Horses

Fun facts

• horses are measured in hands1hand=4 in. from ground to top of shoulders
• start off drinking their mother's milk, then they start eating grass and hay
• Eat 15-20 pounds of hay a day
• Drink 5-10 gallons of water a day

Fun facts cont.

• live 25-30 years
• fastest horse is 25-30 mph
• world's smallest horse was 43cm tall and weighed 57 lb.
• world's largest horse was 7ft and 2in tall and weighed 3300 lb.

Arabian Horse(Arab)

• oldest breed of horse
• in almost every breed of riding horse, there is an Arabian bloodline
• originated from the Arabian peninsula
• 14.1 hands high to 15.1 hands high
• coat colors - bay, gray, chestnut, black, white, and roan

Horse Breeds

Light horses

• majority of breeds used for riding
• excel in competition and show ring
• ancient bloodlines that connect their ancestry back to oldest breed of horse
• range from 14.2 hands high to 17.2 hands high

light horse breeds

• Friesian Horse
• Andalusian Horse
• Hanoverian Horse
• American Saddlebred
• Dutch Warmblood

Dutch Warmblood

• Commonly used for riding but excel in sports
• Originated in Holland
• Obedient, reliable, intelligent
• About 16.2 hands high
• Gelderlanders-bred in south Groningen- bred in north

Heavy Horses

• bred for agriculture work and heavy hauling
• 14.2 hands high to 18 hands high
• much thicker with powerful chests and short backs and legs
• known for great strength and stamina

heavy horse breeds

• Clydesdale Horse
• Shire Horse
• Percheron
• Belgian Horse
• Ardennes Horse

Ardennes

• Praised for hardiness and stamina
• Capable of carrying men into battle
• Enlisted in both world wars to move supplies
• 15.3 - 16 hands high
• One of oldest breeds of heavy horse

Ponies

• smaller breeds of horses
• recreational riding and hauled coal
• generally considered intelligent and friendly
• 14 hands high to 14.3 hands high

pony breeds

• American Quarter pony
• British Riding pony
• Dales pony
• Dartmoor pony
• Exmoor pony

Exmoor pony

• Some still roam as semi-feral
• One of oldest native breeds
• Used for pulling carts and transporting farmers
• Almost became extinct
• Currently listed as endangered

Feral horses

• free roaming horses of domesticated ancestry
• mainly considered wild horses
• live in groups called a band, herd, harem, or mob
• 3-5 animals up to over a dozen in one group

feral horse breeds

• Gypsy horse
• Lipizzan
• Mustang
• Trakehner
• Barb horse

Barb horse

• Originally a prized warhorse
• Barb blood flows through many breeds
• 13.3 - 15 hands high
• Stocky and expressive
• Found in many colors

Babies

• Horse babies are called foals
• Female= Filly and Male= colt
• Birth is in spring or summer
• Foals are most often born at night
• Nurse until they are 2 to 3 months old
• Normally 10% of their mother's weight
• A foal may have been born prematurely if it has floppy ear tips (early)

Evolution

Bay

Chestnut

Roan

summary

sources

• horses.animal-world.com
• horse-stall.net
• Wikipedia
• reference.com
• thespruce.com

Sources cont.

• babyanimalfacts.com
• petmd.com
• viovet.co.uk.
• equine-world.co.uk
• horsechanel.com
• hamnh.org

Any Questions?