Horse

Domestic Horse
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Genus: Equus Species: E. caballus
Binomial name
Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758

A group of horses

Horses pulling a plough

Horses are mammals of the family Equidae. The common horse is the species Equus caballus. It was domesticated from wild horses by humans at least 5000 years ago. Zebras and donkeys are also horses.

A male horse is a stallion, and a female horse is a mare. The general term for a young horse is foal. A young female horse is a filly, and a young male horse is a colt. A castrated horse is a gelding.

Early horses

Fifty million years ago, there were no horses. Eohippus was a short animal. It was the size of a cat. In Modern Latin the name Eohippus means dawn horse. Some scientists believe that Eohippus changed over millions of years into new animals. One of the new animals was the horse.

Eohippus did not have hooves. It had four toes on each front foot. It had three toes on each back foot.

Horses and humans

Horses have been domesticated for at least 5000 years. They have been used by humans in many different ways, for travel, work, food, and pleasure. They are also kept as a pet for humans too.

They are used for riding, as transport, racing, and just plain riding. They are also used for carrying things or pulling carts, or to help plow farmer's fields in agriculture. Horses have also been used for meat, milk, and glue. Today, horses are mostly used for entertainment and sports. They also are still used for work and transportation in some places.

The old Latin word for horse is equus.

Other uses of horses

Horses

Horsehide is a tough leather made from the skin of horses. Horsehair is used to make a stiff fabric. Horsehair can also be used as a stuffing for furniture. Horsehair can be mixed with plaster to make it strong.

Horse bones can be used to make gelatin for food. The bones can also be used to make glue. Animal glue is still preferred by some wood workers.

Horses are used all over the world to carry people and pull carts.

They are used by police in big cities. Police horses help police watch and protect people in crowds.

Horse breeds

These are some well-known horse breeds:

• Thoroughbred
• Holstein
• Clydesdale
• Welsh Mountain Pony
• Shetland Pony
• Saddlebred
• Arabian
• Quarter Horse
• Appaloosa
• Morgan
• Lipizzaner
• Percheron
• Hanoverian
• Belgian

Other pages

• Horse riding – sports with horses
• Pony – for little horses
• Quagga
• Przewalski's Horse