Horses are probably one of the coolest animals on the planet (After humans, of course).
Millennials ago, humans found out that horses aren’t random long-faced animals hanging out in the wilderness, but that they can actually help us live life better.
Ever since, humans and horses have lived happily ever after and now horses are found in more than breeds with different types of fur, skin, shape, personalities etc.
However, there are still a bunch of facts about our equine friends that many people do not know.
Well, with this article, we aim to change that. Today, we bring you a list of some of the most mind-blowing horse facts you probably didn’t know before.
1. Horses Sleep Standing
While there are certain conditions like the weather, physical pain and the availability of space, under which horses like to lay down for a nap, they can sleep standing.
This may come as a surprise to many people who don’t come across horses very often but ask any horse enthusiast and they’ll say it’s absolutely true.
Now the next time you take your horse clippers and plan to clip your horses as they stand in their stable, just make sure they aren’t sleeping. You don’t wanna disturb them, do you? Or maybe you could use a quiet horse clipper.
2. Horses Are Related To Rhinos
Yeah, shocking right? We know, it’s one of the lesser-known horse facts. Horses are a part of an order called the hoofed animals, and guess what? The Rhinoceros is the largest of the hoofed animals.
Although they can be considered a distant relative like the ones you meet when you were born and then 30 years later, they’re both perissodactyls. Some other horse relatives are Tapir, Zebra, Ass, Donkey, and Kiang.
3. Horses Are Geniuses
Did you know that horses are actually considered the most intelligent animals on planet earth? Again after humans… Well, most humans anyway.
Horses have a strong grasping power and are known for their ability to learn most things quickly. Moreover, they also have commendable problem-solving skills that help them get what they need.
What’s more, they can also distinguish between different people from just their voices or smell alone.
4. How Long Do Horses Live For?
Well, apparently there are a whole lot of people on the planet who google the words, “How Long Do Horses Live For?” So we thought we should tell you.
While wild horses live up to about 20 years, most domesticated horses can live up to 30 years of age. Making them one of the longest-living pets.
The reason why domesticated horses live longer is because of better nutrition and advancements in animal health care.
5. You Can Tell Their Gender From Their Teeth
Male horses have 44 teeth, while female horses have teeth anywhere between 36 to 44 teeth.
This means the next time you get a chance to count a horse’s teeth, you can figure out their gender.
Well, of course, there are easier ways to do that, like asking their owner; and if a horse doesn’t have an owner, we suggest you don’t try counting their teeth.
6. What Do They Eat?
This is probably very obvious, but just in case you didn’t know, horses are herbivores: meaning they’re vegetarians.
While they mostly eat grass and hay, they also love treats like apples, carrots, oats and chickpeas.
7. The Most Famous Horse
Although arguably the most famous horse in the world is probably Bojack Horseman, that’s not what we’re talking about.
We’re here to tell you about the most popular breed of horse, and the answer is the American Quarter Horse.
Also known as one of the oldest breeds of American horses, the horse gets its name from the fact that no other horse can beat the American Quarter Horse in a quarter-mile race.
Conclusion
Now that you know some of the coolest facts about horses, you can probably use them to seem cool in front of other horse owners. Or anything else really.
We hope this article helped you find what you were looking for and if not, we hope you at least enjoyed it. Have a great day!