10 Fascinating Horse Tidbits You Likely Haven't Heard
Unveiling the Fascinating World of Horses: A Deep Dive into Their Unique Characteristics
Horses, these majestic creatures, are not just beautiful to behold, but they also possess a myriad of intriguing traits that set them apart from other animals. Let's delve into some of these fascinating facts.
Firstly, horses sleep for a relatively short period compared to many other animals, averaging four to five hours out of the 24-hour day. However, they only require 30 minutes of REM sleep while lying down 1. Interestingly, horses can sleep standing up, thanks to a locking system that evolved in their legs. Yet, they can only achieve REM sleep when they're down 2.
Horses are known for their impressive physical attributes. They have the biggest eyes of all land mammals, which aid in their wide field of vision 6. Every horse has a frog in its hoof, a cushion-like structure on the sole that absorbs shock 7.
Ears play a significant role in equine expression. A horse with his ears forward is attentive, alert, or startled. Ears pointing to the side or tilted slightly back indicate a content or relaxed horse, while ears flat back mean a horse feels uncomfortable or under threat 8.
Horses produce approximately 10 gallons of saliva daily, which acts as a natural buffer to stomach acid. This saliva contains bicarbonate, helping to neutralize the acidic environment and guard against stomach ulcers 4. The horse's heart weighs around nine pounds, and their equine brain weighs approximately one-and-a-half pounds, roughly half the weight of the human brain 9.
When it comes to speed, the average horse can reach speeds of 20-30mph. The fastest speed ever recorded over two furlongs was set by a racehorse called Winning Brew, achieving 43.71mph 10. The horse's heart pumps some 35 liters of blood around the body per minute, demonstrating their remarkable cardiovascular capabilities 11.
Equine ears have 10 muscles compared to the human ear's three. This difference gives horses a much greater range of ear motion, allowing them to move each ear independently and finely tune their ear orientation to focus on sounds 15. In contrast, humans have limited ear movement capabilities due to the smaller number of muscles 15.
Horses can only breathe through their noses, and they breathe around eight to 12 times per minute at rest, and up to 150 times per minute during moderately strenuous exercise 3. However, they cannot vomit due to a band of ultra-strong muscles that surround the oesophagus, and the opening of the stomach, called the cardiac sphincter, closes after food is pushed into it, acting like a one-way shut-off 12.
Lastly, horses must eat little and often, and predominantly a diet of fibre, as they only produce saliva when chewing, around 1ml for every chew 13. This means it's essential that they have access to food throughout the day to maintain their overall health and wellbeing.
In conclusion, horses are not just beautiful animals but are also fascinating creatures with unique characteristics that set them apart from other animals. From their sleep patterns to their incredible speed, each aspect of a horse's life is a testament to their remarkable adaptation and evolution.
- Even though horses can sleep standing up, they require 30 minutes of REM sleep while lying down.
- A horse's frog in its hoof acts as a cushion-like structure that absorbs shock.
- Just like humans, horses breathe only through their noses and their heart pumps around 35 liters of blood around the body per minute.
- A horse's hydration is crucial, as they produce approximately 10 gallons of saliva daily to act as a natural buffer to stomach acid.
- The equine ear has 10 muscles, allowing for a much greater range of motion compared to the human ear, enabling horses to finely tune their ear orientation to focus on sounds.
- Each horse has a unique dietary need, and as they only produce saliva when chewing, they must eat little and often, predominantly a diet of fibre, to maintain their overall health and wellbeing.
