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The horse ( Equus ferus caballus) [2] [3] is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today.
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horse, (Equus caballus), a hoofed herbivorous mammal of the family Equidae. It comprises a single species, Equus caballus, whose numerous varieties are called breeds. Before the advent of mechanized vehicles, the horse was widely used as a draft animal, and riding on horseback was one of the chief means of transportation.
In prehistoric times the wild horse was probably first hunted for food. Research suggests that domestication had taken place by approximately 6,000 years ago. It is supposed that the horse was first used by a tribe of Indo-European origin that lived in the steppes north of the chain of mountains adjacent to the Black and Caspian seas. Influenced by climate, food, and humans, the horse rapidly acquired its present form.
The relationship of the horse to humans has been unique. The horse is a partner and friend. It has plowed fields and brought in the harvest, hauled goods and conveyed passengers, followed game and tracked cattle, and carried combatants into battle and adventurers to unknown lands. It has provided recreation in the form of jousts, tournaments, carousels, and the sport of riding. The influence of the horse is expressed in the English language in such terms as chivalry and cavalier, which connote honor, respect, good manners, and straightforwardness.
The horse is the “proudest conquest of Man,” according to the French zoologist Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon. Its place was at its master’s side in the graves of the Scythian kings or in the tombs of the pharaohs. Many early human cultures were centred on possession of the horse. Superstition read meaning into the colous of the horse, and a horse’s head suspended near a grave or sanctuary or on the gables of a house conferred supernatural powers on the place. Greek mythology created the Centaur, the most obvious symbol of the oneness of horse and rider. White stallions were the supreme sacrifice to the gods, and the Greek general Xenophon recorded that “gods and heroes are depicted on well-trained horses.” A beautiful and well-trained horse was, therefore, a status symbol in ancient Greece. Kings, generals, and statesmen, of necessity, had to be horsemen. The names of famous horses are inseparably linked to those of their famous riders: Bucephalus, the charger of Alexander the Great; Incitatus, once believed to have been made a senator by the Roman emperor Caligula (see Researcher’s Note); El Morzillo, Hernán Cortés’s favorite horse, to whom the Indians erected a statue; Roan Barbery, the stallion of Richard II, mentioned by Shakespeare; Copenhagen, the duke of Wellington’s horse, which was buried with military honors.
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The horse has occupied a special place in the realm of art. From Stone Age drawings to the marvel of the Parthenon frieze, from Chinese Tang dynasty tomb sculptures to Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches and Andrea del Verrocchio’s Colleoni, from the Qurʾān to modern literature, the horse has inspired artists of all ages and in all parts of the world.
A mature male horse is called a stallion, the female a mare. A stallion used for breeding is known as a stud. A castrated stallion is commonly called a gelding. Formerly, stallions were employed as riding horses, while mares were kept for breeding purposes only. Geldings were used for work and as ladies’ riding horses. Recently, however, geldings g...
- Horses Sleep Standing Up. Yes, horses can sleep standing up. They sleep lying down, too. Horses must lie down to achieve a full restorative sleep cycle for a minimum of 30 minutes per day to avoid sleep deprivation.
- Horses Can't Burp. That's right! Horses can't burp, at least not the way humans do. They can't vomit or breathe through their mouths like humans do either.
- You Can Estimate a Horse's Age by Their Teeth. While you can't tell the exact age of a horse by their teeth, you can estimate their age. Horses need proper equine dental care for their teeth, but sometimes a horse lives longer than the teeth do, so extra care is needed when feeding senior horses.
- Horses Can Live to Be More Than 30 Years Old. One of the most common questions about horses is, "how long does a horse live?" The answer may surprise you—some can live over 30 years.
Explore the ancient relationship between human and horse. Learn why hundreds of distinctive breeds are all members of a single species.
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Learn about horse history and biology, how to care for them, and the basics of riding in this beginners’ guide to all things horses.
All About Horses. Horse Breeds. Appaloosa, Belgian Draft, Holsteiner, Quarter Horse ... These are just a few of the over 200 different horse breeds living around the world today. Although breeds can look wildly different, they all belong to a single species: Equus caballus.
Mar 4, 2022 · Learn about the 30 most popular horse breeds found in the world today - presented below in an alphabetical order - horse breeds A to Z.
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