Children's literature about horses torrent. All interesting facts about horses

Since time immemorial, the horse has been an indispensable helper and friend for man. The horse was required everywhere and everywhere: on the battlefield and on peaceful arable land, hunting and traveling. She was dressed in armor, harnessed to royal carriages and wretched peasant droshky; for the horse "they gave half the kingdom" (sometimes in the literal sense of the word).

The legendary horse of Alexander the Great - Bucephalus - was buried with royal honors, and the tyrant-emperor Caligula even made his favorite a member of the Roman Senate. The horse was the breadwinner of the poor and a source of pride the mighty of the world this.

Until now, interest in the horse has not faded in the world, but at present, basically, "live horses have been replaced by steel cavalry." It was especially difficult for equestrian business in Russia recent years- many stud farms have closed or vegetate in poverty, breeding work is in a deplorable state; hope only for enthusiasts, whose number is slowly but still growing over the years. First of all, these are athletes, as well as those who care about their health, the health of their children, and, finally, simply lovers of beauty.

Communication with a horse, especially for the townspeople, is primarily associated with riding. Images of horsemen were found on Persian engravings dated around 3000 BC. e. The charm and beneficial power of riding was conveyed by M. Yu. Lermontov: “I sat on horseback and galloped into the steppe; I love to ride a hot horse. Whatever grief may lie on the heart, whatever anxiety may torment the thought, everything will dissipate in a minute; the soul will become light, the fatigue of the body will overcome the anxiety of the mind. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, in his invaluable work "Experiences", states: "I am reluctant to get off the horse, since I have sat on it, because I am healthy or sick, I feel best riding."

Horseback riding develops a good sense of balance in a person, improves coordination of movements. According to some scientists, equestrians do not suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis, because the microclimate of the stable, mobile work with horses, riding them help natural disinfection and ventilation of the lungs. In addition to a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal and vestibular apparatus, riding helps to strengthen the neuropsychic state, reduces the risk of hypertension and myocardial infarction.

Riding therapy (from the English ride - riding), or hippotherapy (from the Greek hippos - horse) relieves many ailments. Riding therapy improves the posture of the rider, strengthens the back muscles, straightens the spinal column, which means that many types of curvature of the spine are corrected. Therapeutic horseback riding improves the well-being of those suffering from the effects of cerebral palsy.

“I think that no supercars will replace horses, just as no technology will replace wildlife.

People will always need living beauty.” These words belong to the Australian writer Alan Marshall. For him, horses became a source of sincere joy and a reliable means of transportation after being transferred to early childhood poliomyelitis. The writer expressed his memories of this tragedy and his deep gratitude to the horse in the heartfelt story "I can jump over puddles."

Books about horses are always read with great interest, these noble animals look great on film and television screens. But neither the printed word nor film can replace communication with a live horse. A rare person, having once experienced the atmosphere of the stable, does not seek to return to horses, and almost every child at least once will ask his parents to “let him ride a horse.” Moreover, horseback riding is very diverse and exciting - this is work in the saddle, national games and competitions, testing horses on hippodromes, performances in the circus, runs, hikes, travel and, finally, work in various areas of the economy.

We invite the reader to dive into unique world horses, get acquainted with the physiology and psychology of these wonderful animals, as well as learn the basics of training and high school horse riding.

Features of the psychology of horses

Social behavior of horses

In the animal world, there are species that live separately, one at a time, or, at most, a short time, in pairs. Other animals are completely social and live in communities with a pronounced social structure. Solitarily and socially living species can be close relatives. So, for example, foxes that live alone and wolves that gather in packs belong to the canine family. Or large cats standing very close in zoological systematics - lions and tigers; and if tigers live alone, then lions, the only ones of the cat family, on the contrary, form packs consisting of large families and consanguineous young animals. Many animals form pairs during the breeding season or raising young.

