Interesting Horse Facts for Equestrians
Date Added: December 28, 2007 12:04:27 AM
Age
Today’s domestic horses have a life expectancy of around 25 to 30 years with horses reaching up to 40 years of age very infrequently. There is a documented case of a horse named “Old Billy” who reached the age of 62 in the 19th century.
Size
A horse’s size will vary by its breed and may be influenced by its diet and nutrition. To tell the difference between a pony and a horse there is a generally accepted height of 14.2 hands (one hand equals 4 inches or about 10 cm). An animal over 14.2 hands is considered a horse while those under that height are considered ponies. When the measurements being done at the withers.
There are a few exceptions to this rule as with most things. There are breeds of horses that will produce offspring that fall both above and below the standard height and in these cases they are referred to as horses regardless of their height. There are also pony breeds that occasionally grow larger than the 14.2 hands but are still referred to as a pony. One breed of pony that shares some of the features of horses is the Welsh Cob or the Pony of the Americas.
There are other considerations when determining a pony vs. a horse. There are different physical appearances. Ponies will have a thicker coat, including mane and tail. There will be differences in temperament and ponies will have different body proportions including thick necks, shorter legs, heavier bone, shorter heads, wider body and a broad forehead.
Horse Types
Arabians, Quarter Horses, Morgans, Thoroughbreds and Paints are examples of light horses that usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands. The weight will vary between about 850 pounds to 1500 pounds.
The Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron and Shire are examples of heavy or draft horses that can range from 16 to 18 hands and weigh between 1500 to 2000 pounds.
The height of ponies will range from 14.2 hands down to the Shetland pony that stands about 10 hands. There is also a Falabella that would stand about the height of a medium sized dog.
The smallest breed is miniature horse which is smaller than the ponies mentioned, but still referred to as a very small horse regardless of the size.
The largest documented horse in history was named Sampson (later renamed Mammoth) and a Shire horse. He was foaled in Bedfordshire, England in 1846 and stood 21.2 hands high with a weight of about 3300 pounds.
As for the smallest horse in history, that would be Thumbelina. She was a miniature horse with dwarfism and stood 17 inches high while weighing 60 pounds.
Horse Breeding
The offspring of a horse is referred to as a foal. A male is called a colt and a female a filly. Twin births are very uncommon. The length of a pregnancy will be anywhere from 335 to 340 days.
As horses mature past 4 years females are referred to as mares and makes become stallions. If the male has been castrated it is referred to as a gelding. Though horses can be physically capable of reproducing as early as 18 months of age, the common practice is not to allow it until at least 3 years of age.
Horses are considered to have matured at 4 years of age but the skeleton will not be fully developed until around six years of age and can be later depending on the size of the horse, breed, gender, the nutrition and care received by the owner.
Bones are also larger with larger breeds which means they take longer to develop from cartilage in the earlier stages to bone tissue in the later stages. The final part of the bone development is when the epiphyseal plates mature from cartilage into bone. These are the plates which fuse the each bone into one piece and connect the shaft of the bone to the ends.
A young horse will usually begin training for riding between the ages of 2 and 4 years depending on the expectations, breed and maturity. American Quarter horses and thoroughbreds are an exception to this and in some cases will be on the track as early as two years old in a few countries such as the United States. Horses that are used for other sports like dressage and show jumping usually don’t enter competition until at least four years of age. Which is about the time their muscles and bones complete developing and their training comes to an end.
A horse’s teeth will continue to grow throughout their lives because they have adapted for grazing. There are twelve total incisors at the front of the mouth that are used for biting off the vegetation and 24 total premolar and molars which are used for chewing at the back of the mouth.
Geldings and Stallions will have four additional teeth located just behind the incisors which are referred to as “tushes”. Occasionally both female and male horses will develop between one to four additional teeth called “wolf” teeth right in front of the molars which are usually removed because they interfere with the bit. Between the molars and incisors there is an inter dental space between teeth where the bit from the bridal usually rests on the gums.
As the horse ages there will be a growth and wear pattern that becomes apparent on the incisors and where the surfaces for chewing meet the angle may change. One way of estimating the age of the horse can be done by the tooth wear even though this can vary with the horse’s diet and care.
