with humans can learn to solve puzzles and open gates!

The sport of dressage is like ballet for horses, where they perform precise movements to music!