Buzz
Horses have shared our world for centuries and continue to thrive, remaining a staple in our daily lives. While fewer people encounter them in person today, seeing them mainly on TV, these majestic creatures still deserve our admiration. Let’s dive into some captivating aspects of their world and legacy.
10. The ‘Horse Grin’
You may have observed a horse pulling an odd face, curling its upper lip and revealing its teeth in a wide grin. While this looks like a horse laughing, it's actually a behavior known as the flehmen response, which helps them process scents more effectively.
Horses make this amusing facial expression to direct airborne scents toward specialized olfactory glands located at the end of their nasal passage. By curling their lips and slightly tilting their heads, they enhance the flow of these scents to the glands. The horse isn’t laughing at you; it's simply trying to figure out if you have a bad odor.
The flehmen response is more prevalent in male horses than in females. Similar to giraffes, stallions often use this technique to sniff the urine of mares and determine if they’re in heat.
9. The Equestrian Industry
For those who have never interacted with horses, it's easy to think that all they require is some hay, a field to roam in, and a few preteen girls to admire them. This is far from the reality of the horse world.
Horses serve a wide range of purposes including competitions, sports, breeding, recreation, and traditional labor. Keeping everything running smoothly requires more than just a farmer with a plow. In reality, horses are part of a massive industry. Around 4.6 million Americans are involved in the horse industry in various capacities. The economic impact of the US horse industry is a staggering $39 billion each year.
That’s just counting the mere nine million horses in the US. Globally, there are roughly 58 million horses, with most of them being cared for by humans.
8. Mounted Police Horses
Police forces have utilized horses in law enforcement since the 17th century, with the first official mounted police unit founded in 1805. Based in London, this unit became an immediate success, leading to its adoption in both Australia and the United States within a few years.
Police horses have always played a role far beyond simple transportation. The advantages of a mounted officer are clear—after all, an officer on a large animal commands a very different level of respect than one on foot. That's why horses chosen for police work are often large geldings (castrated males), known for their impressive presence and calm demeanor in potentially high-pressure situations.
The number of police horses is gradually decreasing, largely due to the rise of police motorcycles and other lightweight transportation options. However, many countries still maintain a few mounted units for crowd control and public relations purposes.
7. Vision
Horses have surprisingly good eyesight, thanks to their unique eyes. With a diameter of about 5 centimeters (2 inches), they are the largest of any land mammal. In terms of volume, a horse's eye is up to nine times larger than a human's. There's a popular belief that this means horses see things as larger than humans do, causing them to startle easily, but this is actually a misconception.
The horse's eye is equipped with three eyelids—two regular ones and a third known as the nictitating membrane. This membrane, located in the inner corner of the eye, occasionally sweeps across it, helping to clean and lubricate it as needed. Horses do not focus their eyes in the same way humans do. The lower part of their retina is used for distant viewing, while the upper part is for objects that are closer. So, if you want to figure out where a horse is looking, watch how it holds its head. For example, if a horse is standing in a field with its head raised and ears forward, it’s not showing off—it’s likely focused on something in the distance.
6. Equine Hybrids
Equine hybrids, as the name suggests, are crossbred animals derived from the three equid species: horses, donkeys, and zebras. While many are familiar with the mule— a cross between a male donkey and a female horse—there are many more hybrids in existence. One example is the 'hinny,' the offspring of a horse father and a donkey mother. Horses and zebras can also be bred together, producing 'zorses' and 'hebras,' sometimes called golden zebras, as these names sound more like something out of a sci-fi novel. And when ponies are involved, we get even more fun names like 'zonies' and 'zetlands.'
One such combination is the offspring of a horse father and a donkey mother called a “hinny.” Zebras and horses can be bred into “zorses” and “hebras”, which are also known as golden zebras because, frankly, those names make the poor creatures sound like science fiction characters. Adding ponies to the mix brings even more hilarious sounding options, such as “zonies” and “zetlands.”
Equine hybrids have been a product of experimentation since the early 20th century. Initially, scientists began by crossbreeding zebras and donkeys but soon expanded their efforts to include horses—likely because they were uncomfortable naming their creations something like “zebra ass.”
5. Horseshoes
Most people know that horses wear horseshoes, but fewer realize that these metal arcs serve more than just protecting the hoof. The tough parts of a horse’s hoof are made of keratin, the same protein found in horns, nails, and hair. As a result, the hoof can lack sufficient traction. Imagine trying to run on a wet street wearing horns as shoes, and you'll understand the issue.
Attaching a horseshoe to the hoof solves this problem by enhancing traction and providing additional shock absorption, much like the benefits your running shoes offer. That’s right—horseshoes are essentially equine Air Jordans. They also share another similarity with sports footwear—there’s a massive variety of options available, including pronation-correcting shoes, 'natural balance' shoes, and even ultra-lightweight aluminum shoes designed for high-speed racehorses.
