General Horses Info

Horse ... Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down... Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe...

Equine Coat Color Genetics ... Chestnut, black, and bay are considered the three "base" colors that all remaining coat color genes act upon. There are a number of dilution genes that lighten these three colors in a variety of ways, sometimes affecting skin and eyes as well as hair coat...

Horse Hoof ... The recent barefoot movement claims that such a strength can be almost completely restored to domesticated horses, when appropriate trimming and living conditions are applied, to such an extent that horseshoes are no longer necessary in almost any horse. If true, it would undermine the belief that "the horseshoe is a necessary evil." The barefoot management system has not, however, gained a foothold among serious equine professionals, due to the increased strain placed on the hoof in sports, such as eventing and endurance riding...

Canter ... However, just as people find it easier to write with one hand or the other, most horses have a "better side", on which they find it easier to lead at a canter...

Skeletal System Of The Horse ... Ligaments of the upper body include: Nuchal and supraspinous ligaments: the nuchal ligament attaches to the dorsal surface of the cervical vertebrae. Its dorsal section extends from the occipital protuberance of the skull (the poll) to the withers, then narrows to become the supraspinous ligament...

Circulatory System Of The Horse ... Yellowish: a bright yellow tinge may occur if the horse has high levels of beta-carotene in his diet, such as horses that eat a good deal of alfalfa hay... The "X factor" The X factor is a gene found on the x-chromosome of horses that causes a larger than average heart...

Draft Horse ... Draft horses and draft crossbreds are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of purposes, including farming, show, logging, recreation, and other uses... They are also commonly used for crossbreeding, especially to light riding breeds such as the Thoroughbred for the purpose of creating sport horses... While most draft horses are used for driving, they can be ridden and some of the lighter draft breeds are capable performers under saddle...

Equine Coat Color ... While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born... Basic coat colors Genetically, all horses start out as either chestnut, called "red" by geneticists, represented by the absence of the extension gene ("e"); or black based on the presence of the extension gene ("E")...

Horse Grooming ... Dandy brushes can usually be used on the legs, but many horses object to a stiff brush being used on the head... Mane brush or comb: Horses with short, pulled manes have their manes combed with a wide-toothed plastic or metal comb... Although many horses are quite healthy without daily brushing, lack of hoofcare can result in various problems, which if unattended, can result in short or long-term soundness issues for the horse...

Horse Gait ... Another classification system, applicable to quadrupeds in general, uses the categories of 1) walking gaits (including ambling), 2) running or trotting gaits, and 3) leaping gaits. The British Horse Society Dressage Rules require competitors to perform 4 variations of the walk, 6 forms of the trot, 5 leaping gaits (all forms of the canter), halt, and rein back but not the gallop...

Oriental Horse ... Prior to these developments, the Four Foundations theory suggested the existence of four basic "proto" horses developed with adaptations to their environment prior to domestication by humans...

Wild Horse ... The term "wild horse" is also used colloquially to refer to free roaming herds of feral horses such as the Mustang in the United States, the Brumby in Australia, and many others... These feral horses are untamed members of the domestic horse subspecies (Equus ferus caballus), and should not be confused with the two truly "wild" horse subspecies... However, other subspecies of Equus ferus may have existed and could have been the stock from which domesticated horses are descended...

Evolution Of The Horse ... This group of animals appears to have been originally specialized for life in tropical forests, but whereas tapirs and, to some extent, rhinoceroses, retained their jungle specializations, modern horses are adapted to life on drier land in the much-harsher climatic conditions of the steppes... History of research Indigenous modern horses died out in the New World at the end of the Pleistocene, about 12 000 years ago, and thus were absent until the Spanish brought domestic horses from Europe, beginning in 1493...

Warmblood ... Studbook selection is the use of external evaluation - critiquing conformation and movement - of potential breeding stock to cull out unsuitable breeding horses and direct the evolution towards a particular goal...

Horse Care ... Horse management books and periodicals are nearly universal in stating that barbed wire should never be used to contain horses... However, even without sharp barbs, wire has the highest potential for horses to become tangled in the fence and injured... It is more difficult to install, and has some visibility issues, but horses are less likely to become tangled in it or be injured if they run into it...

Farrier ... Horses with certain diseases or injuries may need remedial procedures for their hooves, or need special shoes...