Horses

Horses are beautiful creatures to look at, and thousands of fanatics enjoy riding them or showing them every year.

Here are some important (and some very interesting!) facts you might like to know about horses.

Horses are called different names depending on their gender.

Baby horses even have different names!

Young horses have different names - a young male is called a colt and the young females are fillies.

New-born horses can walk shortly after birth.

Baby horses can walk and run after just a few hours of being born.

Horses which have been tamed usually live to be around 25 years old.

Horses can sleep standing up or lying down.

Horses have a lookout….

A group of horses will not go to sleep at the same time - at least one of them will stay awake to watch out for the others.

Horses don't smile to show happiness.

Horses are often seen in photographs "laughing" or "smiling", but this movement is actually to help them smell better.

Horses only eat plants, making them herbivores.

There are an estimated 60 million horses in the world, combining wild and domesticated horses.

Horses have exceptional vision!

Horses can't see in full-color.

Experts used to believe that horses were completely color-blind, although this has now been disproven.

Horses float when they run.

Like humans, horses have different facial expressions to express their moods.

Horses do not have a gag reflex.

Unlike many other mammals, it is impossible for horses to vomit.

There's way more types of horses than you would have thought!

Horses have their own form of measurement.

Rather than being measured in feet and inches, horses are measured in hands.

Ponies are horses which are under 14.2 hands high.

Horses are thirsty animals!

Horses are big fans of water, and will drink a minimum of 25 gallons every single day.

Horses can be bred to make a different species.

While zebras and horses are often considered to be totally different animals, they can breed with each other to create "zebroids".

Horses can be cloned.

Horses have been used in the police force since the 17th Century.

Although they became less popular with the introduction of the automobile in the early 20th Century, hundreds of horses are still used by the police today.

The oldest horses have been around as long as the Egyptian Pyramids.

Horses can remember more than you think….

Studies showed that horses have excellent memories - possibly even better than that of an elephant!

The ancient Eastern tribes who were nomadic shepherds preserved their milk, from cows, sheep, goats, horses and camels, in containers made from these animals' skins or from their stomachs.

It is named football because the players of the game walk and often run (on their feet) while playing, as opposed to (for example) polo where the players ride horses.

Cheese is made from the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, sheep, horses and camels.

Horses are magnificent creatures that have been our companions for thousands of years.

Did you know that horses can sleep both lying down and standing up?

This is because horses have a special locking mechanism in their legs called the 'stay apparatus'.

Horses have an excellent sense of hearing.

Horses also have a strong sense of smell, which helps them detect danger and find food.