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Horse Facts
The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. Horses first evolved in the Americas, but went extinct there until reintroduced by Europeans. Horses have long been among the most economically important domesticated animals and are prominent in religion and mythology. The horse has played an important role as transportation, as a source of food, fuel, and clothing, and as a weapon. While isolated domestication may have occurred as early as 10,000 years ago, the first clear evidence dates to c. 5000 BC, and becomes widespread only after 2000 BC. Selective breeding since that time has produced numerous breeds. Some have been bred so that they can be ridden, usually with a saddle, while other breeds can be harnessed to pull objects like carriages or plows. In some societies, horses are a source of food, both meat and milk; in others it is taboo to consume them. In industrialized countries horses are predominantly kept for leisure and sporting pursuits, while they are still used as working animals in many other parts of the world.
Depending on breed, management, and environment, the domestic horse today has an average life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Some specific breeds of horse can live into their 40s, and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy," a horse that lived in the 19th century, believed to have lived to the age of 62.
Pregnancy lasts for approximately 11 months and usually results in one foal (male: colt, female: filly). Twins are rare. Horses, particularly colts, may sometimes be physically capable of reproduction at approximately 18 months but in practice are rarely allowed to breed until a minimum age of 3 years, especially females. Horses four years old are considered mature, though the age of achieving full growth also varies by breed and by individual genetics. Females 4 years and over are called mares and males are stallions. A castrated male is a gelding.
Depending on maturity, breed and the tasks expected, young horses are usually put under saddle and trained to be ridden between the ages of two and four. Although Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse race horses are put on the track at as young as two years old in some countries (notably the United States), horses specifically bred for sports such as show jumping and dressage are generally not entered into top-level competition until a minimum age of four years old, because their bones and muscles are not solidly developed, nor is their advanced training complete.
The size of horses varies by breed. The cutoff in height between what is considered a horse and a pony is always 14.2 hands or smaller hands (145 cm, 58 inches), though some smaller horse breeds are considered "horses" regardless of height. Light horses such as Arabians, Morgans, Quarter Horses, Paints and Thoroughbreds usually range in height from 14.0 to 17.0 hands and can weigh up to about 682 kg (1500 lb). Heavy or draft horses such as the Clydesdale, Belgian, Percheron, and Shire are usually at least 16.0 to 18.0 hands high and can weigh up to about 900 kg (2000 lb). Ponies are no taller than 14.2 hands, but can be much smaller, down to the Falabella or Shetland, which can be the size of a large dog. The miniature horse is as small as or smaller than either of the aforementioned ponies but are considered to be very small horses rather than ponies despite their size. The difference between a horse and pony is not just a height difference. They have different temperaments, different conformation, and ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall hair coat.
Horse Information Sites
Horse breeds database
Books on Horses
Movies with Horses
Horses Art Wallpaper
Horses, Creation, and Evolution
A series of horse fossils was for many years the most powerful
fossil evidence for evolution. These fossils were claimed to
show the stages through which a primitive horse with three and
four toes passed as its foot lost toes and became more simple.
Modern horses have but one toe on each foot. Had the horse lost
enough parts, it could eventually have become a one celled
animal, but evolutionists believe one celled animals became
horses.
As more fossils were found, they revealed that the apparently
neat evolutionary progression never existed. With the revelation
of this blooper the horse lost its place as the best evidence of
an evolutionary transition and Archaeopteryx took its place.
source:
http://www.creationism.org/heinze/EvolWhoppers.htm
Equest
For Truth This site helps refute the claim that the modern
horse evolved from a much smaller, non-horse ancestor. The site
then provides biblical information about horses, donkeys, and
mules.
Resurrecting a ‘prehistoric’ horse
Zenkey, zonkey, zebra donkey!
Horse non-sense
What’s happened to the horse?
Horse find defies evolution
The non-evolution of the horse
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