Portal:Horses

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Horse and foal

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, which are horses that never have been domesticated and historically linked to the megafauna category of species. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Horses are adapted to run, allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess an good sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses. (Full article...)

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The skeletal system of the horse. The skeletal system has three major functions in the body. It protects vital organs, provides framework, and supports soft parts of the body. Horses typically have 205 bones.

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Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

The American Cream Draft is an American breed of draft horse, characterized by the cream or "gold champagne" color of its coat. It was developed in Iowa during the early twentieth century from a cream-colored mare named Old Granny. A breed registry was formed in 1944 but became inactive for several decades when breed numbers dropped due to the mechanization of farming. It was reactivated in 1982 and population numbers have slowly grown since then. It is a rare breed: its conservation status is considered critical by The Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust. (Full article...)

Did you know (auto-generated)

  • ... that when built in the 1880s, London's Hesper Mews was home to servants, stables, and horses, but within a century it was populated by artists, military officers, and an Astronomer Royal?
  • ... that after a lifetime of feeling undervalued, Nergisî gained the appreciation of the Ottoman sultan and was sent to the front as a chronicler, only to fall from his horse and die on his way?
  • ... that Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for speeding in his horse carriage when he was a general?
  • ... that shortly after getting married in 1875, Robert A. Emmitt crossed the Cascade Mountains driving a cattle herd while his wife led a pack horse that carried their possessions?
  • ... that Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge is the oldest-known stone bridge in the Scottish Highlands?
  • ... that Christa Ludwig, known for fiction for young horse-lovers, received a prize after her novel about Else Lasker-Schüler's late years in Jerusalem was published?

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