Horses are popular pets for riding, showing, and even pulling carts or carriages. They are also used on farms to haul equipment and help with agricultural work. Horses' bodies are similar to the bodies of other pets and people in many ways, but their complex digestive system, designed to break down the grass they graze on, makes them unique and prone to certain digestive problems.
How Long Do Horses Typically Live?
Compared with other pets, horses have a slower metabolism, which means that, when they're resting, their heart and breathing rates are slower than in people and small animals. And because these body functions are slower, horses live longer than other, smaller pets.
On average, horses live 25–30 years, but their lifespan depends on their health, care, and size. For instance, miniature horses can live 40 years or more.
How Do Horses Regulate Their Body Temperature?
Horses produce a lot of heat when they exercise. Like people, they cool down mainly by sweating. In hot and humid weather, though, sweating is less effective. To prevent heat stress, which can lead to dehydration and shock, horses should not be exercised too much during these times.
During hot weather, horses need plenty of water, a proper diet, and less exercise.
In colder weather, horses are good at keeping warm, but they still need shelter, food, water, and regular veterinary care to stay healthy.
Do Horses Sense Things the Same Way People Do?
Horses have the same five senses as people, but the senses work differently.
Vision
Horses rely a lot on their eyesight. Their eyes are the largest of any land mammal, and they have excellent peripheral vision, which allows them to see almost 340 degrees around them without moving their heads. However, they have small blind spots directly in front of and behind them.
Horses see better in low light than people do, thanks to a special layer in their eyes. Their vision is less colorful and a bit blurrier than human vision, but they are very good at detecting movement, which helps them avoid predators.
Vision range, horse
Hearing
Horses have large ears that can rotate independently, allowing them to hear sounds from different directions. They can hear a wider range of sounds than people hear, including higher-pitched and lower-pitched sounds.
Older horses might experience some hearing loss, so it's important to approach them in a way that they can see you and won't be surprised.
Smell and Taste
Horses have a strong sense of smell, which they use to recognize each other and people. They also enjoy tasting food, especially sweet things like apples and carrots.
How Do Horses Run So Well?
Horses are built for speed and have four natural ways of moving, called "gaits": walk, trot, canter, and gallop. They can run fast because of their strong legs, which are designed to move quickly over various surfaces. The upper part of their legs is muscular, and the lower part acts like a spring to push them forward.
A special mechanism in their legs also allows horses to sleep while standing up.
Horses' hooves are made of a tough outer wall that grows down from the top and is similar to that of human fingernails. The hoof protects the foot and helps absorb shock when they run. However, hoof injuries and problems are common, so regular hoof care is important.
Horse hoof
Horses have a large respiratory (breathing) system that is crucial for their athletic performance. Infections, allergies, or a dirty environment can give horses breathing problems, so it's important to keep them vaccinated and their living area clean.
What Is a Horse’s Coat Like?
A horse's coat protects its skin and helps regulate body temperature. The coat changes with the seasons, becoming thicker in winter.
Proper care, including grooming and nutrition, is important to keep the skin and coat healthy. Horse owners should watch for skin problems caused by infections, insect bites, or allergies.
What Do Horses Eat?
Like other animals, horses use their teeth to grasp and chew food. Horses' teeth are uniquely designed for grinding grasses and grains, and the teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. Sharp edges can develop as horses' teeth are worn down by chewing, so regular dental care is important for horses.
Horse teeth
Horses have a complex digestive system that allows them to break down grasses and grains. Unlike cows, sheep, and goats, which have stomachs with multiple chambers, horses have a single-chambered stomach and a specialized part of the large intestine called the cecum. Bacteria in the cecum help digest the grasses horses eat through a process called fermentation.
Digestive problems, such as colic, can be serious and require immediate attention. Common signs of colic include the following:
pain in the belly
loss of appetite
changes in manure
pawing at the ground
looking at their sides
kicking at their belly
lying down and rolling
