I’ve gathered a huge list of all of the random horse facts I could find. Some I already knew and some were news to me. Horses are stranger than they look.
Here’s to learning something new today.
1. Leonardo da Vinci liked to draw horses.
2. An adult horse’s brain weights 22 oz, about half that of a human.
3. Horses can not vomit.
4. The first cloned horse was a Haflinger mare in Italy in 2003.
5. Until the 1960′s Dartmoor ponies were used to escort prisoners from local prisons while they were on outside duties.
6. The word chivalry comes from cheval the French word for horse.
7. Chariot racing was the first Olympic sport in 680 B.C.
8. The Dubai World Cup is 6 million dollars, the richest horse race purse in the world.
9. Horses like sweet flavors and will usually reject anything sour or bitter.
10. Like a fingerprint, every zebra has a unique stripe pattern.
11. To get an official measurement of a horses height, they must be measured without shoes.
12. Horses drink at least 25 gallons of water a day (more in hotter climates).
13. Horses teeth never stop growing.
14. Ragweed is responsible for more horse deaths than most other toxic plants.
15. It takes 9-12 months to re-grow an entire horse hoof.
16. Horses have been found in cave paintings that date back to around 15000 B.C.
17. You can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind their ears. If that area is cold, so is the horse.
18. Mown grass cuttings can cause colic in horses.
19. Horses have 16 muscles in each ear, allowing them to rotate their ears 180 degrees.
20. According to Arabian folklore chestnut horses are the fastest and bravest of all colors.
21. Ponies live longer than horses and can live well into their 50′s.
22. The four horses of the apocalypse are said to signify the end of the world; conquest on a white horse, famine on a black horse, war on a red horse and plague on a pale horse.
23. A horse’s knee joint is the equivalent to a human wrist, and their hock joint is equivalent to the human ankle.
24. The gestation period for a mare is 11 months, for a female donkey it is 12 months.
25. Horses with pink skin can get a sunburn.
26. A small indent in a horses skin (usually on the neck or shoulder) is called a prophet’s mark and is considered good luck.
27. Mongolian tribes were the first to domesticate the horse, about 5000 years ago.
28. Legend has it that the Arabian horse was created by Allah, ‘out of a handful of the southern wind‘.
29. Horses have a great long term memory, (especially for places they were spooked).
30. The oldest horse on record lived to the age of 62 and died in 1822.
31. Horses thrive on routine, especially when it comes to food.
32. Giant white horses are carved in chalk on several hillsides in England. Some date back hundreds of years – folklore says that when King Arthur of he Round Table returns to the throne, one of the chalk horses would get up and dance.
33. The best way to determine the age of a horse is by examaning it’s teeth.
34. You can tell if a horse is dehydrated by pinching their skin, if it takes time for the skin to return from the pinch, they need water.
35. A horses stomach should always make gurgling noises, an absence of them can mean colic.
36. If a horse has a red ribbon on it’s tail, it kicks.
37. Horses have 7 common blood types.
38. The largest horse museum in the world is the International Museum of the Horse in Kentucky.
39. In Greek mythology Apollo delivered the sun and the moon to the sky every day in his horse drawn chariot
40. Horses are social animals and will get lonely if kept alone.
41. Donkeys have been known to live 35-40 years.
42. Arabian horses have one fewer vertebrae and one less rib than other breeds.
43. When cantering, a horse takes a breath with every stride.
44. Horses will mourn the passing of a companion.
45. All horses have parasites in their stomach and intestines in small quantities, they only become a problem if the count builds up.
Have a better fact? Send it to me, I’ll add it to the list and give you credit for the info.
why are yall so mean to each other? yall act soooooo childish and need better language.. you guys make me sick /:
sorry dabney drive
i think maybe u need better language aswell, im joking btw.
i have just 1 question, what does #5, #10, #21, and #41 have 2 do with horses?
it shows that the smaller the animal the older they live. Since a horse i a large animal is dosen’t live as long.
also, zebras and ponies are part of the equine family, so they are (sort of) horses
becuase they are all types of horses there in the horse family excpessially a pony
did you know horses legs dont sweat
i had no idea that horses legs don’t sweat, thats a good one. u guys probably already knew this but if i were to say that a horse was 15.3 hands the 3 stands for three fingers. does anyone know how many centimetres are in a finger i thinks it’s like 2 centimetres but i have no idea.
Each hand is four inches, so the .3 in 15.3 is just 3 inches.
