Horse
The
horse (
Equus ferus caballus)
[2][3] is one of two
extant subspecies of
Equus ferus. It is an
odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to the taxonomic family
Equidae. The horse has
evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature,
Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began to
domesticate horses around 4000 BC, and their
domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BC. Horses in the subspecies
caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as
feral horses. These feral populations are not true
wild horses, as this term is used to describe horses that have never been domesticated, such as the endangered
Przewalski's horse, a separate subspecies, and the only remaining true
wild horse. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from
anatomy to life stages, size,
colors,
markings,
breeds,
locomotion, and behavior.
Horses' anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escape predators and they have a well-developed
sense of balance and a strong
fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. Female horses, called
mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months, and a young horse, called a
foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under
saddleor in
harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.
Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as
draft horses and some
ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "
warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.
Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits, as well as in working activities such as
police work,
agriculture, entertainment, and
therapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of
riding and
driving techniques developed, using many different styles of
equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as
veterinarians and
farriers.
