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FACTS ABOUT: horses horse

Definition: horse  Play horsepronunciation  A horse is a large mammal with long legs and hooves. A horse has a long neck with a mane,
short hair, and a long tail. For thousands of years, people have used horses for riding and for pulling or carrying loads.

Fun Facts


1. Majestic Running Athletes: Horses are famous for being incredible runners! They can walk, trot, canter, and gallop at blazing speeds—with some champion racehorses sprinting as fast as 40 or 50 miles per hour.


2. Sleeping Standing Up: Believe it or not, horses can take a nap while standing straight up! They have a special system of tendons and ligaments in their legs that "locks" in place so they can doze off without falling over, though they still lie down on the ground when they want a really deep sleep.


3. Super Wide Panoramic Eyes: A horse's eyes are actually the largest of any land mammal! Because they are placed on the sides of their head, horses have nearly 360-degree vision, meaning they can see almost all the way around themselves without even turning their heads.


4. Built-In Double Vision: Horses have two blind spots—one directly in front of their nose and one right behind their tail! Because of this, you should never sneak up directly behind a horse without letting them hear or see you first.


5. Night-Vision Champions: Horses can see much better in the dark than humans can, which helped their wild ancestors stay safe from predators lurking around after the sun went down.


6. Different Breeds of All Sizes: There are hundreds of different horse breeds in the world! They come in all sorts of sizes, from tiny, adorable miniature horses that are only knee-high to massive, muscular Clydesdale draft horses that weigh as much as a small car.


7. Herbivore Snack Time: Horses are strict herbivores, meaning they don't eat meat. Instead, they spend a large part of their day happily munching on fresh grass, sweet hay, crunchy carrots, and crisp apples.