Horse Plush Toy & Horse Facts

Like dogs, horses are one of those animals that a child most often wishes to have. While most children are unaware of what it takes to look after either a dog or a horse, they want them as pets anyway. Dogs, are a much easier pet to care for, not to mention that they are relatively inexpensive (before food and vet care are factored in) especially if you rescue one. Horses, on the other hand, cost an astronomical amount of money in addition to the other costs to feed and house it. That's where a horse plush toy is a fantastic idea, especially for the child that loves these beautiful creatures but will never have a real one of their own.

There are a documented 350 horse breeds but only one of those is domesticated. It is believed that horses were first tamed some 4,000 years ago by Asian nomads and until the advent of the engine, horses remained a vital and essential part of many human societies. Even today, horses are still revered and hold places of honor in many cultures.

Breeders of horses do their best to improve a horses physical performance abilities. By doing so, it has led to the creation of many different breeds of horse along with specific families or bloodlines. Within these various breeds, the end result was the creation of specialists at performing certain tasks with the utmost excellence.

Arabian horses of the desert developed the ability to travel long distances with both speed and endurance. They were also able to survive in the harshest of environments. Once domesticated by humans, it added an additional attribute to their already established natural abilities. In northern Europe, horses that had thick, warm coats, were domesticated so they could work as farm animals, able to pull plows or wagons. Later on, through selective breeding, this same horse was developed so that they were both strong and ridable for armored knights to be able to ride into battle.

Centuries later, when Europeans wanted horses that were faster than what could be produced locally, they imported Arabians and other Asian breeds so they could cross-breed them with the local, heavier animals. Breeds like the thoroughbred were developed from this type of selective breeding.

Later on, in more modern times, the people that settled in the Americas needed a horse that could work with cattle. Arabians and Thoroughbreds were cross bred with Spanish horses that were descendants of both wild and domesticated horses (having been brought over by the Conquistadors) which led to the creation of the American Quarter horse.

When it comes to a horse plush toy, a child is not really interested in what breed it is. With a horse plush toy, a child can fall in love with the idea of riding off to some distant land with just their horse. There are some horse plush toys on the market that are in fact ridable, though they won't go much further than the spot in which they stand on the floor. Still, being able to get on to the 'saddle' of a horse plush toy is a real thrill for any child.