- Horses “lock” their legs to avoid collapsing while sleeping standing up.
- Horses and other equines eat constantly, because their digestive systems aren’t efficient.
- Horses bear their weight on a single digit on each foot.
- A mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.
- The world???s only remaining wild horse species is native to Mongolia.
- Racehorses can reach up to 67kms an hour while galloping.
- Ponies are any of several breeds of horse that stand less than 56.8 inches high.
- The horse originated in North America and spread to Eurasia over the Bering Land bridge.
- Male horse foals are called colts. Females are fillies.
- Domestic horses have a lifespan of around 25 years.
- Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal.
- A horse???s teeth takes up a larger amount of space in their head than their brain.
- Horses can both sleep lying down and standing up.
- Because a horse???s eyes are on the side of their head they are capable of seeing nearly 360 degrees at a time.
- Horse hooves are made from the same protein that comprises human hair and fingernails.
- Horses will not lie down simultaneously because at least one will act as a look-out to alert its companions of potential dangers.
- Wild horses generally gather in groups of 3 to 20 animals. A stallion (mature male horse) leads the group, which consists of mares (females) and young foals. When young males become colts, at around two years of age, the stallion drives them away. The colts then roam with other young males until they can gather their own band of females.
- The average horse???s heart weighs approximately 4.5kgs.
- Horses are social animals and will get lonely if kept alone, and they will mourn the passing of a companion.
- Estimates suggest that there are around 60 million horses in the world.
