Horses are amazing animals that are loved due to their friendly personalities and striking beauty. That being said, they are generally domesticated animals, which is why they are often pets or used for horse riding. Here are 21 fun facts about horse’s that you most likely did not know, which will make you adore this beautiful species even more!
- There are over 600 horse breeds around the world, due to selective breeding.
- The tallest horse ever measured was 2.20 metres tall.
- The oldest horse to be recorded in history was 62 years old.
- The average horse lifespan is 25-30 years.
- Horses only have one less bone than humans, so their skeleton consists of 205 bones.
- The fastest horse sprint ever recorded is 55 miles per hour.
- There are currently around 60 million horses in the world.
- Male horses have more teeth than females, male horses have 40 teeth whereas females have 36.
- The most popular horse breed is the American Quarter Horse.
- A baby horse is called a foal.
- Most foals will stand up within 30 minutes to one hour after being born.
- The rarest horse breed is the Sorraia, with 200 or less left in the world.
- The most expensive horse was sold for $70 million in 2000.
- Some horses have moustaches.
- Horses can see in two different directions, this means they can focus on two things at the same time.
- A horse's heart weighs on average 10 pounds.
- Horses prefer sweet over sour, so they will reject anything that tastes sour or bitter.
- Horses can get sunburnt, common areas of sunburn are around the eyes and muzzle.
- Horses are pregnant for nearly one year, the average horse pregnancy is between 11-12 months.
- Horses can sleep standing up, they do this as a defence mechanism allowing them to move quickly after being startled awake.
- Horses have three eyelids, these close diagonally for added protection.
