Difference between revisions of "Horse" - New World Encyclopedia

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==Introduction==
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The '''horse''' or '''domestic horse''' (''Equus caballus'') is a sizable [[ungulate]] ("hoofed") [[mammal]] of the family ''Equidae'' and the genus ''Equus.'' Among the 10 living members of the Equus genus are [[zebra]]s, [[donkey]]s, [[Przewalski's Horse]] (a rare Asian species), and hemionids ([[Onager]] or ''Equus hemionus''). The donkey (''Equus asinus''), also known as the burro or domestic ass, like the domestic horse, has many breeds. Przewalski's Horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii'') and the domestic horse are the only equids that can cross-breed and produce fertile offspring.
  
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Horses, one of the most historically vital domesticated animals to man, have played a central role in the lives of people for tens of thousands of years. No other animal, domestic or wild, has had so great an impact on the history of civilization as has the horse. The horse was an integral element in warfare and conquest, in transportation and travel, and in art and in sport. Its beauty and power are legendary. Since ancient times, the horse has been depicted and revered as the noble bearer of heroes, champions and gods.
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Horses, one of the most historically vital domesticated animals to [[human]]s, have played a central role in the lives of people for tens of thousands of years. No other [[animal]], domestic or wild, has had so great an impact on the history of [[civilization]] as has the horse. The horse was an integral element in [[war|warfare]] and conquest, in transportation and travel, and in [[art]] and [[sport]]. Its beauty and power are legendary. Since ancient times, the horse has been depicted and revered as the noble bearer of heroes, champions, and gods.
  
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In its design, its form and its function, the horse is well suited as a purely riding animal. Its spine is fixed and rigid and well devised to bear weight. Its stature is tall, a feature that lends any rider a towering advantage in either hunting, sport or warfare. The horse's legs are long, slender, graceful and, above all, swift. It has been (and remains so today) that the horse's speed and ability to cover ground has made him invaluable to man.
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In its design, form, and function, the horse is superbly suited as a purely riding animal. Its spine is fixed and rigid and well devised to bear weight. Its stature is tall, a feature that lends any rider a towering advantage in [[hunting]], sport, and warfare. The horse's legs are long, slender, graceful, and, above all, swift. The speed and ability to cover ground has made horses invaluable to people, and remains so today.
  
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Horses are herd animals and are very social creatures. They fail to thrive in isolation. Their intrinsic nature is to seek a relationship of trust and mutual benefit to ensure kinship, protection, thus, survival. Man has long been able to exploit this social character to his advantage. Domestication and the subsequent relationship with man, has caused horses to supplant their herd instinct so as to embrace humans. This has resulted in a horse's now imbued willingness to please. It is that very willingness to please that makes the horse one of the most valuable of all God's creatures.
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Horses are highly social and intelligent herd animals. They fail to thrive in isolation. Their intrinsic nature is to seek a relationship, which offers mutual benefit, ensuring kinship and protection. Humans have long exploited this social character to their advantage. Through domestication the horse's instinct to herd with other horses has become one to "herd" with or embrace people, and the resulting "willingness to please" makes horses valuable to humanity and heroic figures in movies and literature.
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{{toc}}
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==Classification==
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''Wild'' animals, whose ancestors have never undergone domestication, are distinct from ''feral'' animals, who had domesticated ancestors but now live in the wild. Isolated feral populations of horses are often named for their geographic location. Several populations of feral horses exist, including those in the western [[United States]] and [[Canada]], often called mustangs.
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The horse (''Equus caballus'') is a sizeable ''[[ungulate]]'' mammal of the genus ''[[Equus]]''. Other members of the horse family include [[zebra]]s, [[donkey]]s, [[Przewalski's Horse]], a rare Asian species, and [[hemionids]]. The donkey, also known as the burro or domestic ass, ''Equus asinus'', like the domestice horse, has many breeds. Wild animals, whose ancestors have never undergone domestication, are distinct from ''[[feral]]'' animals, who had domesticated ancestors but now live in the wild. Isolated feral populations are often named for their geographic location. Several populations of feral horses exist, including those in the western [[United States]] and [[Canada]], often called "[[Mustangs]]". In parts of [[Australia]], feral animals are known as, "[[brumby|brumbies]]" and in [[New Zealand]], they are called, "[[Kaimanawa horse]]s", to name a few.
 
  
 
==Evolution==
 
==Evolution==
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[[image:Eohippus.jpg|thumb|250px|Eohippus, the ancestor of all modern horses, was only 20cm (0.6 feet) in height]]
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[[File:Points of a horse.jpg|thumb|400px| English Trakehner gelding, Sybari in standing pose, marked with major points of the horse.]]
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All equids of the family ''Equidae'' date back approximately 54 million years to the [[Eocene]] period in what is now [[North America]]. Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order ''Perissodactyla,'' a relatively ancient group of browsing and grazing animals that first appeared in the fossil record less than 10 million years after the [[dinosaur]]s became extinct at the about 65 mya. Perissodactyls were the dominant group of large terrestrial browsing animals until the [[Miocene]] (about 20 million years ago), when even-toed ungulates, with stomachs better adapted to [[grass]] digestion, began to out-compete them. Twelve families of odd-toed ungulates have been identified through fossil records, but today only three families survive: horses and their closest living relatives the [[tapir]]s and [[rhinoceros|rhinoceroses]].
  
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All equids of the family ''Equidae'', date back approximately 54 million years to the Eocene period in what is now North America. Horses and other equids are [[odd-toed ungulate]]s of the order ''Perissodactyla'', a relatively ancient group of browsing and grazing animals that first arose less than 10 million years after the [[dinosaur]]s became extinct.  
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One of the first true horse species was the tiny ''Hyracotherium,'' also known as ''Eohippus.'' It lived in the Northern Hemisphere (in Asia, Europe, and North America) during the Eocene, between 60 and 45 million years ago. The first fossils of this tiny horse were found in England in 1841 by the famous paleontologist [[Richard Owen]]. He did not have a full specimen and called it ''Hyracotherium,'' meaning "mole beast." When a full specimen was discovered later, it was given the more fitting name ''Eohippus,'' or "dawn horse." It was not realized until later that the two finds were the same species, and the first published name has priority as the official name. It should be noted that some scientists remain unconvinced that ''Hyracotherium'' had any connection with horses
  
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One of the first true horse species was the tiny [[Hyracotherium]], also known as ''eohippus'', or "the dawn horse". Equine evolution has been characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from 5 per foot, to 3 per foot, to only 1 toe per foot. In the course of about 5 million years, this early equid evolved into the [[Orohippus]]. The vestiges of the 1st and 2nd toes vanished, but the addition of a new "grinding" tooth was significant in that it signaled a transition to improved browsing of tougher plant material.  This would allowing grazing not just leafy plants but plains grasses. Their primary food source could transition from leaf-eating forest-dwellers to grass-eating inhabitants of the Great Plains.  
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Equine evolution has been characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from 5 per foot, to 3 per foot, to only 1 toe per foot. The primitive ''Hyracotherium'' had 4 hoofed toes on the front feet and 3 hoofed toes on each hind foot. In the course of about 5 million years, ''Orohippus'' appeared. The vestiges of the first and second toes were not present, but the addition of a new "grinding" tooth was significant in that it signaled a transition to improved capacity for browsing on tougher [[plant]] material, which would allow grazing not just on leafy plants but also on plains grasses. The horses thereby could transition from being primarily leaf-eating forest-dwellers to being grass-eating inhabitants of the Great Plains.  
  
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Today only three species of ungulates survive; [[tapir]]s and [[rhinoceroses]] are the closest living relatives of the modern horse. The genus Equus, to which all living equids belong, evolved a few million years ago.
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The genus ''Equus,'' to which all living equids belong, evolved a few million years ago.
  
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==Domestication and a Brief History==
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==Domestication and brief history==
  
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Domestication may have occurred as early as 4,500 B.C., although there is speculation that horses were extensively utilized by humans in Babylon, Assyria, Egypt and Eurasia as early as 5,000, B.C. Other early evidence for domestication dates from Central Asia, to approximately 4,000, B.C., however it is well known that competing theories exist as to the exact time and place of initial domestication. 
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Horses come in various sizes and shapes. The draft breeds can top 20 hands (80 inches or about 2 meters) while the smallest miniature horses can stand as low as 5.2 hands (22 inches or about 0.56 meters). The Patagonian Fallabella, usually considered the smallest horse in the world, compares in size to a German shepherd dog.
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Until the middle of the 20th century, the horse was employed primarily in warfare. Conquerors maintained countless numbers of horses in order to traverse vast tracts of land and territory. It was because of the swiftness of the horse that the armies of the Huns, Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Ottomans, Nepolean, and so many others were able to vanquish foes and rule over empires. Soldiers today still refer to the groups of machines that have replaced horses on the battlefield as "[[cavalry]]" units, and sometimes preserve traditional horse-oriented names for military units ([[Lord Strathcona's Horse]]*).
 
  
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==The Modern Horse==
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Domestication may have occurred as early as 4500 B.C.E., although there is speculation that horses were extensively utilized by humans in [[Babylonian Empire|Babylon]], Assyria, [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], and Eurasia as early as 5000 B.C.E. Other early evidence for domestication dates from central [[Asia]] to approximately 4000 B.C.E.
  
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Over time, especially within the last three hundred to four hundred years, equine breeds have been developed to fulfill specialized pursuits. The horse today is an animal used mainly for competitive sport and pleasure. Equine endeavor may be arranged into three main categories: [[Horse Racing]], [[Horse Showing]], and [[Pleasure Horse]]s.  
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Competing theories exist as to the time and place of initial domestication. One school, the "Four Foundations" school, suggests that the modern horse evolved from two types of early domesticated pony and two types of early domesticated horse and that the differences between these types account for the differences in types of the modern breeds. A second school, the "Single Foundation" school, holds that only one breed of horse underwent domestication, and it diverged in form after domestication through human selective breeding (or in the case of feral horses, through ecological pressures). The evaluation of [[DNA]] and [[Mitochondrion|mitochondrial DNA]] is now being utilized to help in understanding better the family trees of horses.
  
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Horse racing is considered the world's most popular spectator sport. Racing with horses pre-dates recorded history. Humankind raced horse-drawn chariots in the early Mesopatamia, in the original Olympic games in ancient Greece, and in the great Roman circus. These contests were often brutal as teams of fierce stallions were galloped by ruthless warriors, the latter, who would committ any atrocity to win at any cost. Today we count [[flat racing]] (on tracks or on turf), [[steeplechasing]], and [[harness racing]] as the three main forms of competitive racing.
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Until the middle of the twentieth century, the horse was employed primarily in warfare and in lesser numbers for domestic transportation. Conquerors maintained countless numbers of horses in order to traverse vast tracts of land and territory. It was because of the swiftness of the horse that the armies of the [[Huns]], [[Alexander the Great]], the [[Roman Empire|Romans]], the [[Ottoman]]s, [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon]], and so many others were able to vanquish foes and rule over empires. Soldiers today still refer to the groups of machines that have replaced horses on the battlefield as "cavalry" units, and sometimes preserve traditional horse-oriented names for military units.
  
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Horse showing, or horse sport as they are currently known, is generally defined as any activity involving horses in a competition other than racing. [[Sporthorses]] are equines involved in the so-called English disciplines, such as dressage, show jumping, three-day eventing, endurance ridng, driving, polo, fox hunting, and their related activities. Horse shows also include the western disciplines; these originated in the western United States and include reining, rodeo, gymkhana, cow horses, cutting and western pleasure, among others.
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Over time, especially within the last three hundred to four hundred years, equine breeds have been developed to fulfill specialized pursuits. Although still used for practical work in parts of the world, in general, horses today are used mainly for competitive sport and pleasure. Equine endeavor may be arranged into three main categories: horse racing, horse showing, and pleasure horses.  
  
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==Horse behavior==
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Horse racing is considered the world's most popular spectator [[sport]] historically. Racing with horses pre-dates recorded history. Humankind raced horse-drawn chariots in early Mesopotamia, in the original Olympic games in [[Ancient Greece]], and in the great Roman circus. These contests were often brutal as teams of fierce stallions were galloped by ruthless warriors, the latter who would commit atrocities to win at any cost. Today, we count ''flat racing'' (on tracks or on turf), ''steeplechasing'' (distance horse race with diverse fence and ditch obstacles), and ''harness racing'' as the three main forms of competitive racing.
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[[image:White horse.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Gray Horse]]]]
 
  
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Horses are prey animals with flight or fight instinct. Their first response to threat is to flee; however, they are known to defend themselves when cornered and the fight instinct is also triggered when offspring, such as a foal is threatened. Through selective breeding, some horses have been made more docile, but most sport horse breeds are based on the principle of preserving the natural qualities of bravery, honesty, and athleticism that existed in horses that were taken from wild herds hundreds of years ago.
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Horse showing or horse sport, as currently known, is generally defined as any activity involving horses in a competition other than racing. ''Sporthorses'' are equines involved in the so-called English disciplines, such as dressage, show jumping, three-day eventing, endurance riding, driving, polo, fox hunting, and their related activities. ''Horse shows'' also include the Western disciplines; these originated in the western United States and include reining, rodeo, cow horses, cutting, and western pleasure, among others.
  
