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Introduction to the Horse

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Introduction to the Horse INTRODUCTION TO THE HORSE Horses, zebras, and asses all belong to the Family Equidae (′ēk·wə′dē) , also referred to as equids. Equids are mammals, which means they possess the basic characteristics of all mammals which include: • mammary glands • hair • diaphragm • three middle-ear ossicles • heterodont dentation • sweat, sebaceous, and scent glands • four-chambered heart • large cerebral cortex Additionally, equids belong to the Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) which is a group of mammals characterized by having hooves. The Order Perissodactyla also includes tapirs and rhinoceroses. The taxonomic classification of horses is as follows: • Kingdom: Animalia • Phylum: Chordata • Class: Mammalia • Order: Perissodactyla • Family: Equidae Within the Family Equidae there is one genus (Genus Equus) which contains eight species and numerous subspecies: • Onager (Equus hemionus) • Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) • Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra) • Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) • Burchell's zebra (Equus burchellii) • Horse (Equus caballus) • Donkey (Equus asinus) • Kiang (Equus kiang) • Przewalski's wild horse (Equus caballus przewalskii) * • Tarpan (Equus caballus gmelini) * • African wild ass (Equus asinus somalicus) * *Indicates subspecies. Equids inhabit the desert and grasslands of Asia and Africa but have been introduced to many areas around the globe. All species of equids feed primarily on grass, and possess acute senses of sight and hearing. They are swift runners and possess grace, speed, and endurance, enabling them to flee from predators. Domesticated horses are the most common equids today. Most equids in the wild are endangered as a result of habitat destruction. Horses and their relatives are referred to as odd-toed ungulates. Ungulates is a term used to described hoofed animals. Hoofed animals are categorized by the number of toes they posess (an even number or odd number). In the case of horses, they posess an odd number of toes. Throughout history, horses have been used for riding and for pulling carriages, chariots, plows, and carts. They played a significant roll in warfare by carrying soldiers into battle. Because the first domesticated horses are thought to have been quite small, it is more likely that they were used to pull carts than for riding. DOMESTICATION It is generally believed that horses were first domesticated as draft animals on the Eurasian Steppes in the Near East between 4500 and 2500 B.C. by the people of that area that had adopted a nomadic way of life and having already domesticated dogs, cows, sheep, and goats, they needed a larger animal to carry their belongings. The horse eventually became their sole livelihood by providing transportation, milk, meat and skins. By 1000 B.C., domestication had spread through Europe, Asia and North Africa. There were four primeval types of horses which were domesticated at different times and places. These are divided into size groups -- two are horse, two are pony. PONY I Pony I developed in Northwest Europe. He was approximately 12 hands tall, had very thick skin, was brown or bay in color, and was "waterproof". His direct descendant is the Shetland Pony. PONY II Pony II developed in North Eurasia. He was heavier in build than Pony I and was "frostproof". He was dun or cream color and had the dorsal stripe and bars on the legs associated with the "dun factor". He was the forefather of Przswalski's Horse. HORSE III Horse III developed in central Asia and west into Europe. He had a long, narrow, Roman head, a long neck, long ears, slab sides and a sparse tail and mane. He was "drought proof". He was the forefather of the Andalusian. HORSE IV Horse IV developed in the western area of Asia. He was about 12 hands, was "heat proof" and provided the "quality" in today's breeds - he was fineboned, had a high-set tail and abundant mane and tail. He was the forefather of the Arabian. All breeds are crosses or descendants of these four basic groups. Ponies are crosses of Pony I and Pony II. Draft horses are Pony II and Horse III. Light horses are Horse III and Horse IV. The physical characteristics of groups and breeds were originally determined by climate. In cold areas, horses were considered "cold blooded" -- compact and calmer, with thicker bodies, thicker skin and more hair. In hot areas, horses were "hot blooded" -- they had larger, rangier bodies, thinner skin, and were flightier. The horse was first domesticated for milk and meat. He moved up in status to a pack animal, and was later promoted to a riding animal. It was the introduction of horse trading that brought