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
cannot 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 horse’s 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 horse’s 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 the 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 examining its 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 horse’s
stomach should always make gurgling noises, an absence of them can mean colic.
36. If a
horse has a red ribbon on its 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.
Are there any cool and interesting facts you'd like to share with us? Feel free to comment below, we would love to learn more.