Odd-toed ungulates refer to animals living in communities that exhibit very different social behaviors under certain conditions. This is partly due to different environmental conditions, and partly due to varying degrees of mental development. various kinds. It is believed that the ancestors of all equids 70 million years ago, when they had several fingers and lived in tropical forests, lived alone or in pairs and, in their behavior, in many ways resembled tapirs, the closest relatives of equids. Until now, with the exception of the breeding season, they live alone. If social life tapir is limited only to relations during the breeding season and between mother and cub, and is relatively poor, then those animals whose families stayed together longer or who formed groups, and in extreme cases, herds, had to form a way of living together that would ensure unhindered coexistence . This way of living together with many options for permitted and unpermitted behavior, scientists called social relations.

It is impossible to fully appreciate the naturally nuanced social behavior of all equids living in communities in the example of domestic horses, since their freedom of movement is limited, as well as in the example of wild horses and free-living ponies, in whose herds one stallion. In horses living in stables, it weakens due to lack of social contacts. The need of horses for certain social relations is so strong that they sometimes do not take into account the significant differences in the size of animals, their breed, age and sex, and in extreme cases even species differences.

Arabian purebred

If we consider the relationship between mother and cub, then two horses already form a community with recognizable social behavior at certain moments. This primarily includes skin care, when both partners bite each other's body parts that are difficult for them to reach. For hair care, animals make pauses during grazing and half-sleep, lasting from several minutes to half an hour.

Animals seeking contact go obliquely to each other and show their intentions with a special expression of the muzzle (“facial expressions during brushing”), which can be accepted by a partner with the same facial expressions or rejected. If the animals agree, they start at the mane and sides of the neck or the withers area, pulling the skin between the teeth, which creates the same effect as scratching with a comb. This game can take place with varying intensity, with especially thorough cleaning, you can hear the sound of chattering teeth, slightly muffled by the coat. Starting from the mane and withers, all the hair from the back to the tip of the tail is carefully combed, and the animals slowly move relative to each other until they are standing head at the base of the tail. Then they walk around each other and work on the other side. Usually the animals bite each other in pairs, and rarely a third can join them for a short time.

Akhal-Teke breed

If necessary, combing wool can be carried out even by a person. A person can, by accepting such an offer, reach the point that his compatriot will consider a horse. This desire, especially if it comes from strongly and rapidly biting horses, is technically feasible with great difficulty and is not always painless for a person. If you're trying to get a shy foal into the grooming game, then you should put on a thick old coat first, or you'll soon have to bring in a mare as a third partner. The foal must be brought into position so that after a few pinches on your jacket sleeve, he will gradually switch to his mother. The mare is the foal's primary partner in skincare at first, so it quickly learns facial expressions and social skincare techniques.

Friendship and enmity

Horses living a natural life do not involve all horses equally in social skin care. Friendship and enmity, sympathies and antipathies appear in every herd community, which, like in humans, can arise quite unexpectedly; choose friends as partners. At first, the only partner is the mother, then animals of the same species are selected, and in colts, mutual biting often turns into ranked games. In older animals, grooming partners often do not change for years; mares prefer their daughters.

During estrus, social contact during grooming serves as a prelude to mating and sexual behavior for stallions and mares.

Relatively rarely, mutual biting is observed in stallions and their foals, which looks very touching in such courageous animals.

Budenovsk breed

How spontaneous friendship or enmity between horses can arise is shown by two examples. They are described by Michael Schaeffer in his book The Language of Horses. One night, a foal was born in a free-living herd of Fjord horses in a pasture at about four o'clock in the morning. After the interest aroused by the appearance of a new member of the herd began to fade away, a filly about four months old remained near the happy young mother, despite all the threats, showing extreme interest in the newborn; and the mother mare had to put up with her presence. Although there were foals of the same age in the herd, the filly spent all the time near the newborn, only briefly leaving to suck milk from her mother, often grazing quite far away. Whether this was a manifestation of maternal instinct, like little girls playing with dolls, or simply the beginning of an ordinary childhood friendship, is unknown.