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As stated previously, horses are highly social herd animals. Like many other herd animals, their soceity is derive from survival instincts.  
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==Horse behavior==
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[[image:White horse.jpg|thumb|400px|Gray Horse]]
  
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In the wild, horse society is matriarchal. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant [[mare]]. Herds are made up of mares, [[foals]] and immature horses of both sexes. A herd of twenty mares can produce twenty foals in one year.  
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Horses are prey [[animal]]s with a flight or fight instinct. Their first response to threat is to flee. However, they are known to defend themselves when cornered and the fight instinct is also triggered when offspring, such as a foal (young horse), is threatened. Through selective breeding, some horses have been made more docile, but most sport horse breeds are based on the principle of preserving the natural instincts that existed in horses that were taken from wild herds hundreds of years ago.
  
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The dominant [[stallion]] lives on the periphery of the herd, and it is the his role to stand as the herd sire, to confront threats from predators and to repel challenges for dominance from other stallions who might become a successor.
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Horses are highly social herd animals. {{readout|In the wild, horse societies are [[matriarchal]]. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant mare (female horse).|left}} Herds are made up of mares, foals, and immature horses of both sexes. A herd of twenty mares can produce twenty foals in one year.  
  
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The edge of the herd is where the lowest on the social order are found. When colts become mature, they are cast out by the dominant stallon and are no longer welcome in the herd. For what may be years, they form small bachelor herds and roam until the time when they may battle for the privilege of becoming the next dominant stallion.
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The center of the herd is the safest because it is further away from predators than any other part. The edge of the herd is where the lowest on the social order are found. Punishment is delivered in the form of expulsion from the herd on a temporary or even permanent basis.  
  
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The dominant stallion (male horse) lives on the periphery of the herd, and it is his role to stand as the herd sire to produce offspring, as well as to repel challenges for dominance from other stallions who might become a successor. The dominant stallion lives in the most dangerous and tenuous position in the equine world. Living on the periphery, he is exposed to predators and other bachelors who will fight him for the role of dominant stallion. In stark contrast to the [[mythology]] of the stallion and his (ownership implied) harem, he has no value to the herd itself beyond [[reproduction]]. In a sense, he is dispensable since he is easily replaced. The male dominance hierarchy ensures an immediate replacement by a strong and healthy successor at any time.
  
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[[image:horses.london.750pix.jpg|thumb|250px|Horses graze in a field near London, England]]
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When colts (male foals) become mature, they are cast out by the dominant stallion and are no longer welcome in the herd. For what may be years, they form small bachelor herds and roam until the time when they may battle for the privilege of becoming the next dominant stallion.  
  
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It is the rule that horses tend to gravitate around the most mature and confident herd members. The ability for man to work in cooperation with the horse is based on the strong social bonds that horses have with each other. Establishment of a secure and stable hierarchy is important to smooth group functioning.  
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As with many animals that live in large groups, establishment of a stable hierarchy or pecking order is important to smooth group functioning. Contention for dominance can be risky since one well placed kick to a leg could cripple another horse to such an extent that it would be defenseless, exposed, and possibly unable to get to water. Survival dictates that the herd members ultimately cooperate and stick together. The alpha or dominant mare exercises control over herd members to moderate aggressive behavior.
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Providing that they do not regard humans as they would regard predators, horses will treat humans in much the same way that they treat other horses. As a result, horses will be willing to associate with humans in a cooperative way, but they may also challenge humans for dominance. Training principles, then, are based upon having the horse accept a human as the dominant herd member; not through force, but by virtue of ability and confidence that results in trust. Humans who train horses teach that aggression towards humans will meet with sure but measured and appropriate retaliation. Once horses have been deterred from kicking and biting humans to secure dominance over them, a cooperative relationship can be maintained.  
 
  
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However, humans sometimes abuse horses. Ordinarily, horses are very forgiving of human misbehavior but, when the balance tips, a horse can become a deadly enemy. Abused horses can be very dangerous because they cease treating humans as members of their group; instead humans are treated as predators. Horse bites can sever limbs. Horse kicks can be deadly. Rehabilitation of a horse that has been forced to aggressively defend itself against humans is very difficult and not without real risk. (See [[John Solomon Rarey]].)
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[[image:horses.london.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Horses graze in a field in [[England]]]]
  
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==Equestrian Vocabulary==
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===Horse behavior and humans===
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Because horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years, an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually everything to do with equines.
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The ability of humans to work in cooperation with horses is based on the strong social bonds that horses have with each other. Horses resist being separated from the herd, because to be alone is to be exposed to predators on all sides. Horse training principles are based upon having the horse accept a person as the dominant herd member, not through force, but by virtue of ability and confidence. In pastures, it is the rule that horses tend to gravitate around the most mature and confident members. Those attributes are highly valued because they point the way to survival. A horse that is afraid more than necessary will expend [[energy]] needlessly and may not be able to escape when the threat is real.  
  
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The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in ''hands''.  One hand is defined in British law as 101.6 mm, a figure derived from the previous measure of 4 [[Imperial unit|Imperial]] [[inch]]es.  Horse height is measured at the highest point of an animal's ''[[withers]]''. Perhaps because of extensive selective breeding, modern adult horses vary widely in size, ranging from [[miniature horse]]s measuring 5 hands (0.5 m) to draft animals measuring 19 hands (1.8 m) or more.  By convention, 15.2 hh ''means'' 15 hands, 2 inches (1.57 m) in height.
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Providing that they do not regard [[human]]s as they would regard predators, horses will treat humans in much the same way that they treat other horses. As a result, horses will be willing to associate with humans in a cooperative way, but they may also challenge humans for dominance. Humans who train horses teach that aggression towards humans will meet with sure but measured and appropriate retaliation. Once horses have been deterred from kicking and biting humans to secure dominance over them, a cooperative relationship can be maintained.  
  
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===Horses vs. ponies===
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However, humans sometimes abuse horses. Ordinarily, horses tolerate some human misbehavior, but when the balance tips, a horse can become a deadly enemy. Abused horses can be very dangerous because they cease treating humans as members of their group; instead humans are treated as predators. Horse bites can sever limbs, and horse kicks can be deadly. Rehabilitation of a horse that has been forced to aggressively defend itself against humans is very difficult and not without real risk.
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Usually, size alone marks the difference between horses and ponies. The threshold is 14.2 hh (1.47 m) and under for an adult pony. Above that threshold the equine is a horse. Ponies are furthur divided into sizes according to the height at the [[withers]]: Small Ponies are 12.2hh and under. Medium Ponies are over 12.2hh but do not exceed 13.2hh. Large Ponies are over 13.2hh but do not exceed 14.2hh.  
 
  
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Thus normal variations can mean that a horse stallion and horse mare can become the parents of an adult pony. However, a distinct set of characteristic pony traits, developed in northwest Europe and further evolved in the British Isles, make it less clear whether it is more appropriate to use the word "pony" to describe a ''size'' or a ''type''.
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==Equestrian Vocabulary==
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Horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years; an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually everything to do with equines.
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Many people consider the [[Shetland pony]] as the archetypal pony, as its proportions are so different from those of horses. Several small breeds are referred to as "horses" or "ponies" interchangeably, including the Icelandic, Fjord, and Caspian types. Breeders of miniature horses favor that name because they strive to reproduce horse-like attributes in a much smaller animal, even though their horses undeniably descend from ponies.
 
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===Words for gaits===
 
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All horses move naturally with four basic [[gait]]s; these are referred to as the walk, the [[Trot (horse gait)|trot]]/jog, the [[Horse gait|canter/lope]] ("canter" in English riding, "lope" in Western), and the gallop.  
 
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'''The [[Horse gait|walk]]'''
 
  
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A walk is a "four-beat" lateral gait in which a horse must have three feet on the ground and only one foot in the air at any time. The walking horse will lift first a hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side, then the remaining hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side. A rider on a trained horse gently squeezes the sides of the animal and releases the pressure on its [[reins]] in order to initiate a walk from a stationary position. To initiate a walk when a horse is trotting, the rider gently applies pressure on the reins.
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===Size===
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[[Image:Withers.jpg|thumbnail|400px|right|Diagram showing the location of the withers.]]
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The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in ''hands.'' One hand is defined as a measure of 4 inches (101.6 mm). Horse height is measured at the highest point of an animal's ''withers''—the highest point on an animal's back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. By convention, 15.2 hh means 15 hands, 2 inches (1.57 m) in height.
  
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Size alone marks the difference between horses and ponies. The threshold is 14.2 hh (1.47 m) and under for an adult pony. Above that threshold, the equine is a horse. Ponies are further divided into sizes according to the height at the withers. Small ponies are 12.2hh and under. Medium ponies are over 12.2hh, but do not exceed 13.2hh. Large ponies are over 13.2hh but do not exceed 14.2hh.
  
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'''The [[trot (horse gait)|trot/jog]]'''
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===General Terminology===
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The following are some common terms related to horses.
  
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A [[trot (horse gait)|trot]] is a "two beat" diagonal gait in which a foreleg and opposite hindleg (often called "diagonals") touch the ground at the same time. In this gait, each leg bears weight separately, making it ideal to check for lameness or for stiffness in the joints. A rider on a walking horse initiates a trot by reducing tautness on the reins and applying more leg pressure. There are two types of trot a rider can perform; these are called posting trot, in which the rider stands up slightly in the saddle each time the animal's outside front leg goes forward, and sitting trot, in which the rider sits in the saddle and matches the horse's movement.
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* Colt - an un-nuetered male horse from birth till the age of 4.
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* Filly - female horse from birth till the age of 4.
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* Foal - infant horse of either sex.
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* Mare - adult female horse.
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* Stallion - adult, male horse that is capable of producing offspring.
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* Gelding - a castrated male horse of any age.
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* Horse - adult equine of either sex over 14.2 hh.
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* Weanling - a young horse that has just been weaned from their mother (usually 6 months or a little older).
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* Yearling - male or female horse one to two years old.
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* Purebred - any horse whose recent ancestors are of the same breed.
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* Draft horse - heavy, muscular horse used mainly for pulling and driving.
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* Light Horse - light to medium horses used mainly for riding and fine harness.
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* Pony - equine 14.2 hh or less.
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* Green - a term used to describe an inexperienced or untrained horse.
  
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===Gaits===
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All horses move naturally with four basic gaits (manner of moving). These are referred to as the walk, the trot/jog, the canter/lope, and the gallop.
  
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'''The [[Horse gait|canter/lope]]'''
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The '''walk''' is a "four-beat" lateral gait in which a horse must have three feet on the ground and only one foot in the air at any time. The walking horse will lift first a hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side, then the remaining hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side.
  
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A canter is a "three beat" gait in which a foreleg and opposite hindleg strike the ground together, and the other two legs strike separately. A cantering horse will first stride off with the outside hind leg, then the inside hind and outside fore together, then the inside front leg, and finally a period of suspension in which all four legs are off the ground. the rhythm should be ''1-2-3'', ''1-2-3'', etc. When cantering in a straight line, it does not usually matter which foreleg (or leading leg) goes first, but both leads should receive equal practice time,  as otherwise the horse may become "one-sided" or develop a reluctance to canter on a specific lead. In the arena, the horse should canter on the inside lead. In making a fairly tight turn, the inside leg (the one nearest to the center of the turn) should lead, as this prevents the horse from "falling in". To get a horse to canter on the correct leg from trot, one must go into sitting trot, place their outside leg slightly behind the girth and squeeze with the inside leg. To get a horse to canter from gallop, one must alter the position of the body slightly back in the saddle, then  you must place the outside leg behind the girth to allow the horse to canter on the correct leg, and apply pressure on the reins. Also called "lope" when riding in a Western show class.  The canter is not a natural gait, but a restrained form of a gallop.
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The '''trot''' or '''jog''' ("trot" for English riding, "jog" for Western riding) is a "two beat" diagonal gait in which a foreleg and opposite hind leg (often called "diagonals") touch the ground at the same time. In this gait, each leg bears weight separately. There are two types of trots a rider can perform; these are called posting trot, in which the rider stands up slightly in the saddle each time the animal's outside front leg goes forward, and sitting trot, in which the rider sits in the saddle and matches the horse's movement.
  
