Horses are truly incredible animals that improve our life, each with it’s own personality. As a bit of fun, we’ve rounded up 20 Amazing Horse Facts. While some are funny, all will help with you equine knowledge!
1. Near perfect 360 vision
Horses have near 360 degree vision. However, they have blind spots directly in front and behind them. Therefore it’s extremely dangerous to stand behind a horse as they are
liable to kick out if they get scared by anything.
2. Born running
Horses can run within hours of birth.
3. A Brit invented the horse box
The horse box, or horse trailer was invented by Lord George Bentinck. He needed a more effective transport for getting his six horses from one racetrack to another.
4. Great night vision
A horse can see better at night than a human. However, it takes a horse’s eyes longer to adjust from light to dark and from dark to light than a human’s.
5. Hoof
It takes 9-12 months to re-grow an entire horse hoof.
6. About 5000 years ago
Mongolian tribes were the first to domesticate the horse, around 5000 years ago.
7. Wild horses
The Przewalski’s horse is the only truly wild horse species still in existence. And the only wild population is located in Mongolia. However, there are numerous populations across the world of feral horses, such as mustangs in North America.
8. Hearing is smelling!
Horses and other equines have better senses of smell and hearing than humans. Their ears can turn in different directions to aid their hearing.
9. Making babies
The gestation period for a mare is 11 months, for a female donkey it is 12 months. Far longer than the 9 month it takes us humans!
10. Jumping
The record for the longest jump over water is held by a horse named Something who jumped 27 feet, 6 and 3/4 inches on April 25, 1975 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was ridden by Andre Ferreira.
While, the record for the highest jump made by a horse is held by a horse named Huaso who jumped 8 feet, 1 and 1/4 inches on February 5th, 1949 in Vina del Mar, Chile. He was ridden by Captain Alberto Larraguibel.
11. Are you cold?
You can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind their ears. If that area is cold, so is the horse.
12. Super smart
Horses are undeniably clever animals. Beyond being proficient at relatively simple learning tasks, they are also recognised as having the capacity to solve advanced cognitive challenges involving categorisation learning and a degree of concept formation.
13. No sick bucket necessary!
Horses can not vomit. If you’re interested to know why, read our article: Can horses vomit?
14. Vocalize!
Horses use a range of different vocalisations to communicate. Whinnying and neighing sounds are used when horses meet or leave each other. Stallions perform loud roars as mating calls. All horses will use snorts to alert others of potential danger. Mares use deep smooth sounds, whickering, when they are nursing a foal.
15. Wild Groups
Wild horses generally gather in groups of 3 to 20 animals. A stallion (mature male)leads the group, which consists of mares (females) and young foals. When young males become colts, at around two years of age, the stallion drives them away. The colts then roam with other young males until they can gather their own band of females.
16. 7 Blood types
Horses have 7 common blood types, whereas Humans have 35 blood types.
17. Betting on the gallop
In 1872, Leland Stanford made a bet that at some point in the gallop all four of a horse’s legs are off the ground at the same point. Using 24 cameras to photograph a racehorse named Sallie Gardner, Eadweard Muybridge proved him right.
18. Arabian horses
Arabian horses have one fewer vertebrae and one less rib than other breeds.
19. Sleepy
Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.
20. Long life
Ponies live longer than horses and can live well into their 50’s. Donkeys have been known to live 35-40 years.
21. Bonus #1
Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal.
22. Bonus #2
The largest horse museum in the world is the International Museum of the Horse in Kentucky.
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