خيل برية

• The domestic horse can communicate with humans using symbols to express its desires and is capable of making meaningful choices, understanding their consequences. According to Norwegian scientists, this ability has been confirmed by scientific research.
• The domestic horse can run quickly, which helps it escape danger.
• The horse can move almost anywhere, unlike machines. In mountain and forest units, it is often used as a pack animal.
• The Falabella breed are the smallest horses, growing up to 70–76 cm. The smallest among them is the stallion Little Pumpkin.
• English heavy draft horses Shire are the largest horses. Their height ranges from 175 to 190 cm.
• The smallest horse is the stallion Little Pumpkin, whose height was 35.5 cm. The stallion weighed 9.07 kg.
• The type of higher nervous activity in the horse determines its working qualities and ability to obey humans. Calm, phlegmatic horses are preferable to hot and unrestrained ones.
• Shires are the heaviest horses, weighing over 1400 kg. Heavy draft breeds reach a weight of 700–900 kg.
• The domestic horse may have polydactyly — the appearance of 1 or more extra toes, most often the 2nd (inner) toe with developed bones, joints, and hoof. Horses with two extra toes have legs resembling those of a hipparion.
• The domestic horse lacks clavicles, allowing it to spread its legs widely. The absence of clavicles provides a larger reach with its front limbs.
• The horse lives on average 25–30 years, but among some pony breeds, animals living up to 40 years are found. The most reliably known longevity record among horses is 62 years.
• In Italy, Spain, and Portugal, especially in the East, barley is almost the exclusive feed for horses, like oats. Only in these countries is barley used as frequently as oats are in other regions.
• The desire for a fast riding horse led to the emergence of thoroughbred riding horses. The fastest thoroughbred riding horses bred today were developed for racing.
• Dogs hear ultrasonic sounds of bats during sleep. They use this ability to drive them away in time.
• Domestic horses easily return to a wild lifestyle if provided with favorable conditions. In the wild, they behave similarly to wild species of the family.
• Domestic horses have highly developed mental abilities. Their brain is relatively small, and the cerebral hemispheres do not cover the cerebellum.
• In winter, domestic horses may turn into skeletons and die, especially young ones. Harsh winters, blizzards, and ice make it hard for them to find food under the snow.
• Mare's milk is used to feed infants. Not every mare can produce milk of the right composition and quantity to make excellent kumis.
• A well-trained horse on a hunt pursues prey by rushing after dogs at the first signal from the rider. Sometimes it starts chasing without a command.
• At rest, a horse breathes about 8–16 times per minute. During fast galloping or other exertion, breathing rate increases 5–7 times.
• Falabella ponies are too small to carry children — even a very small child is too heavy for them. They can be kept in city apartments and walked like dogs.
• Stallions of domestic horse herds charge at predators using fury and bravery. In a herd, adult horses form a "square" formation, pushing foals together and standing closely with their hind legs outward.
• Horses are trained by developing their innate abilities. They obey shepherds and herders' commands without question, managing flocks of sheep or horse herds.
• A horse becomes capable of reproduction at 3 years old. At this age, it reaches sexual maturity, and its incisors begin to change.