Even more unexpectedly, a feud arose among the horses, which lasted more than two years, between one "warm-blooded" and one trotting mare, Schaeffer writes. One day, three-year-old Aisha rushed for no reason at all to a trotting mare who had just arrived in the herd. When other animals tried to approach the newcomer, they were subjected to a brutal attack from Aisha, until she managed to ensure that the newcomer was left alone to stand aside. When the mare Clara some time later, and then the other members of the herd, already began to pay attention to the newcomer, and she could freely be among other horses, then many times a day one could observe how her sworn enemy Aisha suddenly suddenly realized that she must expel “alien”, began to look for the defeated animal in order to isolate it again with a furious attack. With the passage of time, the trotting mare, which initially stood at a rather low level in the hierarchy, rose significantly, but did not reach the level of the younger Aisha, who later never missed the opportunity to bite or hit her enemy.

Friendships among horses usually arise between "like-minded people", or, in other words, between animals with similar temperament, movement needs and character. So, four colts of the same age, described by Schaeffer, instantly formed two distinct play unions in twos. Moreover, the Arabian foal, more thoroughbred, instantly chose another "warm-blooded" foal as a comrade, and the stronger Arabian haflinger preferred a simpler, more comfortable company. This grouping persisted until the moment of sale, after which the foals left without a partner were forced to play together for the first time.

Vladimir heavyweight

Don breed

How important herd associations are to a good mental state of a horse is well known to experienced breeders. There is a similar trend in thoroughbred horse breeding, therefore, in herds of young horses, they try not to allow an odd number of animals. As experience shows, a foal left without a mate lags behind in development, although it is in the same conditions and does not need anything from the physical side. In this case, this is a vivid example of the lack of "spiritual" communication.

Hierarchy

Despite mutual skin care and the friendships that usually arise, even in a small forced community of two horses, a hierarchy is very quickly formed when one animal is subordinate to another. The subordinate always enters the stall or approaches the feeder last. If you do not know how relations actually develop, then you might think that life in nature is better, more beautiful and fairer than in human society with its foundations, privileged and unprivileged strata. There is no equality in nature, therefore our socio-political slogans about equality of opportunities for everyone and everyone are fundamentally unnatural, no matter how attractive ideas they are based on.

There is no equality in the animal community. On the contrary, all species living in communities have a well-defined hierarchy, which is strictly maintained. Such a clear order gives individuals at the lowest position in the hierarchy (and they are not at all depressed and unhappy) a sense of security, since their place in the herd is clearly defined, they know what they should and what they are allowed to do. Therefore, it is wrong and absolutely not conducive to maintaining peace in the horse community - to give preference to horses standing on the lower levels of the hierarchy. A person, based on his ideas, gives tidbits first of all to the youngest or smallest.

A grazing herd of horses remains a peaceful community as long as the hierarchical relationship between its members is clearly established. If you place a new animal there and leave everything as it is, the fiercest ranking struggle will immediately begin, which will stop only when all the animals take a certain place in the hierarchy. Each animal sorts things out with each until (and this happens quite quickly) the strongest one is revealed. This is not always the most powerful and physically strong animal, sometimes simply surpassing the rest in temperament and reactivity. And starting from it, a new hierarchy is formed. This sometimes rather fierce struggle can last for several days, after which the most ambitious and war horses form the "ruling elite". More weak-willed animals easily recognize the dominant mare and the animals following her in position in the hierarchy and determine the further rank order among themselves. Some time later, one can again observe a calmly grazing herd, where fights occur in exceptional cases.

Orlovsky trotter

In nature, it also happens that in the course of a rank struggle, several animals unfamiliar to each other are forced to stay together longer than for a short period of gathering, when other laws apply.

