Have any questions about horses? Check out this page and you may find some answers to your questions, and then some! If you can't find the answer to your question, feel free to email us and we will try to answer it and maybe post it here on the website!
The scientific name for a horse is Equus Caballus.
Baby horses are called foals, NOT ponies!
A female foal is called a filly, a male foal is called a colt.
Horses are considered adult at age 4.
A female, adult horse is known as a mare.
A male horse, that is "neutered", is called a gelding.
A male horse, that can reproduce, is called a stallion or stud.
Equines may be known as a mini, pony, light horse, or heavy draft horse and are classified according to their size.
Horses are measured in "hands". Every hand is about 4 inches. They are measured from the ground to their withers (where their neck meets their back, usually where the mane ends).
To be a horse, the equine is over 14.2 hands high, anything under 14.2 is considered a PONY.
The tallest documented horse was a shire gelding named Samson. He was 21.2 1/2 hands high!
The smallest known equine was Little Pumpkin, who stood only 14 inches high and weighed a mere 20lbs.
Full grown horses weigh on average 1,000 lbs and have over 13.2 gallons of blood.
Horses have about 175 bones in their body.
A horse's hoof generally grows 1cm a month.
Horse's hooves need to be trimmed regularly (about every 6-8 weeks).
Not all horses need to have shoes, only if they are competing, walking on hard/rocky surfaces, or have hoof problems.
Shoeing a horse does not hurt them. If you were to grow out your finger nail, you could put an earring/pin through it without it hurting; however, if you pushed the pin through the part of your nail that is attached to the soft tissue of your finger, it would hurt. When horse shoes are nailed in, they are nailed at an angle so which the horse doesn't feel it.
Horses can see everywhere, except directly in front or behind them.
There are over 200 breeds of horses in the world.
Horses, and other prey animals, only sleep about 4-6 hours a day.
Horses sleep standing up by locking their knees.
Horses are one of the few animals that can put one half of their body asleep while the other half is wide awake.
Horses do lay down to sleep, but only if they feel completely comfortable in their environment.
When horses live in an herd environment, they often take turns sleeping and standing guard for any predators.
Horses in the wild do not lay down to sleep.
The oldest horse, Old Billy, was a cross breed and lived to be 62 years old.
Horses age in human years, not seven years like dogs.
Horses on average live to be 25-35.
Most "backyard" horses whom don't get proper exercise etc will only live to be in its 20's.
Horses whom are fed properly and exercised regularly have been known to live into their 40's, down here in Florida.
In a 1/4 mile race, the fastest horse ran 43.26 mph.
In a 1 1/2 mile race, the horse Hawkster ran about 37.82 mph.
The record for the highest jump that a horse jumped was 8ft 1 1/4 inches.
The longest jump was over water and was 27ft 6 3/4 inches.
The record for the most animals in a hitch (being driven) was 50 horses.
The horse is New Jersey's state animal.
In New York, it is illegal to open/close an umbrella in front of a horse, because it might scare them.
It is illegal to fish horseback in Washington D.C., Colorado, and Utah.
Tennessee prohibits riders from lassoing fish.
A British law states that a Englishman must not sell a horse to a Scotsman.
Horses are required to wear hats in hot weather in Rosario, Argentina.
In Guernee, Illinois it is illegal for women weighing more than 200 lbs to ride a horse in shorts.
In Raton, New Mexico, it is illegal for a woman to ride horseback down a public street with a kimono on.
A miswrote ordinance in Wolf Point, Montana: "No horse shall be allowed in public without its owner wearing a halter."
In South Carolina, no horses are allowed in Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
Pennsylvania law states: ``Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take his car apart, piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bushes.''
In Hartsville, Illinois, you can be arrested for riding an ugly horse.
Marshalltown, Iowa, it is against the law for a horse to eat a fire hydrant.
Contact
Bob Stitt (561)791-2920
Email: carriagerides2@aol.com
Please ask for permission before using any pictures on the site.
Ó Horse & Carriage Rides, Inc. 2005