Interesting and Fun Facts on Horses

Horses are known for their power, grace, beauty, nobility, strength and freedom. They are part of the family Equidae, which consist of donkeys, zebras, mules and more. There exists more than 250 b...

Horses are known for their power, grace, beauty, nobility, strength and freedom. They are part of the family Equidae, which consist of donkeys, zebras, mules and more. There exists more than 250 breeds of horses. They are mostly bred to pull carts, work on farms, for racing, showing and even as a beloved pet. Having a horse as an animal companion has become as common as having a pet dog or cat. A horses height is measured in units know as "hands". One hand is equal to 4 inches. The average riding horse is 15 hands tall. That's about 60 inches or 5 feet tall.

These hoofed mammals can live for around 20 - 25 years. Old Billy is one of the oldest horses that lived an astonishing 62 years of age. Old Billy was born in England in 1760 and lived as a barge horse that pulled barges up and down canals. Horses have evolved over the past 45 - 55 million years. From a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed creature we see today. The male is called a Stallion and the female is known as Mare. The baby is also known as a Foal. The diet of the horse consists of short, juicy grass and hay, along with barley, maize, oats and bran. This beautiful creature normally weighs around 1000 to 1100 pounds.

The elegance and beauty of a horse has been used in home decor today. It symbolizes power and movement. When used in Feng Shui, it can bring success, fame, freedom and speed. It has been said that placing two horses together can help build strong partnership in business or in marriage. The figurines should be placed such that it is coming in and not going out of the house. Horse shoes are also considered to be lucky however, hanging a horse shoe upside down is considered back luck.