With a family organization of society, wild equids and domestic horses of the same breed or of the same type normally have a sex hierarchy - stallions are higher than geldings, then there are mares that dominate depending on size, weight and age. The older have precedence over the younger, a right on which the most zealous try to insist as long as possible. Michael Schaeffer writes that he almost felt sorry for certain horses when some old, hitherto high-ranking mare tries to get to the passage in the fence as quickly as possible in order to be the first to get to the pasture.

Although animals unfamiliar to each other establish a hierarchy, but if the opponents are relatively equal in strength, then frequent clashes are inevitable. In zoos, when, for example, a new zebra is placed in a neighboring enclosure, the animals sniff each other through the net, look around and get used to each other. So it is with horses: they are first placed in adjacent paddocks next to each other. It is always beneficial when neighbors like each other, and later the ranking struggle between them is only symbolic, although one animal gains an advantage. Unfortunately, sometimes the opposite is true. Horses initially cannot stand each other and spend all their time teaching each other a lesson.

The superiority of one horse over others is expressed in the fact that it can threaten others with impunity, takes the best place at the feeder and the first chooses a place to sleep. From her position, she jealously watches everyone, and any mistake of an animal standing in the hierarchy at a lower level, if a mere warning is not enough (menacingly pressed ears, sometimes set apart, and rotational movements tail) from the side of the superior animal, is punished by biting or even hitting the hind legs. Equality is out of the question. The respect for the superior horse is very great. When, for example, the dominant mare stops in the passage leading to the pasture, then other animals cannot pass her, even if they are driven from behind with a whip. With rash human behavior in such situations, it can easily lead to injuries: horses occupying a higher position in the hierarchy begin to kick during the stampede in order to maintain individual distance. Even during the daily pasture to pasture, strong individuals rush forward at a gallop. In a long-standing community, the older animals make up the top, the younger ones easily overtake them, but they risk performing such a maneuver only at a sufficiently large distance. Experienced breeders of racehorses are very willing to buy such yearlings, as they, due to their activity, strength and strong nervous system they will try to occupy as high a position as possible in their herd, and then such animals most often become good racehorses.

The social balance in an already established herd can be disturbed not only by the introduction of a new member of the community. new horse for one or two days he will be frightened and feel insecure in a strange environment, and then he will begin to fight for a corresponding previous position in the hierarchy or unconditionally take a lower position in the new community. Young horses from time to time forcefully achieve a change in the existing situation, first of all the covered and foaled mares, who, rising in the hierarchy, are nevertheless forced to take their place among the old animals.

The social position of the horse within the herd community is determined not only by the environment; it is influenced by mental characteristics that are inherited. It is interesting that the offspring of horses occupying a high position in the hierarchy subsequently also occupy a high position, and the offspring of horses standing at lower levels in the hierarchy, as a rule, remain subordinate. The qualities of character necessary for a mare to occupy a high position (activity and even aggressiveness) are inherited, as well as conformation features, and later appear in foals.

This also includes the fact, due to the environment (and this makes one think), that a suckling foal occupies almost the same position in the hierarchy as its mother. This means that each member of the herd respects the foals of high-ranking mares in much the same way as their mothers, so they can afford to be bold, because in case of danger they are under the protection of the mother's authority. Such cubs grow up with a much greater sense of confidence than foals of weaker mares, who find it much more difficult (not due to physical factors, but psychological reasons) to achieve a higher rank than after birth.

Not always in nature there is equality of opportunity. Natural foals are not separated from their mothers at the age of four to six months, as in most stud farms. Their close contact with the mother is interrupted only after the birth of a new offspring, and the rank-dependent behavior of the mare affects their own behavior for a rather long time.

If a person wants to safely communicate with horses, then he should take the place of the animal that stands highest in the hierarchy. Depending on the situation, he will have to perform the functions of a dominant mare or herd stallion. If the owner or breeder of horses is not able to really consistently fulfill the role of leader (and this is by no means carried out with the help of brute force!), Then he remains to rely completely on his animals and, with rare exceptions, be afraid, since a harmless instruction to a person from outside a horse high in the hierarchy can, under certain circumstances, have dire consequences.

