If you live on a farm or have a pretty big backyard, a horse would be an amazing pet for you! But most people don’t know how to handle such a big animal, simply because they do not know much about it. Horses are majestic creatures; they can change your life experience and turn your world upside down. Like any other animal, horses come in different sizes, shapes, and breeds. Recent statistics show that there are more than 1000 breeds of horses, check them out here ” Most Famous Horse Breeds & their origin”, each have a different color and origin. For American society, it has become a popular thing to have a horse as a pet to the extent that the ” American Quarter Horse Association” has become the largest horse association in the united states and the second in the world. So, you got some news! Read the following article and you will find out some important things you didn’t know about your new pet!
Table of Contents
1. Horses Need a Lot of Water
Being a big animal, a horse needs to drink 5 times a day, which makes it a total of 25 gallons; this amount can increase even more in hot climates or when the horse is being used in some tiring activities, for instance, in racing or for transportation.
Before giving the horse water to drink, make sure it is not too hot or too cold because it can affect the horse’s digestion and cause other illnesses like fever. One of the ways to know if your horse is dehydrated is to gently pinch the skin; If it takes time for the skin to go back to what it used to be before the pinch, then your horse needs more water.
2. Horses Can’t Throw up
horses have a unique digestive system. One which is designed to move in one direction, from the front to the back. unlike other animals, horses can not throw up! So, if by any chance that happen, and you saw your horse throwing up, this means it has eaten something unfamiliar, and it is probably choking on it; You better check it quickly!
3. Horses do not Grow New Teeth
Due to its strong JAW, many think horses can grow new teeth as frequently as possible, but they are wrong. Horses are born with a pack of teeth that will be stuck with them for the rest of their life; The teeth structure is based on the upper side of the gum line. A horse’s teeth descend through the gum throughout its lifetime, which brings up the “Chewing Process”, which is done in a very dynamic way; By grinding its teeth!
One other major thing, horses sometimes get sick when they are given the wrong type of food, food which contains some nasty germs that can affect the tooth’s cover, and since the teeth have no living cells, they can not repair the damage once it happens, that is why most of the dentists advise horse owners to check in once a month for such germs to be cleaned right away, if there were any, or to get the teeth “FLOATED” to avoid the pain while eating.
Keep in mind that the most effective way to know a horse’s age is by examining his teeth, which never stops growing!
4. Horse’s weight can be controlled
it come surprisingly for some people when they know that the weight of the horse can be changed and controlled according to the desire of the owner! unlike other species, horses can gain so much weight or lose some; it is not considered to be a big deal, but it helps in monitoring the horse’s health as well as preventing weight-related diseases.
An average horse weighs between 400 kg and 450 kg; therefore, the best strategy to be used when trying to keep that weight is to feed 20.5% of 400 kg. You should bear in mind that the feeding process is related to the desired weight; for both gaining or losing weight.
“horses like sweet things to eat and will avoid anything with a sour or bitter taste”
4. Horses can not Choke
The reason behind this is that horses’ voice boxes (larynx) are higher in their throat than any other creature which can give them an advantage over humans. For humans, the chance of getting suffocated is around 40%, but for horses is absolutely 00%; Simply because when we choke, the air supply is shut off; whereas horses can still breath normally, the only problem is that they can not swallow the object until it’s dislodged. Due to their breathing system, horses can breathe only from their noses unlike us. 3 out of 5 horses per year die because of suffocation when bitten by a snake in the nose; so make sure you are keeping your horse in a clean secure barn or meadow to avoid losing your precious pet
Furthermore, RAGWEED is responsible for more horse death than any other toxic plant. Consumption of Mown grass cuttings also can cause colic in horses
6. Here are some interesting facts about Horses
- Horses can live a long life, sometimes up to 65 years old.
- Horses’ eyes are the biggest of all land mammals, in addition to the fact that they are located on the side of their heads means they can see almost 360 degrees.
- Horses can sleep standing up!
- Horses have different facial expressions and they change according to their moods, so pay attention to your horse’s face.
- According to thefactsite.com, While zebras and horses are often considered to be totally different animals, they can breed with each other to create ‘zebroids’. Zebras will also mate with donkeys and produce ‘zonkeys’.
- Horses’ memory is one of the best among earth’s animals.
“All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife”.-Daniel Boone
We hope that we helped you to know more about your big pet, and remember, if it is big it doesn’t mean it’s strong all the time, sometimes big ones suffer from the tiniest of things, thus, keep in mind to always check your horse’s food and water, and especially it’s shower and veterinarian visits
