All About Horses

Mrs. Gilbreath
 Horse Classification
• The horse (Equus • Kingdom: Animalia
caballus) is a large • Phylum: Chordata
odd-toed ungulate • Class: Mammalia
mammal, one of ten
modern species of the • Order: Perissodactyla
genus Equus. • 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.
 Male & Female
• 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
 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