19 Sep 10 Quick Fire Questions about…horses
The children at our Playsafe clubs enjoy learning about different animals, so we thought it would be fun to begin a new blog series and shine a light on some animal favourites! For this first in our new blog series, we answer 10 quick fire questions about…..horses.
Have you ever wondered……
– How tall are horses and how are they measured?
According to Quora, “This depends on the breed. A horse’s height is measured at their withers, which is the bump in bone that you will see before the start of their neck. For the measurement itself, horses are measured in hands and each hand is 4 inches”. In order to qualify as a horse an adult must measure 14.2 hands or above. If they measure less than this they are classified as a pony.
Image credit: www.horseillustrated.com
– What do horses use their tail and mane for?
Image credit: Pinterest
A horse’s tail is an extension of its spine (the dock of the tail is the base of the spine) and a horse can use the long hair on its tail to keep itself warm, to swat flies, and to communicate an emotion – for example a flat tail can suggest fear, while a swishing tail may express irritation. (Source: https://pethelpful.com/horses/horsetailuse).
A horse’s mane naturally grows to cover the horse’s neck but the length can vary according to the breed. Wikipedia explains that “The mane is thought to keep the neck warm, and possibly to help water run off the neck if the animal cannot obtain shelter from the rain. It also provides some fly protection to the front of the horse”.
– What are baby horses called?
Horses under 1 year old are called foals. Aged between 1 and 4 they are called a filly (young female) and a colt (young male). Incidentally, an adult female horse is called a Mare and an adult male horse can be variously known as a Stallion, Horse or Gelding.
– Why do horses wear horseshoes?
Horseshoes are applied to the horse’s hooves – which are made up of complex tissue and bone – to help prevent breakage or damage. As AnimalSmart.org explains: “The metal horseshoes are there to protect the horse’s hooves. Horseshoes are curved pieces of metal that cover the bottom of a horse’s hoof. A person called a farrier uses small nails to hold the shoe on the hoof. … The nails go into a tough part of the hoof where the horse can’t feel them.”
The metal horseshoe accounts for the famous ‘clip clop, clip clop’ sound horses make. As ‘clip clop’ is an Onomatopoeia (a word that describes a sound and actually mimics the sound of the object or action it refers to when it is spoken) next time you and the family are on a long car journey, why not take it in turns to share other onomatopoeia’s you can think of!
– Can horses talk to one another?
Yes they can, but they do so primarily by using their ears and eyes. This website goes into more detail and explains how and why they communicate. When it comes to communicating with humans, this Telegraph article further explains how horses can also recognise humans / riders through audio clues.
– Why do horses neigh?
A horse neighs for a variety of reasons. A neigh can signal a happy horse greeting another horse, but a neigh might also signal anxiety or be used to locate other horses (and why horses whinny back to a neighing horse, to let them know where they are).
– How often do horses lay down?
Wikipedia explains “Horses may spend anywhere from four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. However, not all this time is the horse asleep; total sleep time in a day may range from several minutes to two hours.” Most other websites agree that on average an adult horse spends 2.9 hours sleeping daily.
– How long can horses live for?
Depending on the breed and the environment it is in, the modern domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.
– Can you name some famous horses in history?
In literature perhaps the most famous horse is in Anna Sewell’s novel Black Beauty, and horses have long been the subject of children’s stories including The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis (the fifth book in The Chronicles of Narnia). Famous films and plays in which a horse is a central figure include 2011’s War Horse, directed by Stephen Spielberg, based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel of the same name and its 2007 play adaptation.
Horses also feature heavily in ancient Mythology – notably Pegasus the winged horse in Greek mythology, and Centaur – originally depicted as half man half horse in Greek and Roman mythology.
– What careers involve working with horses?
If your child has shown an interest in working with horses, there are a huge range of career options available, from an Equine Veterinarian to a Jockey, or a Riding Instructor to a Mounted Police Officer. This website lists many more careers with horses. To help your child become familiar and confident around horses, there are riding schools such as Deen City Farm, Merton, The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders, Carshalton, and Lee Valley Park, London.
Finally, save the date – National Horse Day, celebrated annually, will be held on the 13th December 2019.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our 10 quick fire questions about horses. Let us know which animal you or your child would like us to feature in a future blog and we’ll make sure to include them. Tweet us at @JancettGroup or email us at: Jazzy@jancett.co.uk