Horse

Quick Take

• Horses are famous for their sharp senses, yet their anatomy contains a hidden blind spot that makes one common approach genuinely dangerous. Explore horse senses →
• Horses originated on one continent and then completely disappeared from it, and the reason why is far stranger than you'd expect. Trace their origins →
• A horse can sleep standing up, but skipping one other type of rest has serious biological consequences the animal can't compensate for. See their sleep habits →
• The color of a horse's hoof isn't just cosmetic. It quietly determines something critical about the animal's durability. Learn about hoof color →

Over the course of 50 million years, horses evolved from small, many-toed animals to the majestic, single-toed equines we know today. Some wild horses remain, but most are domestic animals used by humans for a variety of reasons. Transportation and battle have been historically important uses of the domesticated horse into the modern era.

Incredible Horse Facts

• Although there is only one species of domestic horses, there are 350 different breeds around the world.
• Horses have made an indelible mark on human civilization.
• Horses share the distinction of having the biggest eyes of any land mammal, a record they hold jointly with moose.
• Horses can sleep while standing up. Horses can “power nap” while standing up to stay alert. For longer rests, they can lie down and reach REM cycles.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of this animal is Equus ferus caballus. Equus has a literal meaning of horse in Latin. Caballus is another word meaning horse in Latin, but for the longest time was only used by poets.

Evolution and Origins

The horse family tree spans millions of years, with the earliest known horses evolving 55 million years ago. For much of this time, multiple horse species lived at the same time, often side by side. Around 10 million years ago, up to a dozen horse species roamed the Great Plains of North America, coming in many shapes and sizes.

The horse family first appeared in North America. For most of their history, they remained small forest browsers. However, changing climate conditions allowed grasslands to expand, and about 20 million years ago, many new species rapidly evolved. Some of these new species became larger and had the familiar hooves and grazing diets that we associate with horses today. Only these species survived to the present, but in the past, small and large species lived side by side.

Appearance

The size and weight of these animals vary greatly from one breed to another. However, they all have the same general characteristics. The height is measured in hands instead of in inches. One hand equals exactly 4 inches, or approximately 10.2 cm.

All horses have long necks that hold up their large, long heads. They have big eyes and ears, which are well-adapted to many environments. A mane of long hair grows down along their necks, and their short tails are covered in coarse hairs, too. They come in a variety of colors because they have been bred for so long for different traits.

These animals are famously hoofed mammals with one large ‘toe’ at the end of each leg. Their hooves consist of horn material, which comes in different colors. Black is the most common hoof color, but horses with white feet often have white hoofs. White hooves are actually more brittle than pigmented ones. Appaloosa horses have a beautiful mixture of colors. These types of painted horses often have striped hoofs that include both pigmented and white hoof material.

Physical Traits

These animals have remarkable hearing due to their large ears perched high atop their heads. Their sense of smell is better than that of a human, but they tend to rely more on vision than smell. Their field of monocular vision is almost 360 degrees, with a narrower field of binocular vision in front and slightly to the sides. The animal has a blind spot directly in front of the nose and directly behind it. For this reason, it is better to approach from the side. Whether they can see color is inconclusive. They do have much better night vision than humans.

These animals have an advanced sense of taste, which allows them to sort through grasses and grains to find the things that they would most like to eat. These animals generally will not eat poisonous plants, but when the horse cannot find more adequate food, they will eat plants that contain toxins. Its gut is designed to have food flowing through it almost continually, and they graze most of the day if allowed.

Behavior

Horses are social animals that enjoy being around other horses. They engage in activities like playing and grooming each other. They also exercise their senses by smelling each other and their surroundings. In a natural setting, horses graze and use their senses of smell, sight, and hearing to stay safe and find food.
Horses that live together communicate with each other mainly through body language. Horses have developed subtle and obvious signals in order to communicate with one another.

Horses that live in herds have many advantages, such as being able to take turns being on the lookout for predators and having more sets of eyes and ears to detect them. Horses that are kept alone are more likely to be stressed due to a lack of companionship.

