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coats vary considerably. The more hot-blooded the horse, the finer the coat. Thoroughbreds and Arabs have fine silky coats with very little feather' or hair on their heels. They may need rugging in winter. In contrast, most of the draught breeds have thicker, shaggier winter coats with a huge amount of hair on their legs. Horses shed their coats, having a thick, fluffy winter coat for the cold season and a finer coat when the weather warms up. Horses' coats may appear to be a different colour according to the season. Various factors influence shedding of the coat. Longer days stimulate a horse to shed its winter coat while shorter hours of sunlight stimulate hair growth. Some breeds have luxurious, very long manes and tails. There is even a breed which has a curly coat!

The constant digestion of food by horses causes generation of heat which also contributes to the horses' body warmth in winter. The native pony breeds of the British Isles are all very well adapted to surviving their sometimes harsh climatic conditions. The Shetland has a double winter coat with guard hairs which keeps the pony completely dry in winter.

Horses are gregarious and much prefer company to being on their own. If there are no other horses, they will usually pal up with whatever animal is available. Nowadays, the horse has less importance in the realms of agriculture, transport and haulage. It still has, however, probably more devotees than ever before.

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