15 Interesting Facts About Horses

Introduction:

We’ve seen horses in our lives since childhood, whether it’s our parents riding one around the stables, or simply encountering them in movies and books. But, chances are, we still don’t know much about them. It’s time to get to know these majestic creatures a little better. Here are 15 interesting facts about horses that you probably weren’t aware of.

Fact 1: Horses Can Read and React to Human Emotions

In a study conducted in 2016, German researchers proved that horses can detect and react to human emotions. Horses can learn how to respond to human cues being displayed to them, for instance by nuzzling or licking the hand of an individual to indicate their recognition and understanding of the emotion. This allowed researchers to make the conclusion that horses are adept at understanding humans better than we may have previously believed, and it helps nurture their bond between a person and a horse.

Fact 2: Horses Have Good Night Vision

While humans have an average of three color sensitive cones in the eyes, horses have up to four. This gives them the ability to differentiate colors even in low light conditions, allowing for superior night vision. This comes in handy for horses out in the wild, as they can detect predators and other dangers even when the sun goes down.

Fact 3: Horses Can Remember up to Hundred Different Face Recognitions

In a study conducted in Argentina, horses astonished researchers by remembering the faces of one hundred different people in only four months. This proves that horses can remember distinct faces, and in the wild, these recognitions may help them identify friend or foe.

Fact 4: Horses Are Extremely Social Creatures

Horses spend much of their day interacting with one another. They communicate through body language to express everything from dominance to mating preferences. This is why they need to live in groups; horses take comfort in the companionship of other horses, and their social nature helps keep them safe in the wild.

Fact 5: Horses Are Highly Sensitive

A horse’s skin is ten times more sensitive than human skin, and this sensitivity even extends to their hearing. Horses can hear a much wider range of frequencies than humans can, and they can also detect vibrations with their feet to pick up on the slightest movement. This helps them stay alert and protects them from potential predators.

Fact 6: Horses Don’t Need Much Sleep

Horses don’t need much sleep. They usually only need 3-5 hours of sleep a day, but they only require this much because they naturally spend about 16 hours foraging and grazing for food. Horses can even sleep standing up.

Fact 7: Horses Have Unique Hair Patterns

Horses have “whorls” and “points” on their hair where the fur meets to form a smooth pattern. Most horses only have two whorls, but some may have up to four, and each of these whorls is completely unique to the horse, like fingerprints on humans.

Fact 8: Horses Have a Special Sense of Direction

Horses have a special sense of direction that can help them find their way home even if they wander far away. This is due to their incredible navigational skills, as they can use the sun, stars, and even smell to find their way back to where they came from.

Fact 9: Horses Can Make Different Facial Expressions

Horses may not look like they can make facial expressions, but they actually can. Horses can show a wide range of emotions through their facial expressions, including fear, surprise, excitement, and anger. Observing these expressions can help us better understand how horses are feeling and what they’re thinking.

Fact 10: Horses Can Live for Decades

In the wild, horses can live up to 25 years, and in captivity, they can even live up to 40 years. Of course, fertility issues and physical condition can affect this number, but with proper nutrition and vet checkups, horses can have a very long and healthy life.

Fact 11: Horses Dream

Horses actually do dream, and they move their eyes and their ears in their sleep, indicating that they can reminisce and relive experiences from the past. Horses also experience REM sleep, just like humans do.

Fact 12: Horses Have Different Personalities

Just like humans, horses have different personalities. Some horses are more active and energetic, while others may be more laidback and relaxed. Some horses may also be more difficult to train and interact with, than others.

Fact 13: Horses Have Different Eating Habits

Just like humans, horses have different eating habits. Some may prefer a certain type of food or a specific flavor, while others may eat whatever is available. Horses also have a columnar digestion system that makes them natural grazers, meaning they are able to take in individual strands of food and digest them over a long period of time.

Fact 14: Horses Are Color Blind

Surprisingly, horses are color blind—they can’t see colors like blues and greens but can still detect bright colors like yellow and red. This monochromatic vision allows them to detect movement better in the dark and helps them focus on important things like food, predators and other horses.

Fact 15: Horses Have a Wide Array of Teeth

Horses have between 36 and 44 teeth that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. These teeth allow the horses to chew and digest all sorts of food, including plants, hay, and even tree bark. The number of teeth also increases throughout their lives, from 8 teeth in a newborn foal to 44 in full-grown adult horses.

Conclusion

There’s a lot more to horses than meets the eye. It’s clear now that horses are more intelligent than we may have previously thought, and they’re capable of remarkable feats. The next time you come across a horse, you won’t have to look at them in the same way. You’ll now know all the fascinating facts about these majestic creatures.