Horses are reactive animals by nature and will run at the first sign of danger. However, with proper training, this behavior can be overcome to make horses and riders/handlers safer. It’s important to remember that if a horse feels trapped, it may resort to kicking, striking, or biting if it can’t escape. When handling a horse, try to read its body language and avoid putting pressure on the animal to the point where it feels it needs to escape or defend itself.

Habitat

These animals are well-suited to all kinds of environments and climates. Domestic horses can live almost anywhere as long as they have shelter, food, and space to run. Some of them are still wild, like North American mustangs. These animals roam freely and comfortably along the prairies and plains of the western area of North America.

Diet

These animals are herbivores, which means they eat a lot of vegetation, including grass and hay. Grass is the most common part of their diet and helps keep their digestive system running well. Hay is the most popular substitute in cooler months when grass is not available freely in pastures. These animals also enjoy fruits and vegetables, like cut-up apples and carrots. Salt, in the form of a salt lick or block, is also a great treat. A well-rounded equine diet will consist of a mixture of these types of foods.

Predators and threats

Domestic horses are protected by the shelter of their homes. In the wild, they are most in danger from attacks by large carnivores. Large cats or wolves pose the greatest threat to old, young, or sick animals. These animals will try to protect themselves by biting and kicking.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

In the wild, these animals have polygynous mating systems. One adult male, or stallion, would herd a group of adult females, or mares, during the mating season. Stallions defend their mares from other males in the area in an intensive process similar to rutting in deer species. Domestic horses, however, are more selectively bred. This type of artificial selection has given rise to the many different breeds, sizes, uses, and colors of the modern-day horse.

An unborn foal spends about 11 months being carried by its mother. A baby that has not yet been weaned is called a foal and usually can stand and run a short time after it is born. After it is weaned from its mother, a young female is known as a filly, and a young male is known as a colt. A full month after one foal is born, a mare can be mated again. However, horses that are castrated or spayed are known as geldings and cannot have offspring.

Domestic horses live anywhere from 25 to 30 years on average. However, the oldest horse ever reliably recorded was Old Billy, who died in 1822 at the remarkable age of 62 years old. The longest-living wild horse is believed to be 36 years old before its death. Someone who works with these animals can tell their age by the pattern of tooth wear.

Population

There are 60 million domesticated horses worldwide and 600,000 wild horses. There are thought to be more than 350 different breeds of these animals found around the world today, each being bred for a purpose. Enormous draft horses such as Clydesdales pull heavy wagons, lighter saddle horses are for riding, and pony breeds are suitable for children and small adults. Miniature animals (30″ and under) are primarily pets, though some have been used to guide blind people. Thoroughbreds are a breed that is most famously associated with racing activities. Just like most breeds, you can find thoroughbreds almost anywhere in the world.

Horses In the Zoo

Horses of all sizes and sorts are part of petting zoos and other attractions, but the most famous ones to live in zoos today are Przewalski’s horses. You can see this animal at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The Przewalski, or Asian wild horse, is considered the last truly wild horse species, distinct from the domestic animal. Many zoos participate in conservation efforts. Przewalski’s horse is famous for its shaggy, dark-colored mane and tail.

Types of Horses

The Equus ferus caballus is the only species of horse alive today. However, it has many breeds that are based on their purpose or use. This means that the characteristics and traits a horse will have are dependent on how it was bred and what it needs to be able to do. For example, the Andalusian was developed as a riding horse with advanced dressage skills due to its powerful body and refined features.

Meanwhile, draft horses such as Clydesdales were bred for demanding farm work like pulling heavy wagons. Other breeds have been developed for light agricultural tasks (Belgian), carriage pulling (Cleveland Bay), sports disciplines (Akhal Teke), or kept as pets (Shetland pony). All in all, there are between 350 and 400 different types of horses, depending on who you ask, each breed being specialized for certain purposes in mind.