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The '''canter''' or '''lope''' ("canter" for English riding, "lope" for Western riding), is a restrained form of a gallop. It is a three-beat gait in which a foreleg and opposite hind leg strike the ground together, while the other two legs strike separately. A cantering horse will first stride off with the outside hind leg, then the inside hind and outside fore together, then the inside front leg, and finally a period of suspension in which all four legs are off the ground. The rhythm should be ''1-2-3,'' ''1-2-3,'' etc.
  
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'''The [[Horse gait|gallop]]'''
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The '''gallop''' is another four-beat gait which follows a similar progression to the canter, except the two paired legs land separately, the hind leg landing slightly before the foreleg. It is the fastest of all gaits; a fit, racing thoroughbred can course at a gallop over forty miles an hour.
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[[Image:Gallop.jpg||thumb|250px|right|At the gallop, with all four feet off the ground]]
 
  
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The gallop is another "four beat" gait which follows a similar progression to the canter, except the two paired legs land separately, the hind leg landing slightly before the foreleg. The gallop also involves having a leading leg. In turning at a very rapid rate, it is even more important that the horse use the appropriate lead, leading with the left leg if making a left turn, and the right leg if making a right turn, since the faster the turn the more the horse needs to lean into the turn. Horses that usually are galloped in a straight line need to be caused to alternate leads so that they do not suffer a muscular imbalance and subsequent difficulty making turns in one direction or the other. To get a horse into gallop, the rider must alter their position so they are slightly more forward in the saddle, then they should allow the horse to head and gently kick the horse's sides. The gallop is usually used in races or fox hunting. However, one would not gallop a horse during training in a ring or enclosed area, due to the fact that the horse may slip in attempting to gallop in such an area. Although a race track is an enclosed area, it is designed for a horse to gallop around, without being too enclosed which may cause the horse to slip while turning.
+
===Horse colors===
 +
[[File:Horsescd1l-095.jpg|thumb|400px|Bay (left) and chestnut (sometimes called "sorrel") are two of the most common coat colors, seen in almost all breeds.]]
 +
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat [[color]]s and distinctive markings, and a specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them. In fact, one will often refer to a horse in the field by his or her coat color rather than by breed or by gender. Some of the common coat colors are:
  
 +
* Bay - From light brown to very dark brown with black points and intermingling red or blue hairs in some cases. (Points refer to the mane, tail, muzzle, lower legs, and tips of the ears.) The four bay types are dark bay (mixed blue hair), blood bay (mixed red hair), light bay, and just bay.
 +
* Black - For a horse to be considered black it must be completely black with no brown at all, only white markings. Ordinary black horses will fade to a rusty brownish color if the horse is exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. Such horses would be considered brown as soon as the black coat gets any brown.
 +
* Chestnut - A color from golden-reddish to a liver color with no black.
 +
* Dun - Yellowish brown with a dorsal stripe along the back and occasionally [[zebra]] striping on the legs.
 +
* Gray - A horse with black skin and clear hairs. Gray horses can be born any color, and eventually most will turn gray or white with age. If you would define the horse as white, it is still gray unless it is albino. Some gray horses that are very light require sunscreen for protection.
 +
* Grulla - A horse that is often a grayish/silver colored horse with dark dun factors.
 +
* Pinto or Paint - a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white. Piebald is black and white, while skewbald is white and brown. Specific patterns such as tobiano, overo, and tovero refer to the orientation of white on the body.
 +
* Palomino - chestnut horse that has one cream dilute gene that turns the horse to a golden yellow or tan shade with a flaxen (white) mane and tail.
 +
* Roan - a color pattern that causes white hairs to be sprinkled over the horse's body color. Red roans are chestnut and white hairs, blue roans are black/bay with white hairs. Roans also have solid colored heads that do not lighten.
 +
* Rose gray: a gray horse with a pinkish tinge to its coat. This color occurs while the horse is "graying out."
 +
* Sorrel - a light brown coat with a flaxen mane and tail.
 +
* Appaloosa - A true Appaloosa is actually a breed, not a color. There are different patterns of spots, such as blanket (white over the hip that may extend from the tail to the base of the neck, and with spots inside the blanket the same color as the horse's base coat), snowflake (white spots on a dark body), and leopard (dark spots of varying sizes over a white body).
  
−
'''Other gaits'''
+
===Horse markings===
−
 
+
Among markings that may appear on the face of a horse are:
−
Some horses, called Gaited Horses, have gaits other than the most common four above. For details, see [[Horse gait]]s.
+
* Star - a white patch between the eyes.
−
 
+
* Snip - a white patch on the muzzle.
−
===Words relating to horses===
+
* Stripe - narrow white stripe down the middle of the face.
−
You can view an entire equine dictionary at: [http://ultimatehorsesite.com/dictionary/dictionary.html The Horse Dictionary]
+
* Blaze - broad white stripe down the middle of the face.
−
* [[Bronco]] - a wild, untamed horse, typically used in reference to the American [[mustang]].
 
−
* Brumby - a wild or untrained [[Australia]]n horse
 
−
* '''''Charger''''' - a medieval [[war horse]] of lighter build not to be confused with a destrier
 
−
* '''cob''' - any horse of a short-legged, stout variety, with short legs, and a compact body, neck and back
 
−
* '''colt''' - an unaltered male horse from birth till the age of 4.
 
−
* [[destrier]] - a heavy, strong medieval [[war horse]] not to be confused with a charger or palfrey
 
−
* [[draught horse]] - heavy, muscular [[beast of burden]]
 
−
* [[filly]] - female horse from birth till the age of 4.
 
−
* '''foal''' - infant horse of either sex
 
−
* [[garron]] - small and disdained horse
 
−
* [[gelding]] - a [[castrate]]d male horse of any age
 
−
* '''god dog''' - how the [[Apache]]s referred to horses
 
−
* '''green''' - a term used to describe an inexperienced horse
 
−
* [[hack]] - A horseback ride taken for the purpose of pleasure, either for horse or rider. Not a trail ride or schooling ride. Generally used only by English-style riders. eg. ''I'm going out on a hack."''
 
−
* [[hackney (horse)|hackney]] - a specific breed of flashy, elegant driving pony
 
−
* [[Hand (unit)|Hand]] - a unit of measuring used frequently to measure a horses height. One hand is equal to 4 inches (appox. 10 cm)
 
−
* horse - adult equine of either sex over 14.2 hh (58 inches, 1.47 [[metre|m]])
 
−
* [[jenny]] - a female donkey
 
−
* [[mare]] - adult female horse
 
−
* [[Mustang (horse)|mustang]] - a [[feral]] horse found in the western plains of North America. According to BLM, though, a mustang is an unclaimed, unbranded, free-roaming horse.
 
−
* nag - A rude term used to describe old horses, 'ugly' horses (but beauty is only skin deep) or skinny, sickly horses.
 
−
* [[palfrey]] - a smooth gaited type, a riding horse, often used incorrectly to mean a woman's horse, but in fact, was ridden by knights and ladies and instead refers to the light build of the riding horses body.  The word being derived from the latin for 'light horse'.
 
−
* [[pony]] - equine  14.2 hh or less (58 inches, 1.47 metres)
 
−
* '''School Horse/Pony'''- A horse owned by a riding academy
 
−
* shelt or shelty - a [[Shetland pony]]
 
−
* [[stallion]] - adult, male horse that is able to produce offspring
 
−
* '''weanling''' - a young horse that has just been weaned from their mother (usually 6 months or a little older)
 
−
* '''yearling''' - male or female horse one to two years old
 
−
 
 
−
In [[horse racing]] the definitions of colt, filly, mare, and horse differ from those given above. [[Thoroughbred]] racing defines a '''colt''' as a male [[horse]] less than five years old and a filly as a female horse less than five years old; [[harness racing]] defines colts and fillies as less than four years old. Horses older than colts and fillies become known as horses and mares respectively.
 
−
 
 
−
===Words relating to horse anatomy===
 
−
[[image:Horse parts.jpg|thumb|250px|Horse parts]]
 
−
; [[withers]]: the highest point of the shoulder seen best with horse standing square and head slightly lowered. The tops of the two shoulder blades and the space between them define the withers.
 
−
; mane and forelock: long and relatively coarse hair growing from the dorsal ridge of the neck, lying on either the left or right side of the neck, and the continuation of that hair on the top of the head, where it generally hangs forward. (See illustration.)
 
−
; Dock: the point where the tail connects to the rear of the horse.
 
−
; Flank: Where the hind legs and the stomach of the horse meet.
 
−
; Pastern: The connection between the coronet and the fetlock. Made up of the middle and proximal phalanx.
 
−
; Fetlock: Resembles the ankle of the horse. Known to anatomists as the metacarpophalangeal joint.
 
−
; Coronet: The part of the hoof that connects the hoof to the pastern.
 
−
; Cannon: Resembles the shin of the horse. Consists of metacarpal III.
 
−
; Muzzle: the chin, mouth, and nostrils make up the muzzle on the horse's face.
 
−
; Crest: the point on the neck where the mane grows out of.
 
−
; Poll: the portion of the horse's neck right behind the ears.
 
−
; Hock: Hindlimb equivalent to the Heel, the main joint on the hind leg.
 
−
; Stifle: corresponds to the elbow of a horse, except on the hind limb.
 
−
; Gaskin: also known as the "second thigh," the large muscle on the hind leg, just above the hock, below the stifle.
 
−
; Jowl: the cheek bone under the horses ear on both sides
 
−
; [[Chestnut (horse)|Chestnut]]: on the inside of every leg
 
−
 
 
−
=== Horse coat colors and markings===
 
−
[[Image:Horse.jpg|thumb|horses]]
 
−
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, and a specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them. In fact, one will often refer to a horse in the field by his or her coat color rather than by breed or by gender.
 
−
====Coat colors include:====
 
−
 
 
−
* [[Appaloosa]] - a breed of horse with spots, any color mixed with white. There are different patterns: blanket- white blanket that typically starts around or behind withers with dark spots mostly over the hips, snowflake - solid with white spots over hips, and leopard - which is white with dark spots over all the coat. A true Appaloosa is actually a breed, not a color.
 
−
* [[Bay (color)|Bay]]- From light brown to very dark brown with black mane and tail with black points. Three types - Dark bay, blood bay, light bay and just bay.
 
−
* Black- There are two types of black, fading black and jet black. Ordinary black horses will fade to a rusty brownish color if the horse is exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. Jet black is a blue-black shade that is fadeproof. Black foals are usually born a mousy grey color. As their foal coat begins to shed out, their black color will show through,but jet black foals are born jet black. Usually for a horse to be considered black it must be completely black with no brown at all, only white markings.
 
−
* Brown - A bay without any black points.
 
−
* [[Buckskin]]- A bay horse with a gene that 'dilutes' the coat colour to a yellow, cream, or gold while keeping the black points (mane, tail, ears, legs).
 
−
* [[Chestnut (coat)|Chestnut]]- A reddish body color with no black.
 
−
* [[Cremello]] - A chestnut horse with two dilute genes that washes out almost all colour.  Often called pseudo albinos, they have blue eyes. There are no true albino horses.
 
−
* [[Dapple gray]]: a gray colored horse with rings, or dapples, scattered throughout.
 
−
* [[Dun]] - Yellowish brown with a dorsal stripe along the back and occasionally zebra stripings on the legs.
 
−
* [[Fleabitten gray]] -  refers to usually red hairs flecked in the coat of a gray horse.
 
−
* [[Gray (horse)|Gray]] - A horse with black skin and clear hairs.  Gray horses can be born any color, and eventually most will turn gray or white with age. If you would define the horse as white it is still grey unless it is albino. Some gray horses that are very light must wear sunscreen.
 
−
* [[Grulla]]- A black horse with a dun gene. It is often a grayish/silver colored horse with dark dun factors.
 
−
* [[Pinto]] - a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white. [[Piebald]] is black and white, while [[Skewbald]] is white and brown. Specific patterns such as tobiano, overo, and tovero refer to the orientation of white on the body.
 
−
* [[American Paint Horse|Paint]] - In 1962, the American Paint Horse Association began to recognize pinto horses with known Quarter Horse and/or Thoroughbred bloodlines as a separate breed. Today, Paint horses are the world's fifth most popular breed.
 
−
* [[Palomino]]-chestnut horse that has one cream dilute gene that turns the horse to a golden, yellow, or tan shade with a flaxen (white) mane and tail. Often cited as being a color "within three shades of a newly minted coin", palominos actually come in all shades from extremely light, to deep chocolate.
 
−
* [[Creme gene|Perlino]] - Exactly like a cremello but a bay horse with two dilute genes.
 
−
* [[Roan (color)|Roan]] - a color pattern that causes white hairs to be sprinkled over the horse's body color. Red roans are chesnut and white hairs, blue roans are black/bay with white hairs. Roan can happen on any body color; for example, there are palomino roans and dun roans.  Roans are distinguishable from greys because roans typically do not change colour in their lifetimes, unlike gray that gradually gets lighter as a horse ages. Roans also have solid colored heads that do not lighten.
 
