A lot of authors wrote novels and songs about horses. These animals are mentioned in many poems, books, films, serials, they played a very important role in them, served as an excellent background. What is so magical about this word - a horse, that many are not able to talk about these animals indifferently? Little beloved pony - this horse is the dream of almost every girl. Well, almost every boy in childhood wants to become an excellent rider.
Noble eyes, long ears, perfect construction, impeccable voice (they can laugh very beautifully) and thick hair (we are talking about wool and mane) - this is what characterizes the horse.
Man's irreplaceable friend
The domestic horse is a mammal belonging to the order of equids and the equine family. It was domesticated about 3.5 thousand years BC in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan. Since ancient times, people have valued power, speed and intelligence.horses. It is no exaggeration to say that these beautiful animals have changed our lives and influenced the historical development. Modern horses have become a symbol of strength, courage and beauty, and many people call their relationship with people friendship.
Thanks to horses, people were able to cover great distances in a shorter time, which brought development in communication and trade. They played no less important role in the development of industry. In addition, many historical battles were won thanks to the cavalry.
Nowadays, these animals are rarely involved in heavy, physical work, they are increasingly bred for sporting purposes to participate in races and other competitions. It is also worth noting that many we althy people are passionate about horse breeding as a hobby. What is a horse for such people? The answer is simple: a great way to earn money.
Origin story
The direct ancestors of modern domestic horses were wild horses, which can now only be found in the open areas of Africa and Asia. The oldest living species is the Przewalski's horse, but the palm, of course, belongs to Arabian horses in terms of beauty and grace. It was the crossing of representatives of this breed with the European that marked the beginning of the spread of new breeds.
Certain needs and climatic conditions have formed a number of features in individual breeds. Breeds with long, strong legs are the fastest, and animals with a massive body work well. Individuals with longcoat and mane thrive in cold, harsh climates.
The anatomy of these four-legged animals is almost the same, but they may differ in the proportions of individual parts of the body and color, that is, the color of the coat.
Classification
- Class: Mammals.
- Squad: Odd-toed ungulates.
- Family: Equidae.
- Genus: Horses.
- Species: Wild horse.
- Subspecies: Domestic Horse, Przewalski's Horse, Tarpan (extinct).
Breeds
Horse breeds are their division by origin, that is, there are natural breeds and artificially grown by humans by crossing individuals. An example of a natural breed is the Shetland pony, which originally lived only on the Shetland Islands. An example of an artificially derived breed is the Thoroughbred English horse, which was bred for speed, which is why it participates mainly in racing.
Horse Description - Species:
- thoroughbred;
- cold-blooded (with a strong, massive design - workhorses and ponies);
- warm-blooded (mixed).
In general, there are more than 350 types of horse breeds.
Horse Evolution
Over the centuries, these four-legged creatures have adapted to survive in open areas covered with sparse vegetation. They grew up in ecosystems that were dominated by ruminant domestic animals, which is why they had a slow pace of development.
The earliest representatives of the horse family are small mammals from the genus Hyracotherium. They lived on Earth during the Eocene, 45 to 55 million years ago. Three fingers grew on their hind limbs, four on their front. Over the following centuries, the extra fingers on the forelimbs disappeared, so the first representatives of modern horses appeared.
Sizes
The height of horses, like many other four-legged animals, is measured from the base to the so-called withers - the upper fixed point of the body, that is, the junction of the neck and spine. The size of the horse depends on the breed and color. Light domestic riding horses are 142-163 cm in height at the withers and can reach a weight of 380-550 kg. Large individuals reach 157-173 cm in height at the withers, and weigh from 500 to 600 kg.
Sense Organs
The eyes of horses are large, located on the sides of the head. The angle of their vision includes more than 350 degrees. They see perfectly both day and night, but do not distinguish some colors. Their sense of smell is better developed than that of humans, but worse than that of dogs. However, it is believed that this sense plays an excellent role in communication between horses, as well as in identifying odors from the environment, including pheromones. They also have very well developed hearing.
Interesting facts about horses
- Their life expectancy can reach 30 years. Only about 2% of individuals can survive this age threshold.
- A racehorse can go 65 km/h.
- Stallions tend to have better eyesight than mares, as they must stay awake to protect the herd from predators.
- Horses can fall asleep standing up.
- The color of the mane and tail is usually different from the color of the coat.
- The very first breed of domestic horse was bred over 5,500 years ago.
- Horses have the biggest eyes of all mammals.
- There are 205 bones in their skeleton.
- The largest ever living stallion weighed 1372 kilograms.
