Horses

Horses

I chose horses to do my report on. In my report I will be talking about,
1. The History on the Horse
2. What Are Horses
3. Behavior of the Horse
4. Palominos
5. Why Horses Were Extinct?

History on the Horse

It’s hard to believe with the horses population today that horses were once extinct from North America and the Western Hemisphere. The around 16 Hands High horse today all goes back to the 10-20inch Hyrocotherium also known as the Eohippus. He lived fifty-five million years ago. The prehistoric horses had arched backs, three toes on the back and four on the front, they looked more like racing dogs then horses.
The next ancestor to the Hyroctherium is the Mesohippus. The Mesohippos lived thirty-five million years ago, the Mesohippus stood 20 inches tall and had long legs.
Every horse eventually gave away to the horse we have today, but the horse three million years ago was the first horse that looked exactly like the horse today.
Fossils proved that horses lived on every continent except Australia, you could also find herds of horses all over North and South America.
Horses were rode 5,000 years ago and used in war and sport in 1400B.C.
Horses were extinct for a period of time (I’ll talk about also) Christopher Columbus brought horses back to North America.
Horses played a important part in the exploration and development of North America by pulling trains, but the were replaced in 1830.


What is a Horse?

What is a horse? You may ask, well a horse is an odd toed Ungulate mammal one of eight of there species. The horse has come along way as you may have noticed. From a 20inch all the way up to 221/2 hands high which is also known as 86.5inches.
Horses come in thousands of breeds.
Horses have been the most useful animals for thousands of years. Horses were used in battle fields, for transportation in the late century, now they are used for farm work and leisure riding. Now horses are also used in circuses, rodeos, Horse Racing and Show Jumping.
Horses have the best memory of a animal. Horses also have awesome eyes, smell and hearing.
Some people also call Horses four legged wonders!


Behavior of the Horse

Horses react in different ways then any animal. Horses give warnings with their ears, tail, and facial expressions.
For instances if a horse has their ears pinned back against there head then this means there mad.
If their right ear is pointed to the right and their left ear is pointed to the left then this means there confused.
When a horse’s ears are pointed in front this shows that the horse is friendly, or alert.
A young horse’s ears are usually moving constantly, because they are focusing on their new surroundings.
Their tails are another warning sign, when a horse’s tail is pinned right up against their hind legs this means anger.
Now for facial expressions. When a shows the whites of their eyes this means there are extremely mad, so stay away! If a horse’s mouth is pinned tight and their eyes are tight it means a form of anger and pain.
Behavioral problems aren’t always a form of aggression, it could be paint too.
Did you now that a horse’s legs and teeth are their weapons? Now you do. A horse’s kick could seriously injure a human.
Now horses aren’t all mean a dangerous. If a horse has proper training and care it can be the friendliest horse ever. Just look at how many horses work as therapy for disabled humans!

Palominos

Palominos are one of the most beautiful horses. With the golden coat, light blonde mane and tail.
Most Palominos have white on their face, legs, and below their hawks and knees. Stripes and the face and white stocking are also a common feature on a Palomino.
Just because a horse has a golden body and all the features of a Palomino it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a palomino. If it has a black mane and tail then it’s a Buckskin.
Although Palominos are popular it’s not classified as a breed. It’s a famous colour. Palominos belong to every breed except the Thoroughbred. In the United States they are trying to make a Palomino classify as a breed.
When a Mare(female horse) and a Stallion(male horse) reproduce, the Foal(baby horse) will not be a Palomino. It may eventually grow up to be a Palomino, although it’s rare.
Palominos were discovered by Americans in California during the Mexican, American War.
Palominos are now popular Parade and Show Horses.
Palominos often have Thoroughbred and Arabian features. Palominos stand 15hands high and are Light Horses, so they weigh 1,100 lbs.





Why Horses Were Extinct?

Did you now horses were extinct for a period of time?
Horses in the past and today were killed for fun and sport.
In the 18th century there were very few horses around in North America, but by 1879 there was one left, a mare but it fell. For a couple months horses were believed to be extinct.

In Bialowieza in a forest around the straddling border between Belarus and Poland horses were spotted grazing. Eventually this small herd grew to be a few more and horses were no longer classified as being extinct.

Although winter wad hard because the horses struggled to find grass to feed on, with very little fat in their bodies they also struggled to keep warm.

There are several reasons why horses were extinct, but today horses are killed for pet food and glue. In the past they were killed for meat and their fur.


Conclusion

As you can see horses were very important for the development and exploration of North America, and to our ancestors. Almost every human in the old days had a horse for transportation.
Today horses work as great therapy and companies. I hope you enjoyed my report on horses.

By: Jessica