Many authors wrote novels about horses and composed songs. These animals are mentioned in many poems, books, films, series, they played a very important role in them, served as a wonderful backdrop. What is so magical in this word - a horse that many are not able to talk about these animals indifferently? The little beloved pony - this horse is the dream of almost every girl. Well, almost every boy in childhood wants to become an excellent rider.
Noble eyes, long ears, perfect construction, an impeccable voice (they can very beautifully laugh) and thick hair (we are talking about wool and mane) - this is what the horse characterizes.
Man's irreplaceable friend
A domestic horse is a mammal belonging to the order of equidae and the family of equidae. It was domesticated about 3.5 thousand years BC in what is now Kazakhstan. Since ancient times, people have valued the power, speed and intelligence of horses. There is no exaggeration in the statement that these beautiful animals have changed our lives and have influenced historical development. Modern horses have become a symbol of strength, courage and beauty, and many call their relationships with people friendship.
Thanks to horses, people were able to overcome great distances in a shorter time, which brought development in communication and trade. They played an equally important role in the development of industry. In addition, many historical battles were won precisely because of the cavalry.
Currently, these animals are rarely involved in hard, physical work, they are increasingly bred for sporting purposes to participate in races and other competitions. It is also worth noting that many rich people are passionate about breeding horses as a hobby. What is a horse for such people? The answer is simple: an excellent means of earning.
Origin history
The immediate ancestors of modern domestic horses were wild horses, which at present can only be found in the open territories of Africa and Asia. The oldest living species is Przewalski’s horse, but the Arabian horses, of course, belong to the Arabian horses in beauty and grace. It was the crossing of representatives of this breed with the European that laid the foundation for the spread of new breeds.
Certain needs and climatic conditions have formed a number of features in individual breeds. Breeds with long, strong legs are the fastest, and animals with a massive body have proven themselves in work. Individuals with long hair and mane feel good in a cold, harsh climate.
The anatomy of these tetrapods is almost the same, but they can differ in the proportions of the individual parts of the body and color, that is, the color of the coat.
Classification
- Class: Mammals.
- Squad: Ostrich.
- Family: Horse.
- Gender: Horses.
- Kind: Wild horse.
- Subspecies: Domestic horse, Przewalski's horse, tarpan (extinct).
Breeds
Breeds of horses - this is their division by origin, that is, there are natural breeds and artificially grown by humans by crossing individuals. An example of a natural breed is the Shetland pony, which originally only lived on the Shetland Islands. For an example of an artificially obtained breed, you can cite a purebred English horse, which was bred for speed, which is why it participates mainly in racing.
Horse Description - Species:
- purebred;
- cold-blooded (with a strong, massive construction - work horses and ponies);
- warm-blooded (mixed).
In general, there are more than 350 species of horse breeds.
Horse evolution
Over the centuries, these four-legged ones have adapted to survive in open areas covered with sparse vegetation. They grew in ecosystems in which mainly ruminant domestic animals grazed, so they had a slow pace of development.
The earliest representatives of the equine family are small mammals from the genus Hyracotherium. They lived on Earth in the Eocene era, from 45 to 55 million years ago. Three fingers grew on their hind limbs, four fingers on their forelimbs. Over the next centuries, extra fingers on the forelimbs disappeared, so the first representatives of modern horses appeared.
Dimensions
The height of horses, as in many other four-legged animals, is measured from the base to the so-called withers - the upper fixed point of the body, that is, the junction of the neck and spine. The size of the horse depends on the breed and suit. Light domestic riding horses are 142-163 cm high at the withers and can reach a weight of 380-550 kg. Large individuals reach 157-173 cm in height at the withers, and weigh from 500 to 600 kg.
Sensory organs
The eyes of horses are large, located on the sides of the head. The angle of their view includes more than 350 degrees. They perfectly see both day and night, but do not distinguish some colors. They have a better sense of smell than humans, but worse than dogs. However, it is believed that this feeling plays an excellent role in communication between horses, as well as in detecting odors from the environment, including pheromones. They also have very well-developed hearing.
Interesting facts about horses
- Their life expectancy can reach 30 years. Only about 2% of individuals can survive this age threshold.
- For racehorses, speed can be 65 km / h.
- Stallions, as a rule, have better vision than mares, because they must constantly be awake, protecting the herd from predators.
- Horses can fall asleep while standing.
- The color of the mane and tail is usually different from the color of the coat.
- The very first breed of domestic horse was bred more than 5.5 thousand years ago.
- Horses have the largest eyes of all mammals.
- There are 205 bones in their skeleton.
- The largest stallion ever living weighed 1372 kilograms.