−
* [[Rose gray]]: a gray horse with a pinkish tinge to its coat. This color occurs while the horse is "graying out."
 
−
* [[Chestnut (coat)|Sorrel]] - a light brown coat with a flaxen mane and tail.
 
−
* Splash - a [[Equine coat color genetics | genetically controlled horse coat]] variation.
 
−
* [[Tobiano]] - a genetic trait among horses which produces a characteristic white pattern in the coat.
 
−
* [[Gray (horse)|White]] - Any non-albino white horse is called a gray, even though they appear white. All white, may be the result of overlapping pinto, appaloosa, or sabino markings.  Rarely there are true white horses born and are documented to have a dominant white gene (see [[Gray (horse)]] for a discussion of these).  These horses have normal eye colour, and they stay white for life.
 
−
 
 
−
====Markings include:====
 
−
 
 
−
On the face:
 
−
* Star (a white patch between the eyes)
 
−
* Snip (a white patch on the muzzle)
 
−
* Stripe (narrow white stripe down the middle of the face)
 
−
* Blaze (broad white stripe down the middle of the face)
 
 
* White Face (sometimes called Bald Face)
 
* White Face (sometimes called Bald Face)
  
−
On the legs:
+
Among markings that may appear on the legs of a horse are:
−
* Ermine marks (black marks on the white just above the hoof)
+
* Ermine marks - black marks on the white just above the hoof.
−
* Sock (white marking that does not extend as high as the [[carpus|knee]] or [[Hock (zoology)|hock]])
+
* Sock - white marking that does not extend as high as the [[carpus|knee]] or hock (tarsal joint)
−
* Stocking (white marking that extends as high as the knee or hock)
+
* Stocking - white marking that extends as high as the knee or hock.
−
 
 
−
Elsewhere:
 
−
* Whorls, coloquially known as "cow licks" - are divergent or convergent patches of hair found anywhere on the body but mostly on the head, neck and just in front of the stifles.
 
−
 
 
−
For horse color and marking genetics see [[Equine coat color genetics]]. Another good resource for horse color is: [http://ultimatehorsesite.com/colors/index.html Horse color, markings, and genetics]. Another that has numerous photographs of various colors and markings is [http://equinecolor.com/ Equine color].
 
−
 
 
−
==The origin of modern horse breeds==
 
−
[[Image:Orse.jpg|thumb|right|100px|A horse of mixed breed, [[Dorset]], [[UK]]]]
 
−
Horses come in various sizes and shapes. The [[Draft horse|draft breed]]s can top 20 hands (80 inches, 2 metres) while the smallest miniature horses can stand as low as 5.2 hands (22 inches, 0.56 metres). The [[Patagonian Fallabella]], usually considered the smallest horse in the world, compares in size to a [[German Shepherd Dog]].
 
−
 
 
−
Several schools of thought exist to explain how this range of size and shape came about. These schools grew up reasoning from the type of dentition and from the horses' outward appearance.  One school, which we can call the "Four Foundations", suggests that the modern horse evolved from two types of early domesticated pony and two types of early domesticated horse; the differences between these types account for the differences in type of the modern breeds.  A second school — the "Single Foundation" — holds only one breed of horse underwent domestication, and it diverged in form after domestication through human selective breeding (or in the case of feral horses, through ecological pressures).  Finally, certain geneticists have started evaluating the [[DNA]] and [[mitochondrial DNA]] to construct family trees. See:  [[Domestication of the horse]]
 
−
 
 
−
===Breeds, studbooks, purebreds and landraces===
 
−
[[Image:Equus_Arabian2.JPG||thumb|250px|right|Registered Arabian mare]]
 
−
Selective breeding of horses has occurred as long as man has domesticated them.  However, the concept of controlled breed registries has gained much wider importance during the 20th century.  One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for thoroughbreds[http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/tbred.html#hist], a process that started in 1791 tracing back to the foundation sires for that breed.  These sires were Arabians, brought to England from the Middle East.
 
−
 
 
−
The [[Arab|Arabs]] had a reputation for breeding their prize mares to only the most worthy stallions, and kept extensive pedigrees of their "asil" (purebred) horses. During the late middle ages the [[Carthusian]] monks of southern Spain, themselves forbidden to ride, bred horses which nobles throughout Europe prized; the lineage survives to this day in the [[Andalusian horse]] or ''caballo de pura raza español''.
 
−
 
 
−
The modern landscape of breed designation presents a complicated picture. Some breeds have closed [[studbook]]s; a registered [[Thoroughbred]], [[Arabian horse|Arabian]], or [[American Quarter Horse|Quarter Horse]] must have two registered parents of the same breed, and no other criteria for registration apply. Other breeds tolerate limited infusions from other breeds—the modern Appaloosa for instance must have at least one Appaloosa parent but may also have a [[American Quarter Horse|Quarter Horse]], Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent and must also exhibit spotted coloration to gain full registration. Still other breeds, such as most of the warmblood sporthorses, require individual judging of an individual animal's quality before registration or breeding approval.
 
−
 
 
−
Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all (Jockey Club) Thoroughbred registries require that a registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating ('live cover' in horse parlance). A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of [[artificial insemination]], is barred from the Thoroughbred studbook. Any Thoroughbred bred outside of these contraints can become part of the Performance Horse Registry. 
 
−
 
 
−
Many breed registries allow artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer, or both.  The high value of breed stallions has helped with the acceptance of these techniques because they 1.) allow for more doses with each stallion 'collection' and 2.) take away the risk of injury during breeding.
 
  
 
===Hotbloods, Warmbloods, and Coldbloods===
 
===Hotbloods, Warmbloods, and Coldbloods===
−
The Arabian horses, whether originating on the [[Arabia]]n peninsula or from the European studs (breeding establishments) of the 18th and 19th centuries, gained the title of "hotbloods", for their temperament. Arabians are known and valued for their sensitivity, keen awareness, athleticism, and energy. It was these traits, combined with the lighter aesthetically refined bone structure which was used as the foundation of the Thoroughbreds. They wished to infuse some of this energy and athleticism into their own best cavalry horses. 
+
[[File:Halterstandingshotarabianone.jpg|thumb|400px|Arabian mare standing in a show halter pose]]
 +
The Arabian horse, the world's oldest purebred breed, gained the title of a "hotblood" for its temperament. Arabians are valued for their sensitivity, keen awareness, athleticism, and energy. Combined with the lighter, refined bone structure, they were used as the foundation of the thoroughbred, another "hotblood."
  
−
The Thoroughbred is unique to all breeds in that its muscles can be trained for either fast-twitch (for sprinting) or slow-twitch (for endurance) making them an extremely versatile breed. Arabians are used in the sport horse world almost exclusively for endurance competitions.  Breeders continue to use Arabian sires with Thoroughbred mares to enhance the sensitivity of the offspring for use in equestrian sports.  An Arabian/Thoroughbred cross is known as an [[Anglo-Arabian]]. Horsed in this group are commonly called 'hotbloods.'
+
The thoroughbred is unique to all breeds in that its muscles can be trained for either fast-twitch (for sprinting) or slow-twitch (for endurance) making them an extremely versatile breed.
  
−
True hotbloods usually offer greater riding challenges and rewards than other horses. Their sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning, and greater communication and cooperation with their riders. However, they can sometimes also decide that new flowerpot is really a dragon, and you will spend the next five minutes calming them down.
+
Another famous modern breed of hotblood is the American Quarter Horse. The most popular breed in the [[United States]], it is commonly believed to be the world's fastest horse, some having been clocked at 55 mph at the finish line in racing events.  
  
−
Muscular and heavy draft horses are more or less known as "coldbloods", as they have been bred to be workhorses and carriage horses with calm temperaments. Harnessing a horse to a carriage requires some level of trust in the horse to remain calm when restrained. The best known coldbloods would probably be the Budweiser Clydesdales
+
True hotbloods usually offer greater riding rewards than do other horses. Their sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning and greater communication and cooperation with their riders.
−
[http://images.google.com/images?&q=budweiser+clydesdale&btnG=Search].
+
[[File:Budweiser Clydesdales Boston.jpg|thumb|300px|The Budweiser Clydesdales]]
 +
Muscular and heavy draft horses are known as "coldbloods," as they have been bred to be workhorses and carriage horses with calm temperaments. Draft horses originate mainly from northern [[Europe]], and especially from [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. Harnessing a horse to a carriage requires some level of trust in the horse to remain calm when restrained. The best known coldbloods would probably be the Budweiser Clydesdales, a breed that comes from Scotland.
  
−
[[Warmblood]] breeds began in much the same way as the Thoroughbred. The best of their carriage or cavalry horses were bred to Arabian, Anglo-Arabian and Thoroughbred sires. The term "[[warmblood]]s" is sometimes used to mean any draft/Thoroughbred cross although this is becoming less common. The warmblood name has become the term to specifically refer to the sporthorse breed registries than began in Europe, although now worldwide. These registries, or societies, such as the [[Hanoverian_(horse)|Hanoverian]], [[Oldenburg]], [[Trakkhener]], and [[Holsteiner]] have dominated the Olympics and World Equestrian Games in [[Dressage]] and [[Show Jumping]] since the 1950s.  
+
"Warmblood" breeds began in much the same way as the thoroughbred. The best of their carriage or cavalry horses were bred to Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, and thoroughbred sires. The term "warmblood" is sometimes used to mean any draft/thoroughbred cross. Currently, the warmblood name has become the term to specifically refer to the sporthorse breed registries that began in Europe. These registries, or societies, such as the Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Trakkhener, and Holsteiner have dominated the Olympics and World Equestrian Games in Dressage (competitive horse training) and Show Jumping since the 1980s.
  
−
The [[list of horse breeds]] provides a partial alphabetical list of breeds of horse extant today, plus a discussion of rare breeds' conservation.
+
===Tack and equipment===
 +
'''Tack''' refers to the equipment worn by the horse, normally when being ridden for exercise. The tack may be made from leather or a synthetic material. The basic tack a horse requires is:
 +
* A bridle, including a bit and reins
 +
* A saddle, including stirrup leathers, stirrups, and a girth
 +
* A saddlecloth/pad
 +
* A halter and lead rope
  
 
==Horses in sport today==
 
==Horses in sport today==
−
===Racing in all its forms===
 
−
Humans have always had a desire to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest,    [[horse-racing]] has ancient roots.  Today, several categories of racing exist:
 
  
−
====Races subject to formal [[gambling]] ====
+
===Horse racing===
−
 
+
Horse racing has had ancient roots, as [[human]]s strived to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest. This continues today. Thoroughbreds have a pre-eminent reputation as a racing breed, but Arabians, quarter horses, and Appaloosas also race on the flat in the [[United States]]. Quarter horses traditionally raced for a quarter mile, hence their name. Steeplechasing involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over obstacles. It occurs most commonly in the [[United Kingdom]]. Standardbred trotters and pacers race in harness with a sulky or racing bike. In [[France]], they also race under saddle.
−
Under saddle:
 
−
#  Thoroughbred  [[flat racing]]; (under the aegis of the [[Jockey Club]] in the United Kingdom and the Jockey Club of North America)
 
−
#  Thoroughbred [[National Hunt]] racing or [[steeplechasing]] in the UK
 
−
#  Quarter Horse Racing—mostly in the United States, and sanctioned there by the American Quarter Horse Association.
 
−
#  Appaloosa Horse Racing
 
−
#  Arabian Horse Racing
 
−
 
 
−
In harness:
 
−
#  The United States Trotting Association organizes harness Racing in the United States (although the horses may also pace)
 
−
#  Harness Racing in Europe, New Zealand and Australia
 
−
 
 
−
====Amateur races without [[gambling]]====
 
−
# [[Endurance riding]], a sport in which the Arabian dominates at the top level, has become very popular in the United States and in Europe. The American Endurance Ride Conference organizes the sport in North America.  Endurance races take place over a given, measured distance and the horses have an even start.  Races begin at 20 miles and peak at 100 miles.  Note especially  the [[Tevis Cup]].
 
−
# Ride and Tie (in North America, organized by  Ride and Tie Association). Ride and Tie involves three equal partners: two humans and one horse. The humans alternately run and ride.  
 
−
 
 
−
Thoroughbreds have a pre-eminent reputation as a racing breed, but Arabians, Quarter Horses, and Appaloosas also race on the flat in the United States. Quarter Horses traditionally raced for a quarter mile, hence the name. [[Steeplechasing]] involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over obstacles. It occurs most commonly in the United Kingdom. Standardbred trotters and pacers race in harness with a [[sulky]] or racing bike. In France they also race under saddle.
 
