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(tusks) midway between the incisors and molars. These seldom appear in mares. As the horse becomes aged, the teeth, in profile, appear to slant forward and outward. In young horses, the teeth look broad and flat. They may be twice as wide (side to side) as they are deep (front to rear). Once the horse gets around twenty years old this condition reverses itself.

Horses are herbivores with stomachs designed for the constant consumption of plant food. Feed is propelled from the stomach into the small intestine. Few nutrients are absorbed in the stomach. Unlike cud-chewing animals, a greatly enlarged caecum in the large intestine serves as a fermentation vat. Here enzymes break down plant fibre. This fermentation process actually occurs past the area where most nutrients are absorbed. The stomach of the horse cannot cope with large amounts of feed at one time. The horse needs to eat frequent, small portions of feed.

Apart from grazing, Fabian spends a lot of time resting. Horses don't need to lie down to rest and sleep. Their knees and hocks lock' so they can sleep standing up without being in danger of falling. Horses may rest each hind leg alternately. They will never rest a foreleg unless the leg is injured or giving them pain. Horses rise forequarters first then hind quarters, unlike sheep and cattle. Fabian, like most horses, loves to roll especially if he has been worked and is hot and sweaty. Some horses with very high withers will roll on one side, stand up and immediately lay down to do the other side. When Fabian gets up he will shake off the excess sand and may give a buck and a kick as if to say wow, that feels good.'

The average adult horse drinks up to10 gallons of water per day. In hot, humid weather he may require 15-20 gallons. On lush green pasture, horses may need very little water but it should always be available. Fabian is always watchful approaching his water trough. This is a carry over from the times when prey animals were likely to be attacked at watering places. Of all animals, only whales, seals and ostriches have larger eyes than horses. Fabian's eyes are located on either side of his head giving a wide, circular, monocular view. Should something startle him, he will turn and raise his head to bring the object into binocular view, giving better depth perception. Horses have a blind spot in front of their foreheads and a blind spot immediately behind them. Many horses are more nervous on windy days as every little movement is picked up.

Horses'

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