09 CURIOSITIES ABOUT HORSES THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU

     Today, in this world animal article, we present ten curiosities about horses that you probably did not know.

1-There are several names associated with the horse

      First of all, the word horse comes from the Latin cabbalus which means baggage horse. The word steed is also used to refer to these animals, and it is a term used in antiquity for horses used in tournaments and battles. On the other hand, the female of this species is known as mare and the young ones are usually called fillies and colts. In addition, there are ponies that are a variety that is characterized by a height of no more than 147 centimeters, which are very robust and have an abundant mane and shorter legs.

2-The domestication of the horse

     Horses have accompanied the history of mankind for centuries. Unlike other domesticated animals, they have not undergone many anatomical changes except physiognomic compared to the wild variety. So this comparison did not provide evidence on when their relationship with humans began.

A study conducted on the chemical aspects in a deposit in Kazakhstan suggested that the domestication of this species dates back to around 5600 years ago.

3-They are very fast

     This has led them to be used as entertainment in famous horse races, but you should know that it is a practice for which they are trained. This does not correspond to a natural activity in them given their anatomical characteristics. Horses can reach speeds of at least 65 kilometers per hour.

4-The gaits of the horse

     Horses can move in three different ways called gaits. These gaits are the walk, the trot and the gallop, taking into account the domestication to which they have been subjected. They can move one way or another depending on the various activities they are used for, such as racing, riding, or showing.

5-Do horses live in herds?

     Horses are social animals that when living in wild communities form groups led by a male. Most group members are judgments accompanied by their offspring. Alpha males, unlike the others, are very active, constantly on the move and they are usually located at the back of the group.

6-Sometimes they sleep standing up

     Horses, curiously, have two ways of sleeping lying down and standing up. In the first case, they lie down on the ground, but they don't spend much time like that. They can also sleep upright because they have an anatomical disposition that allows it. They don't sleep at night. Continuing with curiosities about how they sleep, know that they have sleep patterns at different times throughout the day. That is to say that they take small naps at different times of the day.

 7-Where do the horses live?

     Due to domestication, they are widespread all over the world. However, in some areas they have disappeared in their wild form. They adapt quite well to various types of ecosystems, but in their natural habitat they prefer grasslands, steppes, savannahs, semi-deserts, swamps and forests.

8-There are more than 100 breeds of horses

    There is only one kind of horse. But as happened with other animals, a great variety of breeds was obtained through the selective crosses typical of domestication. These are used for various purposes and they differ in size, weight and color. There is talk of the existence of more than a hundred breeds of horses, including varieties of ponies.

 9-Their communication

    Horses perceive the environment around them primarily through vision and chemical receptors located in their nostrils and whiskers. The communication between the members of the herd is based on vocalizations among which are the famous whinnies, but they also communicate through their bodily movements such as stomping and jumping.