The horse (lat. Equus) belongs to the class of mammals, the equine order, the equine family, and the genus of the horse. Male horses are called stallions, female horses are called mares. The word horse refers to either a stallion or a castrated stallion - a gelding.

Types of horses.

The horse is conditionally divided into several subspecies, among which zoologists distinguish wild horse, domestic horse, Przewalski's horse, kiang, kulan, wild donkey, domestic donkey, mountain zebra, desert zebra, Burchell's zebra. True, this classification is still being debated. Surprisingly, all these varieties have the ability to interbreed, giving quite viable and healthy offspring. The only problem is that some hybrids are not capable of childbearing in the future and remain infertile.

Horse - description and photos.

The horse is a slender, graceful animal, with highly developed muscles and a strong constitution. The body is rounded with long slender legs, on whose wrists with inside there are calloused keratinized cones-thickenings. On a graceful muscular neck is a large, elongated head. Despite the impressive size of the skull, the horse's brain is relatively small, which in no way reflects the high intelligence of the animal. The head is crowned with pointed, movable ears. On the muzzle there is a pair of large expressive eyes and rather wide large nostrils.

Horses have excellent hearing good vision and smell. The body of the horse is covered with hair, the length and stiffness of which varies depending on the location: the bangs, mane and tail have long and silky hair, while the body is protected by shorter and harsher hair. The color of the coat determines the color of the horse; with age, the intensity of the color may change.

Breeds of horses.

Horse breeds are very diverse, interesting and, at times, very unusual. According to the exterior and general constitution, the horse is divided into draft, riding, pack, trotting and racing. Horses are also classified according to various criteria:

• Zonal-climatic sign:
  • – forest
  • – mountain
  • - steppe

• Purpose:
  • riding
  • horse harness
  • light harness
  • heavy draft
  • horse-pack

• Origin:
  • cultural
  • transitional
  • aboriginal (local)

• Breeding methods:
  • factory
  • herd
  • cultural and herd

The beautiful Paso Fino, bred by Spanish settlers in the 16th century, has become a symbol of grace and a special, pronounced individuality in character.

A friendly and accommodating Pinto horse, distinguished by its surprisingly valuable piebald suit and often blue-eyed.

A quick-witted, slightly squat and hardy horse of the Yakut breed, which was bred by local natives.

Massive, powerful, but good-natured and calm Vladimir heavy truck.

The Norwegian Fjord horse, which is one of the oldest horse breeds and has retained all its purebred qualities.

And this is only a small part of the breeds known today, resulting from selection or bred by horse breeders with absolute preservation of thoroughbreds.

Where do wild horses live?

In the wild, the horse prefers mainly steppe zones as a habitat, lives in herds, most often small ones: usually there are several females and a leader stallion in the herd. They rarely leave their places, as they are considered sedentary animals, and move from place to place only in search of a new pasture. At this time, animals can overcome hundreds and even thousands of kilometers. All horses are herbivorous, distinguished by a cautious disposition and high speed of movement.

What do horses eat?

wild horses eat fresh grass, cereals and root vegetables. In the summer, they gain weight, as the animals constantly stay in the meadow, where there is a lot of food. IN winter period horses lose weight as nutrition becomes more scarce. In their natural habitat, animals have enough of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

domestic horses also be sure to take them out to the meadow and feed them with grass. It contains all the necessary beneficial nutrients. In winter, hay and foods such as oats, barley, bran, flaxseed, and beets are added to the diet. If the horse's diet contains insufficient nutrients, the animal will begin to lose weight, and appearance the horse will deteriorate.

Breeding horses.

