Horse Facts

Horses are smart, beautiful creatures. Humans have valued them for centuries. Even after all this time, there are a lot of horse facts that many people have yet to learn.

It doesn’t matter if you use horses for transportation, competition, or agricultural use. They’ve shown their loyalty to humans over the years, and we’ve returned the gesture.

All animals have unique characteristics and features, and horses are no exception. With everything there is to know, it’s extremely unlikely that you know every fact about your horse.

Common Horse Facts

There are some details that you might be aware of, as some are quite common. So let’s look at a few of the most known horse facts.

  1. Horses are able to sleep standing or laying.
  2. They have nearly as many bones as we do, with around 205 bones making up their skeleton.
  3. Each of their hooves are one toe. That’s right, horses only have one toe per foot.
  4. Horses are herbivores, meaning they are plant eaters.
  5. Although they mostly eat hay and grass, they eat corn, oats, fruits, and vegetables as well.
  6. They drink lots of water when eating.
  7. Horse treats lets them know they’ve done a good job.
  8. Stallion is the proper term for an adult male horse.
  9. Mare is the proper term for an adult female horse.
  10. Colt is the proper term for a young male horse.
  11. Filly is the proper term for a young female horse.
  12. Ponies are just miniature horses.
  13. Domesticated horses live 25 years on average.
  14. Horses have been domesticated for over 5,000 years.
  15. Horses are capable of learning words, including their names and commands.

Less Known Facts

Horses will never cease to amaze us. Although we may spend plenty of time with them, humans are still discovering more surprises about our noble steeds.

So, all things considered, let’s take a look at some horse facts you’re less likely to know.

  1. The first cloned horse came from the Haflinger breed. This happened in Italy during 2003.
  2. Mares and stallions alike gallop around 27 mile per hour.
  3. The fastest recorded speed during a sprint was 55 miles per hour.
  4. Horses have larger eyes than any other land mammal.
  5. They have a near-360 degree field of view because of the location of their eyes.
  6. Horses aren’t colorblind. They are able to see colors.
  7. However, purple and red are difficult for them to see. On the other hand, yellow and green appear very clear.
  8. Evidence suggests horses evolved from much smaller creatures over the past 50 million years.
  9. The oldest horse, known as Old Billy, was born during the 1760s in Woolston, Lancashire, England.
  10. Old Billy lived to be 62 years old and is the oldest known horse to date.
  11. Estimates show that 60 million horses or more are present around the globe.
  12. Although some appear purely white at first, no horse is known to have albinism.
  13. Horses have very small stomachs. Because of this, they eat often but in small portions.
  14. Their hearts, on the other hand, weigh a hefty 8 pounds.
  15. Within hours of giving birth, mares can run around like normal.

There are plenty more horse facts. This is just a snippet of the endless list. For example, did you know getting groomed is peaceful and relaxing for horses?

It’s impossible for anyone to know every little thing about horses. They do say knowledge is power, so it’s a great opportunity for us to learn more about the loyal creatures.