The earliest horses had three or four functional toes. But over millions of years of evolution, many horses lost their side toes and developed a single hoof. Only horses with single-toed hooves survive today, but the remains of tiny vestigial toes can still be found on the bones above their Read more…
A horse is called a yearling between one and two years old. During this time, a horse experiences growth spurts to finish growing to its adult height and weight. Their legs grow longer and they gain extra weight, which causes them to have the appearance of an adult horse. But Read more…
It allows groups of horses to see each other while keeping them separate. This prevents fighting or sparring. It also provides an extra barrier along roads to protect against thrown-out garbage, vehicles, or run-away horses. Why are there fences around trees in horse pastures? Trees and Fencing Regardless of whether Read more…
There are five main muscles and muscle groups in the hind legs. The vastus muscle flexes the hind leg and runs from stifle to hip, while the gluteal muscles, the large muscles in the hip, extend the femur. Do horses have muscles in their legs? Looking at a structurally sound Read more…
Horse sweat contains 3 times the sodium and chloride, and 10 times the potassium found in human sweat. This is one reason electrolyte products designed for humans, e.g., Gatorade, are not great choices for horses. What flavor of Gatorade do horses like? Four days prior to the departure to a Read more…
The answer is to use a paddock—a small enclosure, such as a corral, run, or pen—for your horse’s outdoor living quarters. This area sometimes is called a “sacrifice area” because it is an area of pasture that is “sacrificed” to benefit the rest of the pasture. How big of an Read more…
A saddle needs to distribute the weight of the rider correctly over the horse’s back so that the rider’s center of gravity becomes one with the horse’s center of gravity. The horse will change in conformation over the course of his life due to many influences, least of which are Read more…
The trick to dealing with rooting is not to pull back on the reins, but to ask the horse to keep moving forward. As soon as you see the horse starting to put its head down to root, push it forward with your seat and leg aids. Why does my Read more…
Horses with exhaustion will have an increased heart rate, temperature, and respiratory rate. They may appear depressed, unwilling to eat and drink, and, in some cases, develop colic, shock or laminitis. Horses that move with a stiff gait may have significant muscle damage and/or laminitis. How can you tell if Read more…
Equestrian researchers did similar tests to study a horse’s brainpower further. Compared to other animals in the species, such as the zebra and donkey, horses ranked the highest in their ability to distinguish patterns. Are zebras better than horses? Zebra vs Horse: Speed Zebras can run at a top speed Read more…