The horse becomes sexually mature at the age of two years. Horses reproduce by inseminating the egg of a mare with the sperm of a male. The period when the horse is ready for conception is called "hunting". At this time, she admits a horse to her for mating. However, on farms, a horse can also be conceived through artificial insemination. This method relieves horse breeders and owners of private farms from many of the difficulties associated with transportation and selection of a suitable pair.

A horse's pregnancy lasts eleven months. Basically, a horse gives birth to one foal, less often - two. The baby is born clumsy, does not hold well on his long legs, but after three to five hours he is quite frisky and can move after his mother, who will feed her child with milk for 5-6 months. The life expectancy of horses is on average 25-35 years, although there are also centenarians among them. There are known facts when horses reached the age of 45 and even 60 years.

A falcon in the sky without wings is powerless, a man is weak on earth without a horse.

Eastern wisdom

“Through the ages with man” the horse has been walking for six millennia. It is not known where we would be today if the horse had not been with us all this time. After all, she served as a plowman, and a fighter, and a true friend, and on horseback a person overcame great distances and explored new lands.

Surely you did not even guess that the horse was once no larger than a dog. It turns out that a small, nondescript animal had to overcome a path of several tens of millions of years in order to appear before us in the guise of a stately polished horse. Numerous relatives accompanied him on his travels, such as a zebra, a kulan, a quagga, a donkey, an onager, and a dozen more second cousins. You can read about this in the section "From Eohippus to Equus caballus". Here you will also find amazing stories about horses, learn how this animal behaves in the wild, and the legend of the mustang Starthrob will remain in your memory for a long time.

At first glance, it seems that all horses are similar to one another. But one has only to compare the lean horses flying over the endless sands of the Arabian Desert with graceful horses of short stature and powerful heavy trucks, as it immediately becomes clear that there are a great many horse breeds. You will get acquainted with the most famous of them in the section "Diversity of breeds".

Nowadays, everyone, without exception, is fascinated by performances with the participation of these unique animals. You will sit in the front row at the races in England, attend the "equestrian ballet", be fascinated by the sight of a horse jumping over two-meter barriers ... you will take your breath away when a rider rushes past at full gallop in the "Equestrian Sports and Much More" section.

Maybe you want to try yourself as a rider, find out what a shaking trot, a frisky gallop and sudden candles are? Then open the chapter "The basics of riding" and, after reading it, feel free to go to the nearest equestrian club.

Now let's start our journey through the beautiful, almost fabulous world of horses. We hope that once you enter this enchanting world, you will return to it again and again!

From Eohippus before Equus caballus

Walk into the past

If you were walking through the broad-leaved forests of North America 60 million years ago, you would certainly meet a small hairy animal, the shape of a body and the size of a young boar. Only he did not have fangs, and his teeth were small with low crowns, adapted for eating succulent vegetation. This strange creature had four toes on its front legs, and three on its hind legs; the structure of the paws resembled that of a dog. Black stripes or spots on red wool helped him to disguise himself in the shade of trees in order to avoid a deadly encounter with predators. And hardly anyone would have believed then that this nondescript forest animal would become the forefather of slender English horses, graceful Arabs and mighty percherons!

Indeed, the creature from which the domestic horse originated (Equus caballus) , had little in common with their current descendants.

Eogippus remains (Eohippus) from which the evolutionary series of horses begins, were first found in the USA in 1867. It is believed that in the forests of Europe at the same time lived its closest relative - hyracotherium.

Looking ahead, it is worth saying that during the Ice Age, when Eohippus and his descendants, having crossed the isthmus, which was on the site of the Bering Strait and connected the above continents, settled across Eurasia, the two lines merged. Moreover, the horses that remained in America, for unknown reasons, died out about 10 thousand years ago. Again, horses got there only in the 16th century, along with the Spanish conquerors.