about the development of the various horse breeds. The first record of riding came from Persia in the third millennium B.C. By 1580 B.C. this trend had spread to Egypt, and 250 years later it was found in Greece. In fact, the first horse training book, the Kikkuli Text, was written in 1360 B.C. The founder of modern horsemanship was a Greek by the name of Xenophon (430 B.C.). He was the son of a man of the equestrian class in Athens. As a youth, he served in the Peloponnesian Wars under Cyrus, son of Darius II. When the Greeks were defeated, he elected to lead the retreat from the Tigris River to the Black Sea. He then retired to a country estate near Corinth, Greece. He had learned much from his associations with Armenian and Persian horsemen during his career in the Greek army. From the Persians he learned "leg up" mounting -- a groundsman would help the rider mount the horse by holding the rider's leg and boosting him up. From the Armenians, he learned to tie pieces of cloth onto his horses' feet to protect them from ice and rocks. After his retirement, Xenophon wrote the definitive book on horsemanship, which is still used, in modern form, by trainers today. In the 1400's, body armor was invented in Persia. Its use quickly spread to the north and west, where the Europeans seized on the idea and developed the suits of armor used during the Middle Ages. Since soldiers were then too heavy to move effectively on their own, horses were needed to carry this extra poundage into battle, and the European charger was developed. The Andalusian is the modern descendant. Meanwhile in everyday Europe, the farmer and his wife needed a horse that could carry them to and from the local market at a comfortable pace. Since the roads were little more than pounded strips of dirt, they needed a riding horse. As the roads improved, harness breeds with a "hard trot" were developed. During the reign of England's King James I (1603-1625), Arabian horses were imported and crossed with native light horse breeds. King Charles II (1660-1685) imported the so- called Royal Mares. Between 1689 and 1728, the most famous Arabians were imported. The Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Barb are the foundation sires of Thoroughbred horses. Justin Morgan, the foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed, was a descendant of the Byerly Turk. Eclipse, one of the sire lines of modern Thoroughbreds, was descended from the Darley Arabian, as was Blaze, the foundation sire of the Hackney. Messenger, the progenitor of the American Standardbred and the American Saddlebred, was also descended from the Darley Arabian. Article by Michelle Staples, Staples Stables HORSES IN THE 20TH CENTURY - by John Crawford The last 100 years Few or us alive today can remember the times when all commerce was served by the horse on land and ships by sea. Yet until less than a hundred years ago, before machines were invented, the horse was mans great partner. To understand how important the horse was in the world up until then, you would have to imagine removing the oil supply from today's world and watch the effect it would have on our lives and world trade. Horses were the very oil of commerce and the tools of war. Until after the first world war, when they were progressively abandoned, as machines took their place throughout the developing countries. "Look back at our struggle for freedom, Trace our present day's strength to its source; And you'll find man's pathway to glory Is strewn with the bones of a horse." Anonymous. The bond between man and horse. Over 5000 years a strong bond has been developed between man and horse, a bond that has helped the horse survive the period of his changing role in our society. Those who loved horses most, held their trust with them over this period of change, helping them to improve their role and position in most countries, from that of commercial slave, to that of willing servant. Nowadays the horse is more often found where people are enjoying themselves, whether at the racetracks, on the polo grounds, on holiday or at the Pony Club, with the family’s children. Indeed they have so successfully changed their role, that it can be said that there are more horses and ponies in some countries now than there was in 1902. Of course, there are a few more people too. However, it must still be remembered that they are still a beast of burden in some countries and in some cases need our help. Why do people love horses ? What is the bond that holds man and horse together ? It would be hard to explain. It is probably best seen in it’s simplest form, where children develop a passion for horses when no one in their family rides. Or in the smiles on the faces of disabled riders when they come for their weekly session with the horse.
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