Horses have captivated humans for thousands of years and are deeply woven into the fabric of our history. They’ve helped us worked the land, served as a means of transportation, stood by us in times of war, and brought us joy.
And they continue to amaze us with their intelligence, grace and unique characteristics. We've rounded up some of the most incredible, and sometimes odd, facts about them.
18 horse facts
1. The biggest horse breed in the world is the shire horse, which stands on average 173cm high, while the tallest horse in the world is believed to have been a shire gelding named Mammoth measuring an impressive 21.2 hands (86 inches or 218 cm).
2. The smallest horse breed in the world is the Falabella. These tiny horses come from the pampas of Argentina and are descended from Spanish horses, such as the considerably bigger Andalusian, that were brought to South America from the 16th–19th centuries.
3. Unlike cows and many other mammals, horses aren't designed to have twins. This is because a mare's uterus is usually not able to carry them to term. If they do go to term, it is unlikely both twins will survive.
4. Horses are considerably faster than cows. Cows can usually run at about 17 mph, with a top speed of 25 mph, while horses can run at around 30mph – although race horses can be faster, at between 40 to 44 mph.
5. Horses don't have gall bladders, probably because they are grazing animals and are designed to constantly eat.
6. Horses mostly sleep standing up as sleeping upright gives them a better start to fleeing a potential predator than lying down would – and those extra seconds could be the difference between life and death.
7. Arab horses have fewer vertebrae and ribs compared to other horses: 17 ribs compared to the usual 18.
8. Horses can’t vomit unlike many other mammals. This is largely because their cardiac sphincter, also known as the lower oesophageal sphincter (the one-way valve between the oesophagus and the stomach), is incredibly strong and only lets content in – not out.
9. The only true wild horses left, known as Przewalski’s horses, have 66 chromosomes, while the domestic horse has 64.
10. The equestrian sport of dressage (which tests a horse's suppleness, obedience, accuracy and paces) originated from the military, as the more obedient, supple and responsive the horses were, the better they would be in battle.
11. The word gelding comes from the Old Norse words gelda – meaning castrate – and geldr meaning barren.
12. Horses can stand within minutes of being born. As prey animals, it is imperative they are able to get onto their feet within minutes and able to run with the herd within hours.
13. A horse's hoof contains something called a 'frog'. This wedge-shaped cushion sits in the middle of the horse's sole and acts as a shock absorber and helps grips and circulation.
14. You can tell a horse's age by its teeth. Unlike a human, horses' teeth continually grow and this growth – and the marks it leaves behind – helps us pinpoint a horse's age.
15. Thanks to their eyes being positioned on the sides of their faces, horses have nearly 360 degrees of vision. This broad view allows horses to detect movement from nearly every direction. With only a small blind spot directly behind their tail, and another just in front of their nose, horses are capable of spotting a potential threat long before it’s close.
16. Compared to their size, a horse's stomach is ridiculously small – only the size and shape of a rugby ball.
17. A brown and white horse is called a skewbald. Although to be truthfully accurate, skewbald means a white horse with patches of any colour other than black – so bay, chestnut, brown, palomino, dun – whereas a piebald means a black and white horse.
18. A white horse is never called a white horse. It is always grey.