  
 +
Several categories of racing exist today:
 +
====Races subject to formal gambling====
 +
* Thoroughbred flat racing
 +
* Thoroughbred national hunt racing or steeplechasing (in the United Kingdom)
 +
* Quarter horse racing (mostly in the United States)
 +
* Appaloosa horse racing
 +
* Arabian horse racing
 +
* Harness racing
  
 +
====Amateur races without gambling====
 +
* Endurance riding. This sport, in which the Arabian horse dominates at the top level, has become very popular in the United States and in Europe. Endurance races take place over a given, measured distance and the horses have an even start. Races range from 20 miles to 100 miles in length.
 +
* Ride and Tie. Ride and Tie involves three equal partners: two humans and one horse. The humans alternately run and ride.
  
 
===Show Sports===
 
===Show Sports===
 
====The traditional competitions of Europe====
 
====The traditional competitions of Europe====
−
The three following count as [[Olympic Games | Olympic]] disciplines:
+
The three following count as Olympic disciplines:
−
 
 
−
* [[Dressage]] ("training" in [[French language | French]]) involves the progressive training of the horse to a high level of impulsion, collection, and obedience. Competitive dressage  has the goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it performs without thinking while running loose. One dressage master has defined it as "returning the freedom of the horse while carrying the rider."
 
−
 
 
−
* [[Show jumping]] comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order and with the fewest refusals or knockdowns of portions of the obstacles.  At the [[Grand Prix horse racing|Grand Prix]] level fences may reach a height of as much as 6 feet.
 
  
−
* [[Eventing]], combined training, horse trials, "the Military," or "the complete test" as its [[French language | French]] name translates, puts together the obedience of dressage with the athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands of a long endurance phase (a.k.a. "roads and tracks") and the "cross-country" jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, unlike show jumping, where the majority of the obstacles will fall down or apart if hit by the horse.
+
* Dressage. Dressage ("training" in [[French language|French]]) involves the progressive training of the horse to a high level of impulsion, collection, and obedience. Competitive dressage has the goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it performs while running loose. One dressage master has defined it as "returning the freedom of the horse while carrying the rider."
 +
* Show jumping. This competition comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order, and with the fewest refusals or knockdowns of portions of the obstacles. At the Grand Prix horse racing level fences may reach a height of as much as 6 feet.
 +
* Eventing, combined training, horse trials, "the military," or "the complete test." This puts together the obedience of dressage with the athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands of a long endurance phase, and the "cross-country" jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, unlike show jumping, where the majority of the obstacles will fall down or apart if hit by the horse.
  
 
====Found in the United States====
 
====Found in the United States====
 +
* Huntseat. These judge the movement and the form of the horse over fences.
  
−
* [[Huntseat]] classes these days judge the movement and the form of the horse over fences. A typical hunter division would include a flat class, or hack class, in which the horse is judged on its movement. A typical "hack winner" would be known for its flat kneed trot and "daisy cutter" movement, a phrase coined since a good hunter could slice daisys in a field when it flicks its toes out. The over fences portion of the class is judged on the form of the horse and the smoothness of the course. A horse with good jumping form snaps its knees up and jumps with a good bascule. It should also be able to canter slowly but have a step large enough to make it down the lines.  
+
* Saddleseat. Saddleseat (also known as Park or English Pleasure riding) is a uniquely American discipline developed to show to best advantage the extravagantly animated movement of high-stepping gaited breeds such as the American Saddlebred and the Tennessee Walker. Riders also commonly show Arabians and Morgans saddleseat in the United States.
−
 
+
* Equitation. This refers to those classes where the position of the rider is judged rather than the form or movement of the horse.
−
* [[Saddleseat]] (also known as Park or English Pleasure riding), a uniquely American discipline, developed to show to best advantage the extravagantly animated movement of high-stepping gaited breeds such as the [[American Saddlebred]] and the Tennessee Walker. Riders also commonly show Arabians and Morgans saddleseat in the United States.
 
−
 
 
−
* [[Equitation]] refers to those classes where the position of the rider is judged rather than the form or movement of the horse.
 
  
 
====Western riding====
 
====Western riding====
−
Dressage, jumping and cross-country offer forms of what [[United States of America | America]]ns refer to as 'English riding' (although the United States has a strong following of riders in those disciplines). Western riding evolved stylistically from traditions brought to the Americas by the [[Spain | Spanish]], and its skills stem from the working needs of the [[cowboy]] in the [[American West]]. A main differentiating factor comes from the need of the cowboy to rope cattle with a [[lariat]] (or [[lasso]]). The cowboy must control the horse with one hand and use the lariat with the other hand. That means that horses must learn to [[neck rein]], that is, to respond to light pressure of the slack rein against the horse's neck. Once the cowboy has twirled the lariat and thrown its loop over a cow's head, he must snub the rope to the horn of his saddle. For roping calves, the horse learns to pull back against the [[calf]], which falls to the ground, while the cowboy dismounts and ties the calf's feet together so that he can be [[brand]] it, treat it for disease, and so on. Working with half-wild cattle, frequently in terrain where one cannot see what lurks behind the next bush, means the ever-present very great danger of becoming unseated in an accident miles from home and friends.
+
Dressage, jumping, and cross-country offer forms of what [[United States|Americans]] refer to as “English riding” (although the United States has a strong following of riders in those disciplines). Western riding evolved stylistically from traditions brought to the Americas by the [[Spain|Spanish]], and its skills stem from the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. A main differentiating factor comes from the need of the cowboy to rope [[cattle]] with a lariat (or lasso). The cowboy must control the horse with one hand and use the lariat with the other hand. That means that horses must learn to neck rein, that is, to respond to light pressure of the slack rein against the horse's neck. Once the cowboy has twirled the lariat and thrown its loop over a cow's head, he must snub the rope to the horn of his saddle. For roping calves, the horse learns to pull back against the calf, which falls to the ground, while the cowboy dismounts and ties the calf's feet together so that he can brand it, treat it for disease, and so on.  
−
 
 
−
These multiple work needs mean that cowboys require different tack, most notably a [[curb bit]] (usually with longer bars than an English equitation curb or [[pelham bit]] would have) which works by leverage, long split reins (the ends of which can serve as an impromptu [[quirt]])  and a special kind of saddle. The Western saddle has a very much more substantial frame (traditionally made of wood) to absorb the shock of roping, a prominent pommel surmounted by a horn (a big knob for snubbing the lasso after roping an animal), and, frequently, tapaderos ("taps") covering the front of the stirrups to prevent the cowboy's foot from slipping through the stirrup in an accident and resulting in a frightened horse dragging him behind it. The cowboy's boots, which have high heels of an uncommon shape, also feature a specific design to prevent the cowboy's foot from slipping through the stirrup.
 
−
 
 
−
Technically, fewer differences between 'English' and Western riding exist than most people think.  
 
  
−
The outfit of the competition Western rider differs from that of the dressage or 'English' rider. In dressage all riders wear the same to prevent distraction from the riding itself. But show — in the form of outfit (and silver ornaments on saddle and tack) — forms part of Western riding. The riders must wear [[cowboy boot]]s, [[jeans]], a shirt with long sleeves, and a [[cowboy hat]]. Riders can choose any color, and optionally accoutrements such as chaps, [[bolo tie]]s, belt buckles, and (shiny) [[spur]]s.
+
Among sport events in Western style are:
  
−
Competitions exist in the following forms:
+
* Western pleasure. The horse must remain under control, with the rider directing through the reins and otherwise using minimal interference and show the horse in walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), trot, and lope (a slow, controlled canter).
  
−
* Western pleasure - the rider must show the horse in walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), trot and lope (a slow, controlled canter). The horse must remain under control, with the rider directing minimal force through the reins and otherwise using minimal interference.  
+
* Reining. Considered by some the "dressage" of the Western riding world, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of canter circles, rapid "spins" (a particularly athletic turn on the haunches), and the sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).
  
−
*[[ Reining]] - considered by some the "dressage" of the western riding world, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of canter circles, rapid "spins" (a particularly athletic turn on the haunches), and the sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).
+
* Cutting. More than any other, this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a calf out of a small group and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the calf separated.
  
−
* [[Cutting (sport)|Cutting]]: more than any other, this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the Quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a calf out of a small group. The calf then tries to return to its herdmates; the rider loosens the reins and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the calf separated, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. A jury awards points to the cutter.
+
* Team penning. A popular timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: the riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle inside.
  
−
* Team penning: a popular timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: the riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle (and only the intended cattle) inside.
+
* Trail class. The rider must maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring; such maneuvers are relevant to everyday ranch or trail riding tasks.
  
−
* Trail class: in this event, the rider has to maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring. Speed is not important, but total control of the horse is. The horses have to move sideways, make 90 degree turns while moving backwards, a fence has to be opened and/or closed while mounted, and more such maneuvers relevant to everyday [[ranch]] or trail riding tasks are demonstrated.
+
* Barrel racing and pole bending. The timed speed/agility events of rodeo.  
  
−
* [[Barrel racing]] and [[pole bending]]: the timed speed/agility events of rodeo. In a barrel race, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over.  In pole bending, horse and rider gallop the length of a line of six upright poles, turn sharply and weave through the poles, turn again and weave back, and [[Horse gaits#Gallop|gallop]] back to the start.
+
* Roping. In roping, the rider has to catch a running calf by the neck with a lasso, stop the animal in its tracks, rapidly dismount the horse and immobilize the calf by tying three of its legs together. In team roping, one horse and rider lassos a running steer's horns, while another horse and rider lassos the steer's two hind legs.
−
 
 
−
* Halter class: here the horse is shown with only a [[halter]] and without a rider, but with a handler controlling the horse from the ground using a leadrope. The standard position of the handler is on the left side with the shoulder near the horse's eye. The horse is taken through a short pattern where the horse and handler must demonstrate control during walk, jog and turns. In regular halter class, judges will put emphasis on the performance and build of the horse when awarding points, in 'showmanship at halter' the performance of the handler and horse are both judged equally. Clothing of the handler and the halters tend to be more flashy in this discipline. Halter class is particularly popular with younger riders who do not yet have the skill or confidence to partake in other forms.
 
−
 
 
−
* [[Steer wrestling]]: Europe does not allow this activity because of animal welfare concerns, but it occurs in the [[United States of America]], usually at rodeo events. While riding, the rider jumps off his horse onto a steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground.
 
−
 
 
−
* Roping: also banned in Europe. In [[calf roping]], the rider has to catch a running calf by the neck with a lasso, stop the animal in its tracks, rapidy dismount the horse and immobilize the calf by tying three of its legs together. In [[team roping]], one horse and rider lassos a running steer's horns, while another horse and rider lassos the steer's two hind legs.
 
−
 
 
−
* Bronc riding (riding a bucking "wild" horse for a timed duration) counts as a separate event, not considered part of Western riding as such. It consists of [[bareback bronc]] riding and of [[saddle bronc]] riding.
 
−
 
 
−
===Other horse sports===
 
−
* [[Bullfighting]] (''[[rejoneo]]'')
 
−
* [[Cavalry (sport)]]
 
−
* ===Criticism of horses in sport===
 
−
Most animal rights groups such as the [http://www.hsus.org Humane Society of the United States] and [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]], which advocate against animal ownership, target wilder horse "sports", with claims of cruelty. Horse racing and rodeo are more easily targeted because of their extensive use of animals in sport. It is difficult for average people (or even experts) to differentiate between normal equine abilities  and actual abuse.
 
−
 
 
−
Rodeo and racing professionals do have a strong case against radical claims. Both sides provide contradictory evidence. One problem is a disagreement about terms like abuse. Animal rights activists have the general viewpoint that all animal ownership is wrong, and thus using horses for riding and sports is also wrong, but these events are 'softer targets' than trail riding or 'refined' sports like dressage. Such extreme viewpoints are rare, however, and many people are more reasonable and worried that sports may cause injuries to horse athletes, just as they do for human athletes. All sports are dangerous, but then one observing horses in nature can see more terrible injuries occurring than occur in sports. This brings a dilemma: If a horse gets an injury while competing, is this immoral? If a horse slips in its pasture while playing, is this ok?
 
−
 
 
−
Rodeos claim that an injured horse is less profitable than a healthy horse. Activists claim rodeos [[turn a blind eye]] to minor injuries which do not impair performance. They also cite psychological harm, poor living conditions, forced breeding, and the killing of unprofitable horses as forms of abuse. Most horse owners that compete in sports, however, do not force-breed, kill unprofitable horses, or have poor living conditions for their horses. Sports like rodeo and racing are closely monitored by veterinarians to prevent and treat injuries if they occur. Animal living conditions vary, but many rodeo stock live on open ranches when not working on the weekend. Horse professionals that understand equine psychology and care claim they know better what is best for horses than rights activists that live horseless lives and are easily influenced by propaganda. Both groups agree that 'genuine abuse' should be ended within the industry.
 
