Fun Horse Facts For Kids

Horses have been the traveling companion of man for the longest time. There is a small population who live in the wild known as feral horses, but most of the breed is domesticated now. The only true wild species now remaining are endangered Przewalski’s horses. They are known for their speed, grace, sense of balance, and strong fight or flight response. There are 300 breeds of horses today in the world. These breeds are roughly divided into three categories based on temperament; warmbloods who are bred for speed and endurance, coldbloods such as draft horses, and ponies for slow, heavy work. Warmbloods developed by crossbreeding the warm and cold blood for specific riding purposes.

Specific terms are used to describe each stage of the horse’s life. A foal is a less than a year old horse of both sexes. A year or two-year-old horse is called a yearling. A male horse under the age of four is called a colt. A female horse under the age of four is called a filly. A four-year-old female horse or above is called a mare, and a stallion is a non castrated male horse aged four or above. Gelding for a castrated male horse of any age.

After reading about horse facts, you may also look at leopard seal facts and fennec fox facts.

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What type of animal is a horse?

A horse is a domesticated odd-toed ungulate mammal. They are one of the oldest companions of human beings in the world. Horses interact with humans for many activities like sports, recreational purposes, working activities, and also therapy. Any horse that is less than 58 in (4.8 ft) at the withers is known as a pony.

What class of animal does a horse belong to?

Horses belong to the mammal class of animals as it gives birth to offspring like other mammals.

How many horses are there in the world?

It was estimated many years back that there are at least 58 million horses in the world. Ten countries in the world have more than a million horses.

Where does a horse live?

Horses are found around the world. The animals have adapted well to any climate or weather condition. Equine want open spaces to run, lots of vegetation to eat, and enough water. If these conditions are fulfilled, the happy creature will survive anywhere.

What is a horse's habitat?

Horses need wide-open spaces with lots of vegetation. Equine are comfortable in any climate, but they won’t stay in cramped, closed spaces for a long time. They are found across the world, and are mostly domesticated for sports or work activities.

Who do horses live with?

Horses can live with other animals and humans. This loving beast is affectionate towards its human and animal family.

How long does a horse live?

A Horse lives for 25 to 30 years. Some horses live up to age 40, but that is a rarity. Regardless of the horse's birth date, a year is added to its age on January 1st in the northern hemisphere and on August 1st in the southern hemisphere for most competitions. Only in endurance riding is the minimum age to compete is based on the actual age of the animal.

How do they reproduce?

The heat cycle for the female horses occurs every 19 to 22 days, from early spring to autumn. New baby horses are born in the spring after a gestation period of 340 days. Horses are sometimes capable of reproduction at about 18 months, but most are allowed to breed only after they turn three. Maturation also depends on horse’s size, breed, sex, and quality of care. In the wild, horses follow a polygamous mating system. Most domestic horses are bred selectively. This has given rise to many new and different breeds, sizes, uses, and colors of the modern-day horse.

What is their conservation status?

Since it is a domesticated animal, the conservation status is officially of the Least Concern. However, the only breed to survive in the wild, which is known as Przewalski’s horse, has the Endangered status.

What do horses look like?

Horses are known for their long head and long neck. Equine have the largest eyes for a land mammal with excellent day and night vision. They have a well-developed sense of smell too. Horses have an excellent sense of hearing. Their pinna can rotate 180 degrees giving them the potential to hear almost in 360 degrees.  

How cute are they?

Horses are a cute, loving and active animal. They are loved and revered by all, especially those who enjoy sports where animals are involved or just the pure joy of riding one. They have been our constant travel companions before modernization.

How do they communicate?

Horses will communicate with a human through facial expressions, vocal communication, and body language. Since we share such close physical proximity to these animals, we have learned to understand them better.

How big is a horse?

The horse is a big animal. With so many different breeds of horses of varying sizes, they are also subdivided by height and size. The nutrition provided to them also plays an important part in this. There are miniature horses too, which were recently developed through different cross-breeding processes. Their size ranges between 84-90 in (7-7.5 ft) and their height varies between 54-72 in (4.5-6 ft).

How fast can a horse move?

An average horse will run at the speed of 55 mph (88 kmph). They are known for their speed and agility, be it for sports, show riding, or other work-related activities.

How much does a horse weigh?

As per the breed of the horse, the weight will differ. Also, for what purpose it is bred for will decide its nutrition and exercise regime and its weight accordingly. An average horse can weigh anywhere between 840-1200 lb (381-544 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Specific terms are used to describe each stage of the horse’s life. A foal is a less than one-year-old horse of both sexes, a year or two-year-old horse is called a yearling, a male horse under the age of four is called a colt, a female horse under the age of four is called a filly, a female horse four years of age or above is called mare and a stallion is non castrated male horse aged four or above and gelding for a castrated male horse of any age.

What would you call a baby horse?

A baby horse is called a foal.

What do they eat?

Horses can eat a lot of vegetation of different kinds, which includes grass and hay. The grass is the most common food as it keeps their digestive system running. They also enjoy fruits and vegetables like apples or carrots. All domesticated horses require a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet as per their purpose and age.

Are they dangerous?

They are not dangerous as long as they are not bothered or feel that they are in danger. Despite their size, they are gentle animals who love the attention and affection they get. They are very loyal to their owners and will perform well if they are looked after in the right way.

Would they make a good pet?

They are excellent pets. And have always been part of large farmlands or households. They are loving, active, affectionate, loyal, and sturdy animals who have evolved for millions of years.

Did you know...

Three interesting facts about horses are: horses use their ears, eyes, and nostrils to express themselves. Horses are known for their intelligence, independence, and free spirit. The male horse may give out loud roars as mating calls. All horses are known to whinny or neigh when they pass each other. Horses can sleep while lying down and standing. Horses can laugh! These funny expressions make them even more cute.

Why are horses called horses?

The term horse comes from an ancient term with a similar meaning like swift or running. Therefore it is the perfect name for these lovely creatures.

Are horses color blind?

Horses have a two color vision which is dichromatic vision. Their color vision may be limited, especially for red and related colors, as they appear as a shade of green for them. We may not call them color blind, but yes, we can say that their eyes don’t have a vision for many different colors.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including echidna, or plains zebra.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our horse coloring pages.