Remember the 2003 film Seabiscuit starring Tobey Maguire? It won the best picture award at the 76th Academy Awards.
If you don’t remember, it’s a film based on a non-fiction book about the racing horse Seabiscuit. When researching horse racing facts, Seabiscuit comes up a lot.
But horses are much more than racing animals. There are dozens of exciting horse facts to learn.
Let’s dive into our five most surprising facts about horses!
1. There Are Hundreds of Different Horse Breeds
The specific number of horse breeds is difficult to determine because of unclear distinctions between species. But, experts estimate there are at least 200 different types of horses.
Yet, a 2017 genetic study suggests all modern horses are descendants of two breeds. They are the Arabian and Turkoman horses. Also, existing horse breeds fit into five categories:
- Hot-blood
- Warmblood
- Cold-blood or draft
- Pony
- Minature
Each type of horse has originals from a different part of the world. For example, hot-blooded horses have origins in the Middle East.
Further, historians believe humans domesticated horses between 4,000-6,000 years ago. This caused horses to evolve differently than their wild, prehistoric ancestors.
2. A Horse’s Shoes Need Changing Every Six Weeks
An essential part of taking care of a horse includes maintaining its shoes. The horseshoe protects the soft inner part of the hoof (frog), which is prone to injury.
It keeps the outer hoof from wearing down too far, thus preventing the frog from excessively contacting the ground.
Even though the process looks grueling, it’s painless for horses.
3. The Most Common Health Problem Is Lameness
Lameness is an abnormal stance or gait. It can result from inflammation, injury, arthritis, or hoof obstruction.
An excellent remedy for lameness is to cool the horse’s leg. Plus, you can enhance circulation with special boots like those found on countryandstable.com.
Proper horse care doesn’t just mean attentiveness. It also means investing in the right tools and equipment to aid your horse’s daily stable management and health.
4. Horses Can Sleep Standing Up
Horses have an adaptation called the stay apparatus. The apparatus is a series of tendons and ligaments. They connect the stifle to the hock and lock them in place. This allows them to relax entirely.
The stay apparatus is also why horses can’t move their knees separately from their hocks. The characteristic allows horses to run at the first sign of danger.
Yet, for horses to achieve deep sleep (REM) and complete their sleep cycle, they still need to lay down for short periods.
5. Horses Can’t Breathe Through Their Mouths
Horses are non-ruminant herbivores. The horse’s digestive system, the connection between the esophagus and the stomach, is like a one-way street.
Thus, they cannot breathe through their mouths as humans can. They also cannot burp or vomit. But, this simple structure of their stomachs can lead to colic and other gastrointestinal problems.
It again highlights the importance of daily horse health care.
Now You Know Some Unique Facts About Horses
While we only covered five facts about horses, you have more information about these fantastic animals than you did before.
If you enjoyed learning about horses and found this article interesting, make sure to check out the rest of the blog.