−
 
 
−
==Buying a horse==
 
−
Buying and caring for a horse or pony can be extremely expensive and time-consuming. First-time buyers are advised to take a knowledgeable friend, preferably a riding instructor with them, to view a prospective horse. The horse should also, preferably, be 'vetted' which means the horse will undergo a scrutinous veterinary examination. This examination is normally undergone in different stages. A 5-stage vetting is the most comprehensive and is recommended. A vetting may give indication of any previous injuries or current ailments the horse or pony may have, which could prove to be expensive to treat and/or limit the horse or pony's ability to be ridden and/or breed.
 
−
===Ways to look for a prospective horse===
 
−
* Ask at your local riding school or livery yard
 
−
* Ask at your local Pony/Riding club
 
−
* Ask your local veterinary practise/farrier
 
−
* Look through magazines, newspapers
 
−
* There are many web sites with classified advert
 
−
* Word of mouth
 
−
* Dealer - make sure he/she is reputable
 
−
* Market/sales/auction - be prepared to see some upsetting sights. You will need to have a good eye for a horse - many are sold as seen and could have hidden problems.
 
−
 
 
−
The horse or pony should come with a passport, and registration details should be changed to your name and address when you buy the horse.
 
−
 
 
−
==Caring for a horse==
 
−
There are many aspects to horse and pony care.
 
−
 
 
−
===Basic requirements===
 
−
The horse must be checked AT LEAST once a day. It must have access to clean fresh water at all times, and preferably grass or hay too. If you cannot visit your horse every day, you should look at keeping it at a livery yard, where the staff can care for your horse for a fee. The minimum requirements are that the horse/pony has plenty to eat and drink, has regular farriery/dental/veterinary care and its feet are picked out daily to prevent thrush/lameness. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden or turned out in a spacious field.
 
−
 
 
−
===Shoeing and foot care===
 
−
The horse or pony should be shod every 4-6 weeks. If the horse or pony is unshod (if it is a youngster or not used for ridden work) it must have a trim and levelling every 8-10 weeks. Your farrier should be a qualified and registered farrier, and should advertise this fact with a sticker in his/her van. If you are unsure, contact the Farrier's Registration Council. It is illegal for anyone else other than a registered farrier to shoe or trim a horse's feet in the UK. The farrier should have any one of the following qualifications, the FWCF being the most highly skilled:
 
−
 
 
−
* DipWCF (Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
 
−
* AWCF (Associateship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
 
−
* FWCF (Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
 
−
 
 
−
A set of four shoes and labour typically costs £50-£60 a set. This may be more or less if you have an unusually large/small/difficult horse or pony, or if it needs remedial shoeing.
 
−
 
 
−
The feet should be picked out using a hoof pick at least once a day, to remove any stones, mud and dirt and to check that the shoes are in good condition.
 
−
 
 
−
Feet should be kept clean and dry wherever possible, as wet, dirty conditions may lead to thrush and/or lameness.
 
−
 
 
−
===Veterinary care===
 
−
====Vaccinations====
 
−
The horse or pony should be vaccinated against equine 'flu and tetanus. You will need to present a vaccination card at many shows. You should register with a veterinary practise incase you need to call them out in an emergency.
 
−
 
 
−
====First-aid kit====
 
−
You should keep a well-stocked equine (and human) first-aid kit in a place where it is easily accessed. Replace any used/out of date items as soon as possible.
 
−
 
 
−
Basics any kit should include:
 
−
 
 
−
* Thermometer
 
−
* Petroleum jelly (to use as lubrication for thermometer)
 
−
* Salt (for saline solution)
 
−
* Cotton wool (for cleaning wounds, not dressing them)
 
−
* Animalintex/poultice dressing. Even disposable nappies/diapers can be cut and used as a poultice as they draw moisture out of wounds
 
−
* Gamgee, to be used as padding underneath bandages
 
−
* Sharp, clean scissors, reserved for first aid kit only
 
−
* Clean bucket, reserved for first-aid kit only, for washing out wounds
 
−
* Clean sponge, reserced for first-aid kit only
 
−
* Antiseptic cream/powder
 
−
* Bandages - 4x stable bandages, possibly the 'veterinary' type too
 
−
* Poultice boot
 
−
* Latex/medical gloves, unused
 
−
* Clean towel
 
−
* Soap and nail brush to scrub your hands
 
−
* Suitable box/container for all of the above, to keep them clean and tidy.
 
−
 
 
−
====Worming====
 
−
Your horse or pony should be wormed regularly, between every 8-13 weeks depending on the brand of wormer. Ask your vet for a worming programme.
 
−
 
 
−
Wormers come in the form of a paste or gel in a syringe, or a powder or granules, in a sachet. The sachet wormer is normally mixed in with the horse's feed. The syringe is used to squirt the paste/gel onto the horse's tongue.
 
−
 
 
−
You should also regularly (at least once a week) remove droppings from your horse's field to reduce numbers of worms.
 
−
 
 
−
There are several different brands of wormer, using different types of active chemical - which in turn kill different types of worm. You may have to use a different wormer at a certain time of year, to combat a specific worm, for example redworm.
 
−
 
 
−
=====Active chemicals found in different wormers=====
 
−
*Fenbendazole
 
−
*Moxidectin
 
−
*Ivermectin
 
−
*Pyrantel
 
−
*Membendazole
 
−
*Oxibendazole
 
−
 
 
−
====Dental care====
 
−
The horse or pony must have its teeth checked by a vet or professional qualified dentist at least once a year, as the teeth can wear down and create sharp edges which may cause problems when eating/being ridden. If the teeth are sharp, the vet/dentist will rasp them until they are smooth.
 
−
 
 
−
===Insurance===
 
−
The horse or pony should be insured, as veterinary costs can mount up to thousands of pounds, horses are frequently stolen, and can potentially cause serious damage to property/people/other horses which would need to be covered by a third party policy. Tack, which is also expensive to replace and frequently stolen, could also be insured.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
The horse or pony will need a field and possibly a stable. You can rent a field and/or stable from a livery yard, or buy your own. The horse or pony will always need equine company as they are herd creatures. It is cruel to keep a horse or pony on its own.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
===Tack and equipment===
 
−
'Tack' refers to equipment worn by the horse, normally when being ridden or lunged for exercise. The tack may be made from leather, or a synthetic material, which tends to be lighter to carry and cheaper to buy.
 
−
 
 
−
Tack and rugs can be expensive to buy, but will last for years if cared for. You must clean the tack regularly with water and work saddle soap into the leather to keep it supple. Dry and damaged tack can break, which could cause a serious acccident if you were riding. You should also rinse the bit after every ride, or it will become unpleasant for the horse.
 
−
 
 
−
The basic tack a horse requires is:
 
−
- A bridle, including a bit and reins
 
−
- A saddle, including stirrup leathers, stirrups, and a girth
 
−
- A numnah or saddlecloth/pad
 
−
- A headcollar/halter and lead rope
 
−
 
 
−
Other equipment you may need:
 
−
- Wheelbarrow - for mucking out and removing droppings from the field
 
−
- Fork
 
−
- Shovel
 
−
- Broom
 
−
- Buckets - for your horse's water, feed, bathing, tack cleaning etc.
 
−
- Haynets
 
−
- Grooming kit
 
−
- Storage box or locker for your equipment - things tend to walk on livery yards!
 
−
 
 
−
===Feeding===
 
−
 
 
−
The horse/pony needs approximately 2.5% of its bodyweight in food per day. This may include grass, hay, haylage and hard feed. Most horses and ponies will need a ration of 60-70% grass/hay and 30-40% hard feed. These ratios must be considered when increasing the horses' workload, as the hard feed ration may need to be increased.
 
−
 
 
−
Make any feeding changes gradually.
 
−
Feed only good quality hay and feed.
 
−
Feed plenty of bulk (fibre).
 
−
Clean fresh water should be available at all times.
 
−
Leave AT LEAST an hour after feeding before exercising.
 
−
Keep feeding utensils clean. You wouldn't eat from a dirty plate.
 
−
Feed according to age/workload/breed
 
−
 
 
−
===Other considerations===
 
−
Other costs you must consider are hard feed, hay, bedding, riding lessons, show entry fees, transport to shows. Freezemarking or microchipping is another consideration if you are worried about your horse being stolen.
 
−
 
 
−
A horse is a living animal and needs looking after 365 days a year, including your birthday, Christmas Day, and freezing cold mornings. Whether you do the caring is your choice, but if you cannot provide the daily care a horse needs, you must arrange for livery.
 
−
 
 
−
If you plan to do the caring, ensure you gain some practical experience by taking a horse-care course. There's often more to it than you would think.
 
−
 
 
−
==Miscellaneous==
 
−
===Weight===
 
−
Light horses such as Arabians, Morgans, Quarter Horses, Paints and Thoroughbreds weigh up to 1300lbs (about 590kg). "Heavy" or draft horses such as Clydesdale, Draft, Percherons, and Shire horses weigh up to 2800lbs (about 907kg).
 
−
 
 
−
===Saddling and mounting===
 
−
The common European practice and tradition of [[saddle|saddling]] and mounting the horse from the lefthand side is often said to originate from the need to avoid inadvertantly striking the horse with a carried [[sword]] in the process. However, several other explanations are equally plausible.
 
−
The saddle and the bridle are called tack. There are many other pieces of tack. There is a saddle blanket, which goes under the saddle to protect the horse from getting sores. The saddle has stirrups, which the rider puts their feet in. The bridle also have many parts. The bit is a metal part of the bridle. This is put in a horses mouth to control them. There are hundreds of different bits in the world. One of the most well known bit is the snaffle bit, which is gentle. To mount a horse, you put your left foot in the left stirrup and then hoist your self up using your leg. You swing your right leg over the horse and settle down, being sure not to land on the horse's back too hard.
 
−
 
 
−
===Zodiac===
 
−
The '''horse''' features in the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the [[Chinese zodiac]] related to the [[Chinese calendar]]. According to Chinese folklore, each animal is associated with certain personality traits, and those born in the year of the horse are: intelligent, independent and free-spirited. See: [[Horse (Zodiac)]].
 
−
 
 
−
===Horse meat===
 
−
:''Main article: [[horse meat]]''
 
−
 
 
−
Horse meat has been used as food for animals and humans throughout the ages. Although consumption by humans is considered abhorrent by some people in the [[United Kingdom]], the [[United States|US]] and [[Australia]], it is eaten in many other parts of the world and is an export industry in the USA.
 
−
 
 
−
[[Mare's milk]] is used by peoples with large horse-herds, such as the [[Mongols]]. They may let it ferment to produce [[kumys]]. However, mares produce a much lower yield of milk than do [[cow]]s.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
*''Book of Horses: A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and Foals'', edited by Mordecai Siegal. (By members of the faculty and staff, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.)  Harper Collins, 1996.
+
* Siegal, Mordecai (ed.) 1996. ''Book of Horses: A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and Foals''. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0062701398
−
 
+
* Riegal, Ronald. 2003. ''Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse.'' Equistar Publications. ISBN  978-0965446105
−
*''Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse'', by Ronald J. Riegal, D.V.M. and Susan E. Hakola, B.S., R.N., C.M.I.  Equistar Publications, Ltd., 1996.
+
*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species that are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia). ''Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature'' 60:81–84.
−
 
 
−
*International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). ''Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved''. Bull.Zool.Nomencl., 60:81-84.
 
−
 
 
−
==See also==
 
−
*[[List of equine topics]]
 
−
*[[classic equitation books]] - [[horse gaits]] - [[horse tack]] - [[horse teeth]] - [[Horseshoe]] - [[Equine forelimb anatomy]] - [[Equine colic]]
 
−
*[[equestrianism]] (horseback riding)
 
−
*[[List of fictional horses]]
 
−
*[[List of historical horses]]
 
−
*[[List of horse accidents]]
 
−
*[[List of horse breeds]]
 
−
*[[Trojan Horse]]
 
−
*[[Cart|Horsecart]]
 
−
*[[Equine coat color genetics]]
 
−
*Coloring: [[Gray (horse)|gray]]; the [[Creme gene]] for info on palomino, buckskin, smoky black, cremello, perlino, and smoky cream genetics
 
−
*[[Ehwaz]]
 
−
*[[Ashvamedha]]
 
−
*[[Horse meat]] for human consumption
 
−
*[[Horse reproduction]]
 
−
 
 
−
==External links==
 
−
{{commonscat|Equus caballus}}
 
−
*[http://www.tapestryinstitute.org/horsehuman.html Tapestry Institute's Horse-Human Relationship Program] - Research on and education about the horse-human relationship
 
−
* [http://www.imh.org/imh/exh1.html "International Museum of the Horse"] for a brief overview of horse history from 55 million B.C. to present
 
−
*[http://www.zoo-munich.de/text.php?page=103242&v=100003 Breeding and reintroduction program of the Przewalski's horse at Zoo Hellabrunn Munich]
 
−
* [http://www.wildhorseadvertising.com/ Wild Horse Advertising] - Horse Industry Marketing.
 
