by Lucy Collins

Created on: February 08, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Horses are beautiful creatures. The way of distinguishing a horse from a pony is the height. Horses and ponies are measured in hands. A hand is 4 inches which is approximately the width of a human hand. A horse above 14.2hh and a pony is smaller than 14.2hh (50 inches).

There are many different breeds of horse. They come in different shapes and sizes. Different horses have different uses. The racehorse is a fine breed built for athleticism. They are capable of running fast and jumping. A draught horse is a heavier build and is able to pull heavy loads. There are many different breeds of riding horse suited for different disciplines. It is important to buy one suitable to your needs as well as the horses needs.

There are also lots of different colours of horse. Bay seems the most common. It is brown with a black mane and tail and legs. They also come in grey, black, brown, roan, chestnut, dun, palomino, appaloosa. Appaloosas are spotted and are classified as a breed not a colour. The appaloosa coat pattern comes in several variations. There are lots of striking colours and horses in a field in different colours look lovely.

Horses also have different markings in white. A mark on the forehead is called a star. A stripe down the face is called a stripe but a wider one is called a blaze. A small white mark on the muzzle is called a snip. A white face is called a white face. A white fetlock is called a sock. White legs to the knees are called a stocking. Some horses have a dorsal stripe which is a dark stripe along the spine. Some horses even have ermine or zebra markings, stripes usually around the upper legs (though not as vivid as a zebra).

Horses teeth grow continually. They eat grass and their teeth are constantly being worn down. They can develop sharp edges and may require an equine dentist to rasp them. The teeth become more protruding with age. It is also possible to tell a horses age by looking at their teeth.

Horses hooves also grow continually. A horse in the wild will usually wear its hooves down naturally to the correct length. A domesticated horse often has shoes on so it is important that they are attended to regularly by a farrier, usually around every 6 weeks. If they don`t the hooves will grow too long. Cases of neglect often show horses with overgrown hooves. The hooves will grow and curl upwards if not cared for.

Horses are usually ridden from around 4 years of age. Racehorses will race at 2. A horse can be ridden well into its teens. If a horse is well cared for and receives good nutrition, it will live longer. They typically live well into their 20`s often still being ridden then.

Horses love companionship. They are gregarious creatures. They love sharing a field with other horses but they also love human contact. They enjoy being groomed. They like being ridden and can provide an owner with years of fun and are very loyal in return.

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