All About Horses Mrs. Gilbreath

1. All About HorsesMrs. Gilbreath

2. The horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Genus: Equus Species: E. Caballus Horse Classification

3. Where do they come from? • Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning quickness. Horses are mammals in the same family as zebras, mules and donkeys.

4. Work or Play? • Most breeds of horses are able to perform work such as carrying humans on their backs or be harnessed to pull objects such as carts or plows. • Horse breeds were developed to allow horses to be specialized for certain tasks. • Lighter horses were bred for racing or riding, • heavier horses for farming and other tasks requiring pulling power. • Some horses, such as the miniature horse, can be kept as pets.

5. What are they for? • The horse plays a prominent role as a figure in the ideals of religion, mythology, and art. • They plays an important role in transportation, agriculture and warfare.

6. Baby • 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.

7. Colt a male horse under the age of four. Filly a female horse under the age of four. Young

8. Male & Female • Mare • a female horse four years old and older. • Stallion • a non-castrated male horse four years old and older. • Gelding • A castrated male horse of any age

9. Mom & Dad • Sire • is the word used for the father of a horse. • Dam • is the word used for the mother of a horse.

10. Life Span • Depending on breed, management and environment, the domestic horse today has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. • 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. • 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.

11. Birthdays • Regardless of a horse's actual birth date, for most competition purposes, horses are considered a year older • January 1 of each year in the northern hemisphere • August 1 in the southern hemisphere.

12. Lucky Horse Shoe • Horses that work or travel on hard roads need their feet (hooves) protected by metal shoes. • Horses hooves, like our finger and toe nails, also grow continuously and need to be trimmed. • To do this, the horses shoes need to be removed and their hooves trimmed every 4 -6 weeks. • After trimming their hooves new shoes are fitted. • The person who cares for a horse's feet is called a blacksmith or a Farrier

13. Measurements = Hand (h) • Horses are measured by the width of a human hand - 4 inches or 10 centimeters. • Measurement is taken from the ground up to the withers, the highest point on the horse's shoulder.

14. Measurement of 4 in = 1 hand

15. Pony vs. Horse • Difference between a horse and pony is not simply a height difference, but also a difference in phenotype or appearance. • Noticeable differences in conformation and temperament. • At Maturity Less than 14.2 hands (58 inches) is a Pony

16. Pony vs. Horse • Ponies often exhibit: • thicker manes, tails and overall coat. • proportionally shorter legs, • wider barrels, • heavier bone, • shorter and thicker necks, • short heads • broad foreheads. • calmer temperaments

17. What is a Draft Horse • Horses weighing more than 1600 pounds that also moved at a quick pace were in demand. • Tall stature, • muscular backs, • powerful hindquarters

18. Draft Horse • Farming, hauling freight and moving passengers • Draft Horses are typically 16-19 hands and 1400-2000 pounds

19. Horse Power

20. US History of the Horse • 1519- Coronado set out for North America with 150 horsemen • 1539- DeSoto’s expedition with 237 horses • Late 1800’s the horse was a central element in urban life. • From the end of the Civil War to the beginning of WWI the US was in a transition from an agricultural to an urban society

21. United States of America & the Horse • Fire Protection • Transportation • Mail Delivery • Agriculture

22. Decline of the Draft Horse • Horses were replaced by tractors, motorized taxies, electric streetcars, trains, and subways • By the early 1950’s registrations of all draft breeds had dropped dramatically and many breeders went out of business.

23. Pony Express • Founded by William Hepburn, William B Waddell, and Alexander Majors, • Provided fast mail service crossing the North American continent from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento California from April 1860 to October 1861

25. All on horseback • The first trip, westbound, was made in 10 days, 7 hours, and 45 minutes. • The eastbound trip was made in 11 days and 12 hours. • Every 24 hours they covered approximately 250 miles. • The Pony Express, established a year before the beginning of the American Civil War, reflected the need to provide fast and reliable communication with the West.

26. West Bound

27. Sale of the Past • The Pony Express had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000. • In 1866, after the American Civil War was over, Own sold the Pony Express assets along with the remnants of the Butterfield Stage to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million.

28. Recreation, Sports, Shows • National Horse Show • Most celebrated equestrian event in the US • Held in November at Madison Square Garden since 1883

29. Recreation, Sports, Shows • Rodeo • Spanish for “cattle ring” • Began as an amusement among cowboys who had reached the end of the long cattle drive and had to remain with their herds until they were sold • 1st rodeo, Prescott, Arizona July 4, 1886 • Bareback riding, Steer Roping, Calf Roping, Bull Riding, Team Roping, Barrel Racing

31. Recreation, Sports, Shows • Horse Racing • Rhode Island was the 1st state to allow horse racing • Kentucky Derby is the most prestigious race for Thoroughbreds in the US • 1st Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875 at Churchill Downs • The oldest continuously ran race in America