−
* [http://equine-world.co.uk/ Equine World UK]
 
−
* [http://www.equinehits.com Horses for Sale Classifieds.]
 
−
* [http://ultimatehorsesite.com/ The ULTIMATE Horse Site -  Horse Articles, Health, Care, Info]
 
−
* [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/Horses-w.htm Breeds of horses] - Encyclopaedic dictionary from Oakland State University
 
−
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4618571.stm  New insight into horse evolution]
 
−
* [http://www.equestrianmag.com EquestrianMag.com The online magazine for Horse Enthusiasts.]
 
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* [http://www.horse-diseases.com/ Horse Diseases]  - Information about common horse diseases
 
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* [http://www.annettewinter.com A discussion of Natural Horsemanship - the humane approach to horse training]
 
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* [http://www.animalmagazineonline.com/featured.php?article=27 Guidelines for feeding horses] - Informative guide to feeding horses
 
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* [http://dreamviewfarm.com/genetics.html Horse Coat Color Genetics]
 
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* [http://www.usenet-replayer.com/webrings/animal-horse.html Pictures of horses] published on [[USENET]] stored with a search function
 
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* [http://ultimatehorsesite.com/horseboard Horse Message Board]
 
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* [http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/spring2001/horsemeat.htm Article on slaughter of horses for meat]
 
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* [http://www.equineonline.net/ Equine Online]- Equestrian articles including buying, selling & riding horses in UK & France
 
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* [http://www.everythingequus.com/ Everything Equus] - Equestrian articles including buying, selling & riding horses in USA
 
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* [http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/ Bureau of Land Management National Wild Horse and Burro Program] - Wild Horse and Burro Adoption
 
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* [http://www.ohorse.com/ O Horse Tack Shops and Stables Directory] - Extensive directory of horse websites, organized by region
 
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* [http://www.equineonline.net/forum/index.php Horse Talk Forum] - Friendly forum for horse lovers in UK & France
 
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* [http://www.horsesforum.net/forums/  Horses Forum.net - Where horse lovers talk!]
 
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* [http://www.horsefinder.net/ HorseFinder Network] — Free Image Horse Classifieds on the Horse Finder Network. Let Sherlock help you find our sell your next horse.
 
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* [http://www.e-equestrian.com/ Horse Forums] - Equestrian community dedicated to all aspects of riding and horsemanship.
 
  
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====Racing & Sport External Links====
 
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* [[The American Quarter Horse Association]] [http://www.aqha.com] - The official website for the largest equestrian organization in the world, with over 300,000 international members. 
 
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* [http://www.jockeyclub.com/about_tjc.asp Jockey Club of North America]
 
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* [http://www.ustrotting.com/ United States Trotting Association]
 
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* [http://www.aerc.org/ American Endurance Ride Conference]
 
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* [http://www.rideandtie.org/ Ride and Tie Association]
 
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* [http://www.aqha.com/racing/index.html Quarter Horse Racing]
 
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* [http://www.yabusame.jp/english/index.html Takeda-school Kyubadou Yabusame<—horseback archery]
 
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* [http://www.britishopenshowjumping.com/ The British Open Show Jumping Championships]  - Top class international Show Jumping
 
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* [http://hoys.co.uk/ The Horse of the Year Show] - This is Britain's show of Champions
 
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* [http://www.americanvaulting.org/ The American Vaulting Association] - Equestrian Vaulting
 
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* [http://www.natrc.org/ The North American Trail Ride Conference] - Competitive Trail Riding
 
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* [http://koniebyjustyna.w.interia.pl/horses.html Horse Riding] - Horse's Gait, Evolution, Colors and kinds, Equipment
 
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[[Category:Horses| ]]
 
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[[Category:Livestock]]
 
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[[Category:Transportation]]
 
  
  
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[[Category:Animals]]
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[[Category:Mammals]]
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[[Category:Ungulates]]

Latest revision as of 19:37, 21 February 2022

Domestic Horse
Holsteiner Apfelschimmel-2005.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus
Species: E. caballus
Binomial name
''Equus caballus
Linnaeus, 1861

The horse or domestic horse (Equus caballus) is a sizable ungulate ("hoofed") mammal of the family Equidae and the genus Equus. Among the 10 living members of the Equus genus are zebras, donkeys, Przewalski's Horse (a rare Asian species), and hemionids (Onager or Equus hemionus). The donkey (Equus asinus), also known as the burro or domestic ass, like the domestic horse, has many breeds. Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) and the domestic horse are the only equids that can cross-breed and produce fertile offspring.

Horses, one of the most historically vital domesticated animals to humans, have played a central role in the lives of people for tens of thousands of years. No other animal, domestic or wild, has had so great an impact on the history of civilization as has the horse. The horse was an integral element in warfare and conquest, in transportation and travel, and in art and sport. Its beauty and power are legendary. Since ancient times, the horse has been depicted and revered as the noble bearer of heroes, champions, and gods.

In its design, form, and function, the horse is superbly suited as a purely riding animal. Its spine is fixed and rigid and well devised to bear weight. Its stature is tall, a feature that lends any rider a towering advantage in hunting, sport, and warfare. The horse's legs are long, slender, graceful, and, above all, swift. The speed and ability to cover ground has made horses invaluable to people, and remains so today.

Horses are highly social and intelligent herd animals. They fail to thrive in isolation. Their intrinsic nature is to seek a relationship, which offers mutual benefit, ensuring kinship and protection. Humans have long exploited this social character to their advantage. Through domestication the horse's instinct to herd with other horses has become one to "herd" with or embrace people, and the resulting "willingness to please" makes horses valuable to humanity and heroic figures in movies and literature.

Wild animals, whose ancestors have never undergone domestication, are distinct from feral animals, who had domesticated ancestors but now live in the wild. Isolated feral populations of horses are often named for their geographic location. Several populations of feral horses exist, including those in the western United States and Canada, often called mustangs.

Evolution

English Trakehner gelding, Sybari in standing pose, marked with major points of the horse.

All equids of the family Equidae date back approximately 54 million years to the Eocene period in what is now North America. Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla, a relatively ancient group of browsing and grazing animals that first appeared in the fossil record less than 10 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct at the about 65 mya. Perissodactyls were the dominant group of large terrestrial browsing animals until the Miocene (about 20 million years ago), when even-toed ungulates, with stomachs better adapted to grass digestion, began to out-compete them. Twelve families of odd-toed ungulates have been identified through fossil records, but today only three families survive: horses and their closest living relatives the tapirs and rhinoceroses.

One of the first true horse species was the tiny Hyracotherium, also known as Eohippus. It lived in the Northern Hemisphere (in Asia, Europe, and North America) during the Eocene, between 60 and 45 million years ago. The first fossils of this tiny horse were found in England in 1841 by the famous paleontologist Richard Owen. He did not have a full specimen and called it Hyracotherium, meaning "mole beast." When a full specimen was discovered later, it was given the more fitting name Eohippus, or "dawn horse." It was not realized until later that the two finds were the same species, and the first published name has priority as the official name. It should be noted that some scientists remain unconvinced that Hyracotherium had any connection with horses

Equine evolution has been characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from 5 per foot, to 3 per foot, to only 1 toe per foot. The primitive Hyracotherium had 4 hoofed toes on the front feet and 3 hoofed toes on each hind foot. In the course of about 5 million years, Orohippus appeared. The vestiges of the first and second toes were not present, but the addition of a new "grinding" tooth was significant in that it signaled a transition to improved capacity for browsing on tougher plant material, which would allow grazing not just on leafy plants but also on plains grasses. The horses thereby could transition from being primarily leaf-eating forest-dwellers to being grass-eating inhabitants of the Great Plains.

The genus Equus, to which all living equids belong, evolved a few million years ago.

Domestication and brief history

Horses come in various sizes and shapes. The draft breeds can top 20 hands (80 inches or about 2 meters) while the smallest miniature horses can stand as low as 5.2 hands (22 inches or about 0.56 meters). The Patagonian Fallabella, usually considered the smallest horse in the world, compares in size to a German shepherd dog.

Domestication may have occurred as early as 4500 B.C.E., although there is speculation that horses were extensively utilized by humans in Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and Eurasia as early as 5000 B.C.E. Other early evidence for domestication dates from central Asia to approximately 4000 B.C.E.

Competing theories exist as to the time and place of initial domestication. One school, the "Four Foundations" school, suggests that the modern horse evolved from two types of early domesticated pony and two types of early domesticated horse and that the differences between these types account for the differences in types of the modern breeds. A second school, the "Single Foundation" school, holds that only one breed of horse underwent domestication, and it diverged in form after domestication through human selective breeding (or in the case of feral horses, through ecological pressures). The evaluation of DNA and mitochondrial DNA is now being utilized to help in understanding better the family trees of horses.

Until the middle of the twentieth century, the horse was employed primarily in warfare and in lesser numbers for domestic transportation. Conquerors maintained countless numbers of horses in order to traverse vast tracts of land and territory. It was because of the swiftness of the horse that the armies of the Huns, Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Ottomans, Napoleon, and so many others were able to vanquish foes and rule over empires. Soldiers today still refer to the groups of machines that have replaced horses on the battlefield as "cavalry" units, and sometimes preserve traditional horse-oriented names for military units.

Over time, especially within the last three hundred to four hundred years, equine breeds have been developed to fulfill specialized pursuits. Although still used for practical work in parts of the world, in general, horses today are used mainly for competitive sport and pleasure. Equine endeavor may be arranged into three main categories: horse racing, horse showing, and pleasure horses.

Horse racing is considered the world's most popular spectator sport historically. Racing with horses pre-dates recorded history. Humankind raced horse-drawn chariots in early Mesopotamia, in the original Olympic games in Ancient Greece, and in the great Roman circus. These contests were often brutal as teams of fierce stallions were galloped by ruthless warriors, the latter who would commit atrocities to win at any cost. Today, we count flat racing (on tracks or on turf), steeplechasing (distance horse race with diverse fence and ditch obstacles), and harness racing as the three main forms of competitive racing.

Horse showing or horse sport, as currently known, is generally defined as any activity involving horses in a competition other than racing. Sporthorses are equines involved in the so-called English disciplines, such as dressage, show jumping, three-day eventing, endurance riding, driving, polo, fox hunting, and their related activities. Horse shows also include the Western disciplines; these originated in the western United States and include reining, rodeo, cow horses, cutting, and western pleasure, among others.

Horse behavior

Gray Horse

Horses are prey animals with a flight or fight instinct. Their first response to threat is to flee. However, they are known to defend themselves when cornered and the fight instinct is also triggered when offspring, such as a foal (young horse), is threatened. Through selective breeding, some horses have been made more docile, but most sport horse breeds are based on the principle of preserving the natural instincts that existed in horses that were taken from wild herds hundreds of years ago.

Horses are highly social herd animals.

Did you know?
In the wild, horse societies are matriarchal. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant mare (female horse).

In the wild, horse societies are matriarchal. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant mare (female horse). Herds are made up of mares, foals, and immature horses of both sexes. A herd of twenty mares can produce twenty foals in one year.

The center of the herd is the safest because it is further away from predators than any other part. The edge of the herd is where the lowest on the social order are found. Punishment is delivered in the form of expulsion from the herd on a temporary or even permanent basis.

The dominant stallion (male horse) lives on the periphery of the herd, and it is his role to stand as the herd sire to produce offspring, as well as to repel challenges for dominance from other stallions who might become a successor. The dominant stallion lives in the most dangerous and tenuous position in the equine world. Living on the periphery, he is exposed to predators and other bachelors who will fight him for the role of dominant stallion. In stark contrast to the mythology of the stallion and his (ownership implied) harem, he has no value to the herd itself beyond reproduction. In a sense, he is dispensable since he is easily replaced. The male dominance hierarchy ensures an immediate replacement by a strong and healthy successor at any time.

When colts (male foals) become mature, they are cast out by the dominant stallion and are no longer welcome in the herd. For what may be years, they form small bachelor herds and roam until the time when they may battle for the privilege of becoming the next dominant stallion.

As with many animals that live in large groups, establishment of a stable hierarchy or pecking order is important to smooth group functioning. Contention for dominance can be risky since one well placed kick to a leg could cripple another horse to such an extent that it would be defenseless, exposed, and possibly unable to get to water. Survival dictates that the herd members ultimately cooperate and stick together. The alpha or dominant mare exercises control over herd members to moderate aggressive behavior.

Horses graze in a field in England

Horse behavior and humans

The ability of humans to work in cooperation with horses is based on the strong social bonds that horses have with each other. Horses resist being separated from the herd, because to be alone is to be exposed to predators on all sides. Horse training principles are based upon having the horse accept a person as the dominant herd member, not through force, but by virtue of ability and confidence. In pastures, it is the rule that horses tend to gravitate around the most mature and confident members. Those attributes are highly valued because they point the way to survival. A horse that is afraid more than necessary will expend energy needlessly and may not be able to escape when the threat is real.