4. Horse Names
If you’ve ever attended a horse race, you’ve likely noticed that many horse names are downright absurd. While cats and dogs tend to get names that are cute, strong, or human-sounding, horses often end up with monikers like “Seabiscuit,” “Horlicks,” or “Ohnoitsmymotherinlaw.” Though these names might appear random, there are actually deep traditions and superstitions tied to naming horses.
Many breeders choose names that honor a horse’s lineage, which can sometimes result in awkward or humorous variations over time. It doesn’t take long for a name like “Binky” to evolve into “Flunky.” Naming a horse after a relative is generally discouraged, as no one wants to deal with the fallout if the horse turns out to be a dud. Some owners opt for names that convey strength, like “Man O’War,” hoping the name will bring the horse luck. On the flip side, giving a horse the name “The Winner” is a surefire way to ensure it never wins a race.
There are also official guidelines that regulate how horses can be named. Without these rules, race programs might start to resemble the bizarre usernames of a chaotic online forum. These naming rules differ by region. For example, The Jockey Club of Louisville limits horse names to 18 characters, prohibits names that are offensive or too similar to those of active competitors, and disallows names composed solely of numbers. If a horse achieves enough fame, its name might even be retired, similar to how some sports retire jersey numbers of iconic athletes.
3. Memory
Ever poked fun at a horse for its peculiar name or laughed at it when it makes that funny face in a flehmen response? If you have, you might want to rethink that—because chances are, that horse will remember your teasing for the rest of its life.
A 2010 study uncovered some fascinating findings about horse intelligence, particularly regarding their memory. It turns out that horses can understand our words much better than we once thought, and their memory is just as impressive as that of an elephant. When a horse is treated kindly, it will remember the person as a friend for life, and upon seeing them again, the bond resumes as if no time had passed. Horses also have a remarkable sense of place—they can become anxious when revisiting locations where they've had unsettling experiences.
However, a horse's sharp memory and intellect can sometimes lead to trouble. If they grow bored, horses can quickly figure out how to untie themselves from posts, open latches, and even get into grain bins. Once they learn these tricks, they never forget them.
2. Horse Meat
While recent controversies may suggest otherwise, horse meat is considered a delicacy in numerous countries. France, for instance, not only enjoys horse meat but also delights in dishes made from horse brains and hearts. This taste for horse meat isn't limited to France—historically, horses have been consumed as a reliable and affordable source of protein during times of war. In peaceful periods, it's eaten simply because it tastes good.
The two most influential English-speaking nations—namely the US and the UK—have never fully embraced the practice of eating horse meat, despite being major exporters of it worldwide. These countries have long scoffed at the idea of consuming horse meat, so what isn't exported often ends up as pet food.
1. Arabian Horses
While many horses can certainly be quite beautiful, the Arabian horse is often regarded as the most majestic of them all. This breed dates back over 4,500 years, making it one of the oldest known horse breeds. It is widely believed that the Bedouin, famous for their passion for breeding horses, are responsible for the creation of the Arabian horse.
With its distinctive “desert” appearance and easily recognizable silhouette, the Arabian horse stands out from other breeds. But its uniqueness doesn’t end there—its skeletal structure is also quite different. Its ribs are much wider, stronger, and deeper than those of other horses, and it usually has one fewer rib. It also has fewer lumbar bones and tail vertebrae. These differences do not hinder its performance, though—Arabian horses are known for being some of the most formidable endurance runners in the animal kingdom, capable of covering over 160 kilometers (100 miles) without stopping.
+ Eadweard Muybridge’s “Flying” Horse
Horses have contributed to numerous monumental human achievements, from the settlement of the Wild West to the ancient Mongolian postal system. However, did you know that horses were also instrumental in the invention of movie technology? In the 1870s, a man named Leland Stanford became convinced that, during a gallop, all four of a horse's legs momentarily leave the ground. His claim was met with doubt, as it seemed impossible for such a large animal to ever be fully airborne. Undeterred, Stanford made a bet that he could prove his theory with undeniable evidence.
To bring his vision to life, Stanford enlisted photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who quickly realized that the existing camera technology wasn’t sophisticated enough to capture the exact moment all four of a horse's hooves left the ground. Undeterred, Muybridge devised a revolutionary photography technique. He positioned a series of 24 cameras side by side, each capturing a different stage of the gallop. The result was a series of images of the racehorse Sallie Gardner, showing her at each of the 24 stages of her run. This not only proved Stanford’s theory—Sallie Gardner could indeed be seen with all four legs airborne, creating the illusion of flight—but also effectively birthed the concept of animated film. Inspired by this technique, Muybridge also invented the Zoopractiscope, an early motion picture device designed to display these images.
Despite being relatively unknown to the general public, Muybridge’s contribution to the history of cinema is undeniable, and his innovative work has garnered admiration from many influential figures in the film industry. Currently, actor Gary Oldman is working on a movie about Muybridge’s life and his 'flying horse' experiment. The film, which has already piqued interest, is reportedly set to feature Ralph Fiennes and Benedict Cumberbatch in key roles.
