Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: neilep on 22/08/2007 13:15:34
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Dear Equine Eccentrics,
This is a horse:
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fhorses2%2F3.gif&hash=cbc0d6caa88ef274fe96d2618a3e99dc)
Nice isn't it ? notice how you want to pet it, give it some sugar, make some glue ?
This is a horse shoe:
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.jupiterimages.com%2Fcommon%2Fdetail%2F42%2F74%2F23107442.jpg&hash=fc13e87e93c15b4c2de9be2dda6accc8)
Sorry that it's upside down but I'm not superstitious !
My daughters Barbie Horse tells me that horsies were around long before horse shoes were !!!
so, why do horsies wear horse shoes ?.....The one and only reason I can think of is because they might occasionally go for walkies on the road ....is that it ?
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Early horses did not have to travel on hard surfaces, nor carry heavy weights.
BTW, humans were also around long before human shoes were.
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Shoes can help to protect the hoof. Hooves are prone to chipping & cracking; especially, as was mentioned, on hard surfaces such as roads. It is also a good idea to have a horse shod if it is used for jumping, racing, point-to-point, hunting, etc as the hoof can take quite a pounding. If a horse is kept in a field to graze and not used for anything else, there's not much need to have it shod.
There are also special shoes that are fitted to alleviate symptoms of illness or injury; much as humans wear orthopedic shoes. One of our ponies currently has laminitis - which is an inflammation of the interior of the hoof - & there are shoes similar to Dr Martens boots with air-soles (AIR-SOLES [:(!] ) that are crafted to fit the hoof snugly to soften any impact with the ground. Fortunately ours isn't bad enough to warrant that much treatment.
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Early horses did not have to travel on hard surfaces, nor carry heavy weights.
BTW, humans were also around long before human shoes were.
THANK YOU GEORGE
You've answered what was going to be my next question ...what came first the human or the shoe !! [;)] [;)]
So, were early horsies field dwellers ?..or did they swing through the trees like some ape/horse hybrid ?
Seriously though, I appreciate your answer and understand the logic behind it.
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Shoes can help to protect the hoof. Hooves are prone to chipping & cracking; especially, as was mentioned, on hard surfaces such as roads. It is also a good idea to have a horse shod if it is used for jumping, racing, point-to-point, hunting, etc as the hoof can take quite a pounding. If a horse is kept in a field to graze and not used for anything else, there's not much need to have it shod.
There are also special shoes that are fitted to alleviate symptoms of illness or injury; much as humans wear orthopedic shoes. One of our ponies currently has laminitis - which is an inflammation of the interior of the hoof - & there are shoes similar to Dr Martens boots with air-soles (AIR-SOLES [:(!] ) that are crafted to fit the hoof snugly to soften any impact with the ground. Fortunately ours isn't bad enough to warrant that much treatment.
THANK YOU MR ED..Oops..I mean MR ETH !
I suspected it was because of the multi-tasking that horse hooves have to apply themselves to today.
I am sorry to hear that your pony has laminitis....I hope he/she is enjoying the fuss.
Do wild horses normally not run as much ?...will they graze and wander at a canter for the predominant of their time ?
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One of the ancestors of the modern horse was Eohippus (also called Hyracotherium).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyracotherium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyracotherium)
In the wild, horses tend to just meander around for most of the time nibbling at verdant goodness. They sometimes play tag - especially young colts - which is quite amusing to watch. (1 of my colts was kept in a field with a young camel for a while. Watching them play tag was hilarious!)
Normally the only time they really gallop is to release energy or to escape a predator. A horse will run 1.5 miles to escape; although a stallion is liable to attack you if his mares are threatened. And just because a horse doesn't have claws or big teeth, don't underestimate how dangerous they can be. Just a little flick with its rear hoof can break an arris rail. And if it rears up & comes down on you it's normally Goodnight Vienna.
Even just their weight can cause a lot of damage. Horses can weigh up to 750 kilos (and a large Shire can top 1000 kilos). You wouldn't want that squashing you against a stable wall or rolling on you. I've had my feet stood on by horses & I can assure you it bloody well hurts! [:(]
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In the wild, the only real need for horses to run would be to escape danger; otherwise, although they may choose to stretch their legs a bit, but they don't have a great deal of effort involved in chasing after grass to eat (grass does not run very fast).
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Incidentally, did you know that "hippopotamus" means "water/river horse"?
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...(grass does not run very fast).
A supergrass may need to! [:D]
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Look what I've found...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_horse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_horse)
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One of the ancestors of the modern horse was Eohippus (also called Hyracotherium).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyracotherium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyracotherium)
In the wild, horses tend to just meander around for most of the time nibbling at verdant goodness. They sometimes play tag - especially young colts - which is quite amusing to watch. (1 of my colts was kept in a field with a young camel for a while. Watching them play tag was hilarious!)
Normally the only time they really gallop is to release energy or to escape a predator. A horse will run 1.5 miles to escape; although a stallion is liable to attack you if his mares are threatened. And just because a horse doesn't have claws or big teeth, don't underestimate how dangerous they can be. Just a little flick with its rear hoof can break an arris rail. And if it rears up & comes down on you it's normally Goodnight Vienna.
