All About Horses

Mrs. Gilbreath

Horse Classification

• The horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus.

• Kingdom: Animalia• Phylum: Chordata• Class: Mammalia• Order: Perissodactyla• Family: Equidae• Genus: Equus• Species: E. Caballus

Where do they come from?

• Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning quickness. Horses are mammals in the same family as zebras, mules and donkeys.

Work or Play?

• Most breeds of horses are able to perform work such as carrying humans on their backs or be harnessed to pull objects such as carts or plows.

• Horse breeds were developed to allow horses to be specialized for certain tasks. – Lighter horses were bred for racing or riding, – heavier horses for farming and other tasks requiring

pulling power. – Some horses, such as the miniature horse, can be

kept as pets.

What are they for?

• The horse plays a prominent role as a figure in the ideals of religion, mythology, and art.

• They plays an important role in transportation, agriculture and warfare.

Baby• Foal

– a horse of either sex less than one year old. – A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling

and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling.

– Most domesticated foals are weaned at 4-6 months of age.

• Yearling– a horse of either sex that is between one and

two years old.

Young

• Colt– a male horse under

the age of four.• Filly

– a female horse under the age of four.

• Mare– a female horse four years old and older.

• Stallion– a non-castrated male horse four years old and

older.• Gelding

– A castrated male horse of any age

Male & Female

Mom & Dad

• Sire– is the word used for

the father of a horse.• Dam

– is the word used for the mother of a horse.

Life Span

• Depending on breed, management and environment, the domestic horse today has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.

• Uncommon, but a few horses live into their 40s and occasionally, beyond. – The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy," a horse

that lived in the 19th century to the age of 62. – In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in

the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest then-living pony, died at age 56.

Birthdays

• Regardless of a horse's actual birth date, for most competition purposes, horses are considered a year older– January 1 of each year in the northern

hemisphere – August 1 in the southern hemisphere.

Lucky Horse Shoe

• Horses that work or travel on hard roads need their feet (hooves) protected by metal shoes.

• Horses hooves, like our finger and toe nails, also grow continuously and need to be trimmed. – To do this, the horses shoes need to be removed and

their hooves trimmed every 4 -6 weeks. – After trimming their hooves new shoes are fitted. – The person who cares for a horse's feet is called a

blacksmith or a Farrier

Measurements = Hand (h)

• Horses are measured by the width of a human hand - 4 inches or 10 centimeters.

• Measurement is taken from the ground up to the withers, the highest point on the horse's shoulder.

Measurement of 4 in = 1 hand

Pony vs. Horse• Difference between a horse and pony is not

simply a height difference, but also a difference in phenotype or appearance.

• Noticeable differences in conformation and temperament.

• At Maturity Less than 14.2 hands (58 inches) is a Pony

Pony vs. Horse• Ponies often exhibit:

– thicker manes, tails and overall coat.

– proportionally shorter legs,

– wider barrels, – heavier bone, – shorter and thicker

necks, – short heads– broad foreheads. – calmer temperaments

What is a Draft Horse

• Horses weighing more than 1600 pounds that also moved at a quick pace were in demand.

– Tall stature, – muscular backs, – powerful hindquarters

Draft Horse

• Farming, hauling freight and moving passengers

• Draft Horses are typically 16-19 hands and 1400-2000 pounds

Horse Power

US History of the Horse

• 1519- Coronado set out for North America with 150 horsemen

• 1539- DeSoto’s expedition with 237 horses

• Late 1800’s the horse was a central element in urban life.

• From the end of the Civil War to the beginning of WWI the US was in a transition from an agricultural to an urban society

United States of America & the Horse

• Fire Protection• Transportation

– Mail Delivery• Agriculture

Decline of the Draft Horse• Horses were replaced

by tractors, motorized taxies, electric streetcars, trains, and subways

• By the early 1950’s registrations of all draft breeds had dropped dramatically and many breeders went out of business.

Pony Express

• Founded by William Hepburn, William B Waddell, and Alexander Majors,

• Provided fast mail service crossing the North American continent from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento California from April 1860 to October 1861

All on horseback

• The first trip, westbound, was made in 10 days, 7 hours, and 45 minutes.

• The eastbound trip was made in 11 days and 12 hours.

• Every 24 hours they covered approximately 250 miles.

• The Pony Express, established a year before the beginning of the American Civil War, reflected the need to provide fast and reliable communication with the West.

West Bound

Sale of the Past

• The Pony Express had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000.

• In 1866, after the American Civil War was over, Own sold the Pony Express assets along with the remnants of the Butterfield Stage to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million.

Recreation, Sports, Shows

• National Horse Show– Most celebrated

equestrian event in the US

– Held in November at Madison Square Garden since 1883

Recreation, Sports, Shows

• Rodeo– Spanish for “cattle ring”– Began as an amusement among cowboys

who had reached the end of the long cattle drive and had to remain with their herds until they were sold

– 1st rodeo, Prescott, Arizona July 4, 1886– Bareback riding, Steer Roping, Calf Roping,

Bull Riding, Team Roping, Barrel Racing

Recreation, Sports, Shows

• Horse Racing– Rhode Island was the 1st state to allow horse

racing– Kentucky Derby is the most prestigious race

for Thoroughbreds in the US– 1st Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875

at Churchill Downs– The oldest continuously ran race in America