Interesting Facts About Horses

Horses are beautiful animals. They are graceful, elegant and athletic. There is no other feeling in the world like riding a horse. If you've never had the pleasure of riding a horse you don't know what you're missing. It is an absolute feeling of freedom. Here are some interesting facts about horses.

A foal is a young horse that is either male or female.

A horse is measured in units known as hands. One hand is equal to four inches.

Adult female horses have 36 teeth. Adult male horses have between 40 to 44 teeth.

A horse's upper jaw is wider than its lower jaw.

A colt is a young male horse that is four years or younger.

A filly is a young female horse that is four years or younger.

A horse's age can usually be determined by its teeth.

Dam is a term given to a mare when she becomes a mother.

Sire is a term given to a stallion when he becomes a father.

Horses have monocular vision which means that they can see a different image by both eyes. In other words, they can see two different images at once.

Horses have better vision at night than humans.

A horse is a herbivore meaning it feeds on plants.

Horses produce approximately ten gallons of saliva a day.

A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse.

A hinny is a cross between a male horse and a female donkey.

Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.

Any marking on a horse's forehead is called a star whether it is shaped like a star or not.

There is a breed of horse from Russia called Akhal-Teke that can go for days without food or water.

Horses are in the same family as zebras, mules and donkeys.

A yearling is a foal after its first birthday.

A mare is pregnant for eleven months.

A horse's average lifespan is twenty to thirty years.

There are more than 350 breeds of horses.

A horse's normal body temperature is 100-101 degrees.

Horses cannot vomit.

Horses can sleep standing up.

There are approximately 75 million horses in the world.

The horse that had the starring role as Mr. Ed in the 1960's television series by the same name was a golden palamino.

The Celts regarded the horse as a sacred animal.