Six Safety Issues That Humans Have With Horses

Gray Wolf ... Though once abundant over much of Eurasia, North Africa and North America, the gray wolf inhabits a reduced portion of its former range due to widespread destruction of its territory, human encroachment, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others, or may be subject to population control or extermination as threats to livestock, people, and pets...

Horse Markings ... On a gray horse, markings visible at birth may become hidden as the horse turns white with age, but markings can still be determined by trimming the horse's hair closely, then wetting down the coat to see where there is pink skin and black skin under the hair. Types of white markings Facial markings Facial markings are usually described by shape and location...

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...

Trot (horse Gait) ... From the standpoint of the balance of the horse, the trot is a very stable gait, and the horse need not make major balancing motions with its head and neck. This is a common gait that the horse is worked in for dressage, due to its many variations...

Horseshoe ... The fitting of horseshoes is a professional occupation, conducted by a farrier, who specializes in the preparation of feet, assessing potential lameness issues, and fitting appropriate shoes, including remedial features where required. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, horseshoeing is legally restricted to only people with specific qualifications and experience...

Horse Breeding ... In some cases, most notably in the Thoroughbred breeding industry, American-bred horses may also be described by the state in which they are foaled...

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...

Stable Vices ... Rather than refer to the behavior as abnormal, it has been suggested that it be described as "behavior indicative of an abnormal environment." It was once thought that stable vices may be learned by observing other horses who already have the habit, but studies on the topic to date have failed to establish this as a cause... Box stall designs that keep the horse from reaching its head out prevent harm to other animals, but some horses may attempt to bite a handler when the person enters the stall...

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...

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...

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...

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...

List Of Horse Breeds ... Horse breeds Horses are members of Equus ferus caballus that generally mature to be 14.2 hands (58 inches (150 cm)) or taller, but many breed registries do accept animals under this height and classify them as "horses," as horse characteristics include factors other than height... A–C Abaco Barb, see Barb horse Abtenauer Abyssinian horse Aegidienberger Akhal-Teke Albanian horse Altai horse Altèr Real, see Lusitano American Cream Draft American Indian Horse American Paint Horse American Quarter Horse American Saddlebred American Warmblood Andalusian horse some bloodlines also called Pura Raza Española (PRE) or Pure Spanish-bred Andravida horse Anglo-Arabian Anglo-Arabo-Sardo, see Sardinian Anglo-Arab Anglo-Kabarda Appaloosa "Appendix," see American Quarter Horse AraAppaloosa, also called Ara-Appaloosa, Arappaloosa or Araloosa Arabian horse Ardennes horse, or Ardennais Arenberg-Nordkirchen Argentine Criollo, see Criollo...

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

Horse Training ... Today, most horse training is geared toward making horses useful for a variety of recreational and sporting equestrian pursuits... Horses are also trained for specialized jobs from movie stunt work to police and crowd control activities, circus entertainment, and equine-assisted psychotherapy...

Equus (genus) ... The term equine refers to any member of this genus, including any horse. The word comes from Latin equus, "horse", cognate with Greek "ἵππος" (hippos), Ionic "ἴκκος" (ikkos), "horse" (the earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek i-qo, written in Linear B syllabic script)...

Feral Horse ... Feral horse herds, like those of wild horses, are usually made up of small bands led by a dominant mare, containing additional mares, their foals, and immature horses of both sexes... However, in a given closed ecosystem such as the isolated refuges in which most feral horses live today, to maintain genetic diversity the minimum size for a sustainable free-roaming horse or burro population is 150-200 animals... Feral horse populations Horses which live in an untamed state but have ancestors who have been domesticated are not true "wild" horses; they are feral horses...

Horse Breed ... Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation, color, performance ability, or disposition... These inherited traits are usually the result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks... Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as Tennessee Walking Horses and Morgans, developed from a single sire from which all current breed members descend...

Equine Anatomy ... The reason horses must have their diets changed slowly is so the bacteria in the cecum are able to modify and adapt to the different chemical structure of new feedstuffs...

Horse Tack ... It is important that the saddle be comfortable for both the rider and the horse as an improperly fitting saddle may create pressure points on the horse's back muscle (Latissimus dorsi) and cause the horse pain and can lead to the horse, rider, or both getting injured. There are many types of saddle, each specially designed for its given task...