Description

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of two extant subspecies ofEquus ferus. It is an odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to thetaxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to55 million years from a small multi-toed creature,Hyracotherium,into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began todomesticate horses around 4000 BC, and theirdomestication isbelieved to have been widespread by 3000 BC. Horses in thesubspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticatedpopulations live in the wild as feral horses. These feralpopulations are not true wild horses, as this term is used todescribe horses that have never been domesticated, such as theendangered Przewalski's horse, a separate subspecies, and the onlyremaining true wild horse. There is an extensive, specializedvocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, coveringeverything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings.Horses' anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escapepredators and they have a well-developed sense of balance and astrong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee frompredators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleepboth standing up and lying down. Female horses, called mares, carrytheir young for approximately 11 months, and a young horse, calleda foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Mostdomesticated horses begin training under saddle or in harnessbetween the ages of two and four. They reach full adult developmentby age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30years. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories basedon general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed andendurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies,suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed fromcrosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing oncreating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly inEurope. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today.Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitionsand non-competitive recreational pursuits, as well as in workingactivities such as police work, agriculture, entertainment, andtherapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which awide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using manydifferent styles of equipment and methods of control. Many productsare derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone,and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares.Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water and shelter, aswell as attention from specialists such as veterinariansandfarriers. Fun and Relax with Horse Live wallpaper. Download FreeAmazing White & Black Horse Wallpaper for Mobile Phones Get itfree… Support for all Android Mobile Devices.