The horse is a mammal, used since antiquity as a mean of transportation and has been the main driving force of the wagons, but also a useful animal in the war as well as in athletic competitions.
- Most foals (baby) are born in the night under the cover of darkness and away from potential dangers. The mother (mare) is pregnant for 11 months. Most mares give a single foal in the spring, although twins are not unusual.
- Within 1-2 hours of birth a foal is able to get up and walk.
- It lives for many years and its average lifetime is 25 to 30 years.
- The age of horses up to 10 years of age can be determined by their teeth!
- There are many horse and pony breeds (over 350) all over the world, with each race being developed over the years to achieve a particular purpose.
- Horses and ponies tend to live as members of a group, to feel safe in the company of other equines and in the familiar environment. They are timid by nature and their natural reaction to the danger is to run away.
- Horses are very sensitive animals and can feel the feelings of those close to them, such as hesitation, fear, confidence and anger.
- Horses can communicate how they feel with their facial expressions. They use their ears, nostrils and eyes to show their moods. Beware of a horse that has flared nostrils and their ears back. This means it may attack.
- Horses have good memory. If you have the same horse for a long time, it will remember you.
- Horses have 2 blind spots where they cannot see. Right behind them and right in front of them. They have a vision of almost 360 degrees.
- Horses are herbivores and love to eat short juicy grass. They also eat hay especially in the winter or when they are kept in a stable.
- Horses have small stomachs for their size and need to eat little and often. When in nature, the horses will graze for most of the day. Horses can drink up to ten gallons of water a day! They also cannot vomit.