Horse Basics

Type	*A large hoofed, warm-blooded mammal (Equus caballus)*
General	Owning a horse is a very rewarding experience, but it is not for everyone. Be sure to thoroughly research before taking on the responsibility of owning a horse. If you want to learn to ride it is a good idea to take horseback riding lessons. If you enjoy it you may want to consider leasing a horse. There are many barns which will board your horse for you and allow you to come and ride anytime. Some of them will do the majority of the work involved in owning a horse, however this can get pricey. Know the horse you are riding. Horses spook very easily. Simple things like fast moving/loud vehicles, wind, and noise in the woods can spook horses. Trust and training can help alleviate most of the "issues" horses may encounter. When riding a horse a helmet should be worn at all times.
Riding	Riders communicate with the horse through commands called aids. The main natural aids of the rider are the legs, the seat, the hands (through the reins) and the voice. The rider's legs generally tell the horse to move forward or to turn. The hands help to guide the horse in the direction of the turn, and ask the horse to either slow his tempo or to slow from a faster gait to a slower one. The seat is the most difficult aid to develop, and can communicate to the horse not only to speed up, but also to turn and slow down. The voice is used less when mounted than when on the ground, but may be used to reinforce the hands, seat and legs to speed up or slow down the horse. Correct position allows for the rider to communicate effectively without getting in the way of the horse. Though the position appears to be slightly modified according to the type of riding that is being performed, the fundamental need to remain balanced over the horse at any given speed or discipline. Like most arts, riding takes years of practice to become competent, as the riders work to refine their aids and position, and learn "feel" - the sense of what the horse is doing underneath them. From the time the horse was domesticated, a wide variety of riding methods or styles have developed, all of which balance the need to allow the horse freedom of movement in activities such as horse racing or show jumping and the need for security and comfort for the rider, precision of commands, and overall control. Activities such as dressage and reining require high levels of control, while horse racing or show jumping require that a horse have considerable freedom of movement. Worldwide, the most common modern riding style is referred to in the United States as English riding, which is a broad style that encompasses most Olympic Equestrian competition, and includes such specific styles as dressage, hunt seat, show jumping and saddle seat, among many others. Western riding is a popular style seen in North America, derived from the traditions of Spain, modified to fit the needs of cattle ranchers. A similar riding style is seen with the Stockman of Australia

Size	The size of horses varies by breed, but can also be influenced by nutrition. The general rule for cutoff in height between what is considered a horse and a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands (147 cm, 58 inches) as measured at the withers. An animal 14.2h or over is usually considered a horse and one less than 14.2h is a pony. However, there are exceptions to the general rule. Some smaller horse breeds who typically produce individual horses both under and over 14.2h are considered "horses" regardless of height. Likewise, some pony breeds, such as the Pony of the Americas or the Welsh pony, share some features of horses and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2h, but are still considered ponies. The difference between a horse and pony is not simply a height difference, but also a difference in phenotype or appearance. There are noticeable differences in conformation and temperament. Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They often have calmer temperaments than horses and also a high level of equine intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers. The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands, abbreviated "h" or "hh," and is measured at the highest point of an animal's withers. One hand is 4 inches, or 10.16 cm. Intermediate heights are defined by hands and inches, rounding to the lower measurement in hands, followed by a decimal point and the number of additional inches between 1 and 3. Thus a horse described as 15.2 hh tall, means it is 15 hands, 2 inches, or 62 inches/1.57 m in height.
General Horsecare	Horses are grazing animals, thus their most important dietary need is for abundant good-quality forage from hay or pasture. A common guideline is that horses are able to consume dry feed of up to to 2.5% percent of their own body weight daily. Some supplementation with concentrated feed such as grain may be an addition (not replacement for) pasture or hay, especially when the animal is active or working. Horses require a plentiful supply of clean water, a minimum of 10 to 12 gallons per day. Although horses are adapted to live outside, they require shelter from the wind and precipitation, which can range from a simple shed or shelter to an elaborate stable. Horses require annual vaccinations to protect against various diseases, need routine hoof care by a farrier, and regular dental examinations from a veterinarian or a specialized equine dentist. If horses are kept inside in a barn, they require regular daily exercise for their physical health and mental well-being. When turned outside, they require well-maintained, sturdy fences to be safely contained. Regular grooming is also helpful to help the horse maintain good health of the hair coat and underlying skin.