I know a lot about horses and I am 8 years old I can trot and ride bearback. My uncle tot me how and I am still taking lessons
Moi aussi! I started on my 7th birthday and by the time I was 8 I felt like a pro-rider. I’m only 12 now, (which should = more mature) but I still feel that way!
i have rode horses allmy life i learned when i was 3 and i have fun riding
He has 7 horses named Rocky,Star,Nicko,Goupo,Pewe,Summer, and Lefty. I am geting Rocky.
i have 4 horses rocy ty skipper john red corn
I have ridden horses almost all of my life, zebras and donkeys possess many of the same traits as horses because they are all part of the equus family. Another fact about horses is that if you clip their tail short, they will have a worse sense of balance. Polo players (like myself) use this to our advantage because it allows for tighter turns. It is also why showjumping horses often have long tails.
can somebody tell me somthing about a horse
Horses have been around for yrs
horse have been around for millions of years and they are my favorite animal and non of u are as a big of a fan as me
Horses generally dislike the smell of pigs.
Horses can drink beer
i knw but i had a horse that drank beer and liked it
horses’ skeletons have become more refined, and have evolved to eating with their head on the ground, for thousands of years
i have never heard of that
please answer me
i could have swore their legs swetted.
no they don’t, at cross country everyone thinks that the white stuff on their legs is sweat… in fact is is grease do if they hit the jump they can slide off them easily
No it isnt. I am an eventer and we do not grease their legs so they slide off the jumps. The white foamy stuff you see is indeed sweat.
Hi everyone, I’ve seen a lot of bickering on here, and I think some people are just “trolling.”
I’d like to clear up some ribbon colours.
Red- Horse is likely to kick.
Green – Horse is young/inexpirenced
Blue- Stallion
Pink- Mare in season.
White- Horse is for sale
Hope I helped
If anyone would like to have a civil conversations about horses, feel free to email me @ katie_marie.xo@hotmail.com subjected “Horses!” If not I won’t read it.
pink meaning pregnant?
I like you. you are really nice and only on here to talk about horses.
I agree! so much better than SOME people! *hint, hint*
i know right
u spelled color wrong duming
They spelled color the European way. Know what you speak of before you go criticizing people.
Blue, or yellow ** For stallions
horses onlyb one predidor that i know and that is a racoon!you may not belive it but it is true. i know becauseb i looked it up on horse predidors. i really dont think i spelled predidor right.HORSES RULE!!!!!
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i envy u lindsey i wish i had family who had horses. well my aunty does but she lives on the other side of the country she has six horses called Poppy (paint), Mystery (Palamino), Annie (chestnut QH), Indianna (QHx chocolate foal one blue eye blaze), Teddy (winning campdrafting QH chestnut) and K.D (two yr old) i do riding lessons i have just started jumping grade 3 and working the cattle. i ride a pony called Sheiba.
Heeeeeey
If u have horse questions let me know I barrel race and ride for my whole life I have 34 horses. Find me on facebook if u have a question go to cowgirls answers and write it on my wall
that sound like heaven cowgirl! Do u live on a stud farm or something??? lucky u if u do. i live in the suburbs “BORING”
Gab
that sound like heaven cowgirl! Do u live on a stud farm or something??? lucky u if u do. i live in the suburbs “BORING”
Gab.
Why is it that people automatically assume they are studs?
Actually if a horse has a red ribbon on its tail it kicks if green its young and may do something unusual and if white the horse is a stallion and they will properly be handled by an adult and if blue its a mare and will be handled by young people and adults…….
Most of you people are a bunch of posh retards who think ye know everything about horses but I have news for ye ya don now get a life
A rabbit is more closely related to a horse than it is to a rat or mouse.
a rabbit?? really?? hahaha tha
ts hard to believe!! i like that one.
but i doubt it’s true because rabbits mice and rats are all rodents
It is true that Arabs have one fewer rib, horses are not all made the same. Different Breeds have different characteristics, like the shape of the ear, the way they carry their tail, blood types, and etc. A green horse is a horse that isn’t completely done with training, it doesn’t mean the horse is actually colored green. before you go arguing about something, make sure you have the RIGHT information. Some people are uneducated about their info.