Even just their weight can cause a lot of damage. Horses can weigh up to 750 kilos (and a large Shire can top 1000 kilos). You wouldn't want that squashing you against a stable wall or rolling on you. I've had my feet stood on by horses & I can assure you it bloody well hurts! [:(]
THANK YOU DR BEAVER.
This is most interesting about the nature of wild horses. Are they a dwindling species ?....I would love to be witness of them playing tag !...do they just give each other a little nibble ?
I will take on board your useful tip about not allowing myself to be flattened by a horse. I will remind myself of your sage advice next time a horse is falling on me !! Very wise and I am gracious for your help and the link too.
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In the wild, the only real need for horses to run would be to escape danger; otherwise, although they may choose to stretch their legs a bit, but they don't have a great deal of effort involved in chasing after grass to eat (grass does not run very fast).
THANK YOU VERY MUCH GEORGE.
It's pleasing to know that horses do not need to be continuously on the move. What predators to wild horses have ?..Horse eating wild hare ?............LOL....ok....I expect cougars and leopards yes ?
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Incidentally, did you know that "hippopotamus" means "water/river horse"?
Yes..yes i did know that !!...YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!!
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In the wild, the only real need for horses to run would be to escape danger; otherwise, although they may choose to stretch their legs a bit, but they don't have a great deal of effort involved in chasing after grass to eat (grass does not run very fast).
THANK YOU VERY MUCH GEORGE.
It's pleasing to know that horses do not need to be continuously on the move. What predators to wild horses have ?..Horse eating wild hare ?............LOL....ok....I expect cougars and leopards yes ?
And Humans!
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What I wrote about horses being dangerous does not apply to seahorses. [;D]
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Neil - they do sometimes nip one another when playing tag. But often the game consists of 1 chasing another the length of the field (or a random distance in the wild), then they turn around & the pursued becomes the pursuer.
Wild horses are nowhere near as common these days. In Britain there are still places where you can find them - Exmoor, Dartmoor, New Forest, Shetland Islands, Welsh hills & Scottish Highlands, and some places in the Yorkshire dales & the Peak District. You may find them called M&M, which stands for Mountain & Moorland.
I believe I'm right in saying that the most wild horses are to be found in Argentina. I know that was true at 1 time & I've not heard to the contrary.
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Eth,
I had no idea that we have wild horsies over here !!
Are they indigenous ?
I always thought they were somewhere in western America.
Must be a sight to behold to see a wild bunch of horsies running free !!(what's the term for a bunch of horsies)...would love to see that !..and see them playing tag !
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As far as I am aware, they are not strictly speaking wild horses so much as feral horses.
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You mean someone set them free !!...and they've acclimatised ?
Nice !...thanks George.
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Eth,
I had no idea that we have wild horsies over here !!
Are they indigenous ?
I always thought they were somewhere in western America.
Must be a sight to behold to see a wild bunch of horsies running free !!(what's the term for a bunch of horsies)...would love to see that !..and see them playing tag !
George is right in saying they're more correctly called feral (descendants of once-domesticated horses). But most people wouldn't appreciate the difference so they're just known as wild.
The only truly wild horse today is the Mongolian wild horse, or Prezewalski's horse, which is found in Central Asia. All others are, strictly speaking, feral.
What we have in this country are wild ponies rather than horses. If you want to see some really fabulous, wild horses, get yourself down to the Camargue.
http://www.photosafaris.com/Tours_2005/WhiteHorsesFrancesCamargue.asp (http://www.photosafaris.com/Tours_2005/WhiteHorsesFrancesCamargue.asp)
A lot of horsey, equiney thingies is known as a herd. (I wonder how many there needs to be before it can be called a herd?)
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What I wrote about horses being dangerous does not apply to seahorses. [;D]
I think it's quite funny that river horses (hippopotami) and sea horses look nothing similar. Also, one is a pig (I read it somewhere, before that I thought they were hornless rhinos) and one is a fish.
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In Australia famed for its poisonous spiders, box jelly fish etc more deaths are caused by horses than any other animal.
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In Australia famed for its poisonous spiders, box jelly fish etc more deaths are caused by horses than any other animal.
I am absolutely certain that this bit is wrong.
"more deaths are caused by horses than any other animal"
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-17/horse-more-likely-to-kill-you-than-bees-wasps-snakes-spiders/8188842
et al
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I think it's quite funny that river horses (hippopotami) and sea horses look nothing similar.
In Australia famed for its poisonous spiders, box jelly fish etc more deaths are caused by horses than any other animal.
Funny to see these both brought up. In Africa, said river horse is the second-most likely animal to kill you. Top spot is held by the mosquito.
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I think it's quite funny that river horses (hippopotami) and sea horses look nothing similar.
In Australia famed for its poisonous spiders, box jelly fish etc more deaths are caused by horses than any other animal.
Funny to see these both brought up. In Africa, said river horse is the second-most likely animal to kill you. Top spot is held by the mosquito.
Probably I should add Performapal Hippo & Mosquito to my Deck (wait, this is not a Yu-Gi-Oh! forum...).