8 Facts About Horses That’ll Surprise You

Are you interested in learning about horses or horseback riding? Are you thinking about buying a horse yourself one day?

If the answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place. Horses are fascinating creatures, and there are lots of mind-boggling facts that you may not know about them.

Keep reading, and we’ll tell you 8 facts about horses that you probably don’t already know.

1. Horses Can See a Full 360 Degrees

Horses’ eyes are on the sides of their heads, which means that they can see almost a full 360 degrees. Horses can also turn their heads almost 180 degrees, which helps.

This range of vision makes horses great at spotting predators.

2. Horses Can Sleep Standing Up

This is one of the most common horse facts that you might have heard before. However, did you know that horses can sleep both standing up and lying down?

Horses often lie down to sleep when they are especially tired from a long day’s work.

3. Horses Can Travel as Fast as Cars

Okay, so they couldn’t quite make it onto the highway. However, the fastest recorded speed for a racehorse is about 45 miles per hour.

The average horse’s gallop clocks in at around 30 miles per hour.

4. Horses Are Very Social Creatures

Horses enjoy each other’s company and will get lonely if they are kept alone. Keeping some buddies around is crucial to your horse’s health.

Horses will also mourn if one of their stablemates passes away.

5. Horses Are a Historical Sign of Wealth

Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years. Riding a horse has long been a sign of high social status and wealth.

That’s why, to this day, there are special guidelines for men’s and women’s equestrian clothing.

6. Horses Can Get Sunburn

Some types of horses can actually get sunburned. Usually, this will only happen to horses that have pink skin, such as shetland ponies.

If you have a horse with pink skin, it is important to keep an eye on how long it spends in the sun.

7. Horses Have the Biggest Eyes Around

Horses have the biggest eyes of any land-dwelling mammal. Despite horse’s medium-large stature, their eyes are even bigger than those of an elephant or a moose.

Between their big eyes and their excellent range of vision, horses have some of the best eyesight around.

8. Newborn Horses Can Run

Most breeds of horses can run almost immediately after birth. This is due to the fact that they grow up very quickly and are bred to be great runners.

If you see your newborn horse stumbling around, however, make sure it doesn’t get hurt.

Learn More Fun Facts About Horses

If you enjoyed these facts about horses, consider digging in and learning more about these magnificent animals. There is an abundance of information about horses out there.

To take up horseback riding, consider starting with a class for beginners.

For more fun facts, check out our other blog posts!