It may be true that horse’s are not able to vomit, but I’ve seen an old horse (around 27) cough off a lot of his food. The vet says it was stuck in his lungs. I don’t know if you do, but I consider this and vomiting to be quite the same.
omg thank u s much doing a report on horses these facts helped a lot thanks
wow… some people amaze me. Ignorance is not bliss.
chey some of the ignornce people i just can not belive some people let there horses starve now that to me i hate
I agree Chey!! haha ok so i was riding the other day and my hose full on bucked. SO FUN!!
my horse tried to buck me off on the seventh but i hung on to the saddle horn but i kept flying forward past it so i grabbed on to his mane and around his neck. i stayed on but i was stuck in front of the saddle. then he started running off. I hed a hard time staying on.
I feel lucky the worst ive ever gotten is a couple crow hops as far as bucking goes. Thank God for that mane right!?
i was riding my horse bareback and it bucked me across the yard and i didnt have a saddle on the horse
no horses shoud ever be alone or abused or abandond people shoud always care for there animals
i agree totally
I agree absolutely and totally…:)
i totally agree morgan.it kills me when i see unhealthy animals, especially horses
Why does everyone argue on these things..?-.-
I am glad I found this site because I learned a few new facts about horses. Thank you for making this, person that did
im olny useing this website because i have 2 do the scince fair peple should not use this evry day if u do u a neard
i found this website lastyear and i was using it for the same thing
You are bogus…. if you aren’t horse people then BYE
this sucks
guys why are u all fighting? i started a cert 3 in sports coaching (equine) soo happy!
im 14 and i no ALOT about horses ive had horses since i was 5 and been riding since i was 7 horse CANNOT vomit as they no reflux serch if you must i loan a 16.1hh xrace gelding and he other owner is aa vet
im 9 and i have had horses every since i was born and have been riding since i was 4
sorry i mean have no reflux***
in fact 8 what does purse mean
The total money they win
The sphincter leading into the stomach is so strong that horses are unable to vomit.
Hey, I have another fact to add to your list.
The horse’s forelimb is not attached to the rest of skeleton by bone, it is in fact attached purely by muscles and ligaments.
Also, not sure if this has already been cleared up, but the reason a horse cannot throw up is that they lack the gag reflex muscle right before their stomachs. It is because of this lack of muscle that if your horse is genuinely vomiting there is cause for serious concern. Usually if a horse eats something that disagrees with them they will have to pass it naturally, this is why lots of horses get colic!
(My source for knowledge is my Equine lectures from university, many moons ago.)
Hi my name is Julia and I lease a dun roping/reining gelding. Ive been reading some of these comments and I’m a bit shocked how people claim to know so much yet cant even spell “you” or “green” right. A green horse is a horse that has not had a lot of training, typically about 30 days of professional training and that’s about it.
thanks for clearing that up julia
Hey just wanted to say…. did you know that horses are not white? They are gray but look white
Yea… I’m 15 I live on a ranch with 78 horses and most of them are gray not white….
But yea there is definitely to much arguing going on…. please just need to hear each other out and if that person is wrong correct them gently not mean and rude..
These facts are pretty cool but to be honest I knew all but two of them. Good article though
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Horses cannot get frostbite on their legs – they have a protective mechanism. Actually, this is a good thing, because studies have been shown that keeping a horse in ice water can actually stop laminitis. The hard thing about that though, is knowing exactly when the horse starts having laminitis.
Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.
The intestines of a full grown horse are 89 feet long on average.
Registered thoroughbreds can only have 18 characters in their names (including spaces).
A horse heart weighs 10 pounds.
A newborn foals legs are already 80 to 90% of the length they will be when full grown.
Horses like classical music.
The horse’s sense of touch is so sensitive that it notices the instant a mosquito lands on it.
- Adult male horses usually have 40 – 42 teeth while the females only have 36 – 38.
Horses do not have collarbones. Their front limbs are directly attached to the spinal column by muscles, tendons and ligaments.
China not only has the most people in the world, but it also has the most horses with 10,000,000.
Hairs from horses tails are used to create bows for cellos and violins.
Horses do not need continuous, unbroken periods of sleep like humans. They only need about 2 1/2 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Most of this rest occurs in 15 minute periods.
Horses must lie down for 1 hour every few days to reach minimum REM sleep requirements.
The closest relatives of a horse are the rhinocerous and the tapir.
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And yeah as for me, I compete in dressage. I’ve been riding nearly 8 years, competing 6 of those years. I ride Second Level and I enjoy working five days a week at a local barn. Horses are amazing and beautiful creatures – all the more amazing to put up with us silly humans.
I HAVE TO DO A REPORT FOR SCHOOL ugg