Horses
By: Marisa Pelzek
When did the first horse
evolve?
It was a small animal (10 to 20
in.). It is called Eohippus of
Hyracotherium. It lived in
what is now North America and
Europe , about 55 million years
ago. They had four-toed hooves
and arched backs, they looked
more like greyhounds than
horses.
The next most important horse
was the Mesohippus or Middle
Horse. It lived about 35 million
years ago. It was about 20in.. It
looked exactly like Eohippus
except larger.
Next, came the Merychippus. It
lived about 26 million years
ago. It was about 40 in. tall. It
had three-toed hooves.
About 3 million years ago
horses started to look like the
modern horse today. It is
called Equus.
When did people start
domesticating horses?
Around 5000-4500 B.C. People started
training horses for riding around 5000 B.C.
they used Mongolian wild horses.
Is there any more true
wild horses?
No, there is no true wild horses. But , all
over the world there are herds of horses
and ponies that are considered feral.
Feral means to return from
domestication back to the original wild
or untamed state. The population of
feral horses has gone down though.
What are all the colors horses
Black
Brown
can be?
Gray, black skin with a mixture of
white and black hairs.
Dapple gray, dark gray hairs form
rings on a gray coat.
Palomino, gold coat with white
mane and tail.
Chestnut, reddish brown coat and
mane and tail.
Bay, brown coat with black mane
and tail.
Paint, white coat with another
color patches.
Blue Roan, a mix of white and
black or brown hairs.
Strawberry Roan, a mix of white
and chestnut hairs.
What is a “hotblood”
horse?
Hotbloods and/or Fullbloods don’t
necessarily have hot blood they are called
that because of their high-spirit. Arabians
and Thoroughbred s are examples of this.
Coldbloods again don’t have cold blood
they are called that because of they’re
calm- spirit. Examples of these are Draft
Horses.
Warmbloods or Crossbreeds are mixes
between hotbloods and coldbloods.
Examples of these are modern sporting
horses, except for racehorses which are
What is the
difference between a
mule and a hinny?
A mule’s
parents are a
donkey mare
and a horse
stallion.
A hinny’s
parents are a
donkey stallion
and horse
mare.
Usually a mule
is stronger than
a hinny.
Is there a difference
between a pony and a
There is no horse?
difference
between
horses and
ponies except
size.
A lot of
people think
a pony is a
baby horse,
but its not. A
foal is a baby
horse.
Ponies are no
taller than
14.2 hands
(58 inches.)
Is there any other saddles
other than
Western and English?
There are three main
kinds of saddles
(Western, English and
Australian).
Bridles have bits
(metal pieces that go
in the horse’s mouth)
and are used to
steer/lead the horse
when riding.
Halters/Head Collars
and lead ropes are for
walking the horse and
not riding.
Tack is anything that
you use for grooming
or caring for the horse.
Can you ride Draft Horses?
Yes, but it isn’t what they were bred for. Draft
Horses were bred for heavy or hard work and
pulling large objects.
Is horseback riding considered a
sport?
Yes, there is Olympic games involving
horseback riding. To horseback ride you and
your horse have to be fit.
Fun Facts
The best way to tell a
horse’s age is by looking
at its teeth.
A horse drinks at least
44 pints (25 liters) of
water a day.
A newborn foal can
stand and walk an hour
after it’s born.
The highest jump ever
recorded was 8 feet 1.25
inches high.
The biggest breed is a
Shire Horse(16.2-17.2
hands, 65-69 inches)
but the biggest horse
ever is a Percheron, he
measured 21 hands
tall!
Bibliography
Pictures from Google Images and
Clip Art.
Clutton-Brock, Juliet. Eyewitness HORSE. New
York, NY. DK Publishing, Inc. 1992
The World Book Encyclopedia H, 1999
Is horseback riding a sport?. Sports Comet.
http://www.sportscomet.com/Horse-
Racing/150618.htm January 19, 2010