Providing that they do not regard humans as they would regard predators, horses will treat humans in much the same way that they treat other horses. As a result, horses will be willing to associate with humans in a cooperative way, but they may also challenge humans for dominance. Humans who train horses teach that aggression towards humans will meet with sure but measured and appropriate retaliation. Once horses have been deterred from kicking and biting humans to secure dominance over them, a cooperative relationship can be maintained.

However, humans sometimes abuse horses. Ordinarily, horses tolerate some human misbehavior, but when the balance tips, a horse can become a deadly enemy. Abused horses can be very dangerous because they cease treating humans as members of their group; instead humans are treated as predators. Horse bites can sever limbs, and horse kicks can be deadly. Rehabilitation of a horse that has been forced to aggressively defend itself against humans is very difficult and not without real risk.

Equestrian Vocabulary

Horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years; an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually everything to do with equines.

Size

Diagram showing the location of the withers.

The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands. One hand is defined as a measure of 4 inches (101.6 mm). Horse height is measured at the highest point of an animal's withers—the highest point on an animal's back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. By convention, 15.2 hh means 15 hands, 2 inches (1.57 m) in height.

Size alone marks the difference between horses and ponies. The threshold is 14.2 hh (1.47 m) and under for an adult pony. Above that threshold, the equine is a horse. Ponies are further divided into sizes according to the height at the withers. Small ponies are 12.2hh and under. Medium ponies are over 12.2hh, but do not exceed 13.2hh. Large ponies are over 13.2hh but do not exceed 14.2hh.

General Terminology

The following are some common terms related to horses.

  • Colt - an un-nuetered male horse from birth till the age of 4.
  • Filly - female horse from birth till the age of 4.
  • Foal - infant horse of either sex.
  • Mare - adult female horse.
  • Stallion - adult, male horse that is capable of producing offspring.
  • Gelding - a castrated male horse of any age.
  • Horse - adult equine of either sex over 14.2 hh.
  • Weanling - a young horse that has just been weaned from their mother (usually 6 months or a little older).
  • Yearling - male or female horse one to two years old.
  • Purebred - any horse whose recent ancestors are of the same breed.
  • Draft horse - heavy, muscular horse used mainly for pulling and driving.
  • Light Horse - light to medium horses used mainly for riding and fine harness.
  • Pony - equine 14.2 hh or less.
  • Green - a term used to describe an inexperienced or untrained horse.

Gaits

All horses move naturally with four basic gaits (manner of moving). These are referred to as the walk, the trot/jog, the canter/lope, and the gallop.

The walk is a "four-beat" lateral gait in which a horse must have three feet on the ground and only one foot in the air at any time. The walking horse will lift first a hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side, then the remaining hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side.

The trot or jog ("trot" for English riding, "jog" for Western riding) is a "two beat" diagonal gait in which a foreleg and opposite hind leg (often called "diagonals") touch the ground at the same time. In this gait, each leg bears weight separately. There are two types of trots a rider can perform; these are called posting trot, in which the rider stands up slightly in the saddle each time the animal's outside front leg goes forward, and sitting trot, in which the rider sits in the saddle and matches the horse's movement.

The canter or lope ("canter" for English riding, "lope" for Western riding), is a restrained form of a gallop. It is a three-beat gait in which a foreleg and opposite hind leg strike the ground together, while the other two legs strike separately. A cantering horse will first stride off with the outside hind leg, then the inside hind and outside fore together, then the inside front leg, and finally a period of suspension in which all four legs are off the ground. The rhythm should be 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc.

The gallop is another four-beat gait which follows a similar progression to the canter, except the two paired legs land separately, the hind leg landing slightly before the foreleg. It is the fastest of all gaits; a fit, racing thoroughbred can course at a gallop over forty miles an hour.

Horse colors

Bay (left) and chestnut (sometimes called "sorrel") are two of the most common coat colors, seen in almost all breeds.

Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, and a specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them. In fact, one will often refer to a horse in the field by his or her coat color rather than by breed or by gender. Some of the common coat colors are:

  • Bay - From light brown to very dark brown with black points and intermingling red or blue hairs in some cases. (Points refer to the mane, tail, muzzle, lower legs, and tips of the ears.) The four bay types are dark bay (mixed blue hair), blood bay (mixed red hair), light bay, and just bay.
  • Black - For a horse to be considered black it must be completely black with no brown at all, only white markings. Ordinary black horses will fade to a rusty brownish color if the horse is exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. Such horses would be considered brown as soon as the black coat gets any brown.
  • Chestnut - A color from golden-reddish to a liver color with no black.
  • Dun - Yellowish brown with a dorsal stripe along the back and occasionally zebra striping on the legs.
  • Gray - A horse with black skin and clear hairs. Gray horses can be born any color, and eventually most will turn gray or white with age. If you would define the horse as white, it is still gray unless it is albino. Some gray horses that are very light require sunscreen for protection.
  • Grulla - A horse that is often a grayish/silver colored horse with dark dun factors.
  • Pinto or Paint - a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white. Piebald is black and white, while skewbald is white and brown. Specific patterns such as tobiano, overo, and tovero refer to the orientation of white on the body.
  • Palomino - chestnut horse that has one cream dilute gene that turns the horse to a golden yellow or tan shade with a flaxen (white) mane and tail.
  • Roan - a color pattern that causes white hairs to be sprinkled over the horse's body color. Red roans are chestnut and white hairs, blue roans are black/bay with white hairs. Roans also have solid colored heads that do not lighten.
  • Rose gray: a gray horse with a pinkish tinge to its coat. This color occurs while the horse is "graying out."
  • Sorrel - a light brown coat with a flaxen mane and tail.
  • Appaloosa - A true Appaloosa is actually a breed, not a color. There are different patterns of spots, such as blanket (white over the hip that may extend from the tail to the base of the neck, and with spots inside the blanket the same color as the horse's base coat), snowflake (white spots on a dark body), and leopard (dark spots of varying sizes over a white body).

Horse markings

Among markings that may appear on the face of a horse are:

  • Star - a white patch between the eyes.
  • Snip - a white patch on the muzzle.
  • Stripe - narrow white stripe down the middle of the face.
  • Blaze - broad white stripe down the middle of the face.
  • White Face (sometimes called Bald Face)

Among markings that may appear on the legs of a horse are:

  • Ermine marks - black marks on the white just above the hoof.
  • Sock - white marking that does not extend as high as the knee or hock (tarsal joint)
  • Stocking - white marking that extends as high as the knee or hock.

Hotbloods, Warmbloods, and Coldbloods

Arabian mare standing in a show halter pose

The Arabian horse, the world's oldest purebred breed, gained the title of a "hotblood" for its temperament. Arabians are valued for their sensitivity, keen awareness, athleticism, and energy. Combined with the lighter, refined bone structure, they were used as the foundation of the thoroughbred, another "hotblood."

The thoroughbred is unique to all breeds in that its muscles can be trained for either fast-twitch (for sprinting) or slow-twitch (for endurance) making them an extremely versatile breed.

Another famous modern breed of hotblood is the American Quarter Horse. The most popular breed in the United States, it is commonly believed to be the world's fastest horse, some having been clocked at 55 mph at the finish line in racing events.

True hotbloods usually offer greater riding rewards than do other horses. Their sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning and greater communication and cooperation with their riders.

The Budweiser Clydesdales

Muscular and heavy draft horses are known as "coldbloods," as they have been bred to be workhorses and carriage horses with calm temperaments. Draft horses originate mainly from northern Europe, and especially from Great Britain. Harnessing a horse to a carriage requires some level of trust in the horse to remain calm when restrained. The best known coldbloods would probably be the Budweiser Clydesdales, a breed that comes from Scotland.

"Warmblood" breeds began in much the same way as the thoroughbred. The best of their carriage or cavalry horses were bred to Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, and thoroughbred sires. The term "warmblood" is sometimes used to mean any draft/thoroughbred cross. Currently, the warmblood name has become the term to specifically refer to the sporthorse breed registries that began in Europe. These registries, or societies, such as the Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Trakkhener, and Holsteiner have dominated the Olympics and World Equestrian Games in Dressage (competitive horse training) and Show Jumping since the 1980s.

Tack and equipment

Tack refers to the equipment worn by the horse, normally when being ridden for exercise. The tack may be made from leather or a synthetic material. The basic tack a horse requires is:

  • A bridle, including a bit and reins
  • A saddle, including stirrup leathers, stirrups, and a girth
  • A saddlecloth/pad
  • A halter and lead rope

Horses in sport today

Horse racing

Horse racing has had ancient roots, as humans strived to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest. This continues today. Thoroughbreds have a pre-eminent reputation as a racing breed, but Arabians, quarter horses, and Appaloosas also race on the flat in the United States. Quarter horses traditionally raced for a quarter mile, hence their name. Steeplechasing involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over obstacles. It occurs most commonly in the United Kingdom. Standardbred trotters and pacers race in harness with a sulky or racing bike. In France, they also race under saddle.

Several categories of racing exist today:

Races subject to formal gambling

  • Thoroughbred flat racing
  • Thoroughbred national hunt racing or steeplechasing (in the United Kingdom)
  • Quarter horse racing (mostly in the United States)
  • Appaloosa horse racing
  • Arabian horse racing
  • Harness racing

Amateur races without gambling

  • Endurance riding. This sport, in which the Arabian horse dominates at the top level, has become very popular in the United States and in Europe. Endurance races take place over a given, measured distance and the horses have an even start. Races range from 20 miles to 100 miles in length.
  • Ride and Tie. Ride and Tie involves three equal partners: two humans and one horse. The humans alternately run and ride.

Show Sports

The traditional competitions of Europe

The three following count as Olympic disciplines:

  • Dressage. Dressage ("training" in French) involves the progressive training of the horse to a high level of impulsion, collection, and obedience. Competitive dressage has the goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it performs while running loose. One dressage master has defined it as "returning the freedom of the horse while carrying the rider."
  • Show jumping. This competition comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order, and with the fewest refusals or knockdowns of portions of the obstacles. At the Grand Prix horse racing level fences may reach a height of as much as 6 feet.
  • Eventing, combined training, horse trials, "the military," or "the complete test." This puts together the obedience of dressage with the athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands of a long endurance phase, and the "cross-country" jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, unlike show jumping, where the majority of the obstacles will fall down or apart if hit by the horse.

Found in the United States

  • Huntseat. These judge the movement and the form of the horse over fences.
  • Saddleseat. Saddleseat (also known as Park or English Pleasure riding) is a uniquely American discipline developed to show to best advantage the extravagantly animated movement of high-stepping gaited breeds such as the American Saddlebred and the Tennessee Walker. Riders also commonly show Arabians and Morgans saddleseat in the United States.
  • Equitation. This refers to those classes where the position of the rider is judged rather than the form or movement of the horse.

Western riding

Dressage, jumping, and cross-country offer forms of what Americans refer to as “English riding” (although the United States has a strong following of riders in those disciplines). Western riding evolved stylistically from traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish, and its skills stem from the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. A main differentiating factor comes from the need of the cowboy to rope cattle with a lariat (or lasso). The cowboy must control the horse with one hand and use the lariat with the other hand. That means that horses must learn to neck rein, that is, to respond to light pressure of the slack rein against the horse's neck. Once the cowboy has twirled the lariat and thrown its loop over a cow's head, he must snub the rope to the horn of his saddle. For roping calves, the horse learns to pull back against the calf, which falls to the ground, while the cowboy dismounts and ties the calf's feet together so that he can brand it, treat it for disease, and so on.

Among sport events in Western style are:

  • Western pleasure. The horse must remain under control, with the rider directing through the reins and otherwise using minimal interference and show the horse in walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), trot, and lope (a slow, controlled canter).
  • Reining. Considered by some the "dressage" of the Western riding world, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of canter circles, rapid "spins" (a particularly athletic turn on the haunches), and the sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).
  • Cutting. More than any other, this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a calf out of a small group and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the calf separated.
  • Team penning. A popular timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: the riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle inside.
  • Trail class. The rider must maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring; such maneuvers are relevant to everyday ranch or trail riding tasks.
  • Barrel racing and pole bending. The timed speed/agility events of rodeo.
  • Roping. In roping, the rider has to catch a running calf by the neck with a lasso, stop the animal in its tracks, rapidly dismount the horse and immobilize the calf by tying three of its legs together. In team roping, one horse and rider lassos a running steer's horns, while another horse and rider lassos the steer's two hind legs.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Siegal, Mordecai (ed.) 1996. Book of Horses: A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and Foals. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0062701398
  • Riegal, Ronald. 2003. Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse. Equistar Publications. ISBN 978-0965446105
  • International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species that are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia). Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 60:81–84.


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