Grooming	Horsemen agree that grooming is an important part of horse care, and proper grooming is essential for horses that are used in competition. Most recommend grooming a horse daily, although this is not always possible. However, regular grooming helps to ensure the horse is healthy and comfortable. The main reasons for daily grooming include: improved health of the skin and coat decreases the chance of various health problems such as thrush, scratches, and other skin problems cleans the horse, so chafing does not occur under areas of tack gives the groom a chance to check the horse's health, such as looking for cuts, heat, swelling, lameness, a change in temperament (such as depression) which could indicate the horse is sick, and look to see if the horse has loose or missing horseshoes helps to form a relationship between horse and handler, which can carry over to other handling duties and riding Horse showmanship is a horse show class that considers quality of grooming for as much as 40% of the total score.
Feeding	Horses need hay daily or a field with plenty of grass to graze on. Some horses require grain, oats, bran, sweet feed and hay pellets. Horses can eat all the hay they like, however too much grain can harm them. Grain has to be carefully monitored. A horse should have a constant supply of water and access to a salt block.
Exercise	Horses require daily exercise. They need to have enough land to exercise themselves and most enjoy having a person to ride them. Horses need companionship. Either another horse(s), or some other farm animal. Some owners have been known to use animals such as: goats, cows and sheep to keep them company. In general, horses will not be happy living alone.
Life Expectancy	Depending on breed, management and environment, the domestic horse today has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. It is uncommon, but a few horses live into their 40s, and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy," a horse that lived in the 19th century to the age of 62.^[1] In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest then-living pony, died at age 56.^[2] Regardless of a horse's actual birthdate, for most competition purposes, horses are considered a year older on January 1 of each year in the northern hemisphere and August 1 in the southern hemisphere. The exception is endurance riding, where the minimum age to compete is based on the horse's actual calendar age. The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages: Foal: a horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at 4-6 months of age. Yearling: a horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. Colt: a male horse under the age of four. Filly: a female horse under the age of four. Mare: a female horse four years old and older. Stallion: a non-castrated male horse four years old and older. Some people, particularly in the UK, refer to a stallion as a "horse." A Ridgling or "Rig" is a stallion which has an undescended testicle. If both testicles are not descended, the horse may appear to be a gelding, but will still behave like a stallion.^[3] Gelding: A castrated male horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt."^[4] In horse racing the definitions of colt, filly, mare, and stallion or horse may differ from those given above. In the United Kingdom, Thoroughbred horse racing defines a colt as a male horse less than five years old and a filly as a female horse less than five years old.^{[citation needed]} In the USA, both Thoroughbred racing and harness racing defines colts and fillies as four years old and younger.^[5] A very rough estimate of a horse's age can be made from looking at its teeth.
Health Problems	Some health problems include: colic ( a common killer of horses, a bad stomach ache), worms, lameness, tying-up, hoof cracks, dental problems and hoof wall loss. All horses and ponies should receive annual vaccinations, a de-worming schedule/plan, and a checkup by a licensed veterinarian at least annually for prevention of disease, and to maintain overall good health.
Senses	The senses of a horse are generally superior to those of a human. As prey animals, they must be aware of their surroundings at all times. They have very large eyes (among land animals only the ostrich has a larger eye), with excellent day and night vision, though they may have a limited range of color vision. The side positioning of the eyes gives the horse a wide field of vision of about 350°.^[15] While not color-blind, studies indicate that they have difficulty distinguishing greens, browns and grays. Their hearing is good, and the pinna of their ears can rotate a full 360 degrees in order to pick up sound from any direction. Their sense of smell, while much better than that of humans, is not their strongest asset; they rely to a greater extent on vision. A horse's sense of balance is outstanding; the cerebellum of their brain is highly developed and they are very aware of terrain and placement of their feet. Horses' sense of touch is better developed than many people think; they immediately notice when a fly or mosquito lands on them, even before the insect attempts to bite. Their sense of taste is well-developed in order to determine the nature of the plants they are eating, and their prehensile lips can easily sort even the smallest grains. Horses will seldom eat most poisonous plants or spoiled food unless they have no other choices, although a few toxic plants have a chemical structure that appeals to animals, and thus poses a greater risk of being ingested
Behaviour	Horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight instinct. Their first response to threat is to startle and usually flee, although they are known to stand their ground and defend themselves or their offspring in cases where flight is not possible, or when their young are threatened. They also tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain large draft horses. However, most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors. Horses are herd animals, with a clear hierarchy of rank, led by a dominant animal (usually a mare). Horses are also social creatures who are able to form companionship attachments to their own species and to other animals, including humans. They communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering or whinnying, mutual grooming, and body language. Many horses will become difficult to manage if they are isolated. When this behavior occurs while being handled by human, the horse is called "herd-bound". However, through proper training, it is possible to teach any horse to accept a human as a type of companion, and thus be comfortable away from other horses. When confined with insufficient companionship, exercise or stimulation, horses may develop stable vices, an assortment of bad habits, mostly psychological in origin, that include wood chewing, wall kicking, "weaving" (rocking back and forth) and other problems.
Colors/Markings	Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, and a specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them. Often, one will refer to a horse in the field by its coat color first rather than by breed or by sex. In spite of the adage that "a good horse is never a bad color," flashy or unusual colors are sometimes very popular, as are horses with particularly attractive markings, such as white on all four legs. Horses of the same color may be distinguished from one another by their markings. The genetics of horse coat colors has largely been mapped, although discussion continues about some details, particularly those regarding markings, shade variations within a color family and what creates certain variations in shading on a single horse.

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