by Cilissa

Created on: February 09, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Unique and interesting facts of the horse, have cultivated the hearts of people through the centuries. Horses are the only domesticated mammal that have the same attributes as there wild cousins.

Mustangs & wild ponies are not considered native to America. It is believed that the island ponies swam to shore from colonizing shipwrecks. All equines are excellent swimmers. Although there is no water in Arizona; Mid-western mustangs are thought to have been introduced by the Spaniard's and Englishmen when they settled on this continent. Some were stolen by natives and kept in semi-wild herds. They were let alone to roam free without fences. The natives would cull a few to be used as mounts while others were selected and left for breeding. When the Natives were killed off or forced to civilize the herds got left behind to roam free.

How the mustang survived on its own is one of the mysteries of evolution. It is theorized that if man hadn't stepped in, the horse would be extinct. It is physically impossible for a horse to regurgitate. They have a cardiac sphincter valve that circles around the bottom of the esophagus where it meets the stomach. This valve squeezes shut after the food or swallowed air has passed through. Without the help of a vet the horse may die of colic or food poisoning. Their primitive equipment makes scientists scratch their head all the time. How did the horse survive 3 million years and not evolve a more complex digestive system?

The horse's foot is also a very interesting creation of nature. They are a one toed creature; they have two splint bones that run down either side of the main bone. These are believed to be remnants of the other toes. On the bottom of a horse's foot there is a soft V of rubbery flesh called the frog. It covers about a quarter of the bottom. The internal use of a frog is like a sponge absorbing used blood and pushing it back up the foot, then leg towards the heart. The horse uses stomping methods if he is standing still to jump start the blood back up.

His font leg bones don't actually connect to the skeleton. They are held by muscles and tendons. When a horse is cantering, there are a few seconds where the whole weight of the horse lands on one front leg before shifting to balance on the rest. Imagine holding a car while balancing on one foot if even for a few seconds? These animals are nature's Ferrari; built for balance and speed.

The canter is a three beat gate unique to the horse; it makes a rocking like motion.
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