But back to the little Eohippus. As already mentioned, the front legs of this “horse” were four-toed, and the hind legs were three-toed. The next ancestor of horses, mesogippus , was completely three-toed and slightly larger. Three-toed limbs were perfect for swampy terrain, they helped the animal not to get bogged down in a swampy bog, but limited its speed capabilities. However, speed was not very important for survival in the dense forests that dominated the earth 20 million years ago.

Due to climate change, dense forest vegetation gradually gave way to steppes and savannahs. The only salvation of the "ancient horse" was a swift flight, which developed long legs and middle fingers. Along with the habitat, the chewing apparatus changed: now the animal had to eat rough food.

It is at this stage that numerous lateral dead-end branches appear in the horse family, which somewhat confuse its history. Some of them lasted quite a long time. For example, three-toed hipparions became extinct only 15 thousand years ago. Alas, they could not compete with pliogippus, the first one-toed descendant of eogippus. His side fingers completely atrophied, and the middle ones, having increased in size, became keratinized and gradually turned into hooves; reliance on the fingers, and not on the foot, made it possible to move quickly; body proportions already resembled modern horses. Eukus - the founder of the entire subsequent horse genus - finally replaced pliogippus 1.5 million years ago.

Evolutionary series of horses

It was at this time that the immediate ancestors of the Przewalski's horse and the tarpan separated. Already closer to the beginning of the domestication of the horse, about 6 thousand years ago, there were four main types of horses: two - ponies and two - horses. Every modern horse and pony, by all indications, is descended from one of these types, descended from the eucus under the influence of various climatic conditions. (We note right away that these four types are not those that will be discussed in the section "Variety of horses.")

The first type of pony lived in the northwest of Europe and resembled the modern Exmoor pony. This type gave rise to northern pony breeds. The second type, with a more powerful body and a strong head, looked like Przewalski's horse and lived in the north of Eurasia. According to some scientists, heavy trucks originated from him.

Akhal-Teke horses are the most likely descendants of the first type of horses. These horses had thin bones and were adapted to life in a hot climate. The second equine type, found in Western Asia, is the smallest but most graceful. Most likely, the most popular breed in the world, the Arabian, originated from him.

The latter type was the forerunner Caspian pony . For a long time it was believed that these ponies disappeared without a trace 3 thousand years ago. But in 1965, in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, a unique discovery was made: several geologists stumbled upon a small herd of miniature horses. A scrupulous study of these animals gave incredible results - it turned out that these are Caspian ponies, which, due to being cut off from the rest of the world, have changed little over such a long period. It still remains a mystery how this breed was able to survive and go unnoticed by man for so many years. Now a whole program has been developed to increase the number of this most ancient breed after the Przewalski horse.

If you have already had experience of interacting with any scientific reference manual in this area, rate this book and leave a review. Add books that deserve to be on this list. Together, thanks to user ratings and reviews, we will create an adequate and useful rating of encyclopedias about horses.

Jane Holderness-Roddam

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  The book offered to the reader by the French officer, specialist in the field of horse breeding Joseph Lagondi is practical guide for horse owners. The main attention of the author is focused on breeding and keeping thoroughbred racehorses. The main qualities of a thoroughbred horse for success at the races are described, dressage and training of young horses are considered. Recommendations are given on the arrangement of stables for racehorses. In addition, the theoretical foundations for breeding thoroughbred horses are presented. Written over a hundred years ago (the first Russian edition was published in 1885), the book will still be useful to experts in the field of horse breeding and horse breeding, jockeys, equestrian coaches, as well as all interested readers.... Further

Alexey Gerasimov



Here is another book in the series Helpful Hints farmer”, addressed to those who are interested in breeding horses. It discusses issues related to their reproduction and maintenance, gives advice on what to look for when buying an animal. in detail the main diseases and injuries of horses, methods of their treatment and first aid are considered. Information concerning the processing of milk, meat and skin of these animals is given.... Further

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  The book offered to the reader is a detailed guide to the theory of riding, the result of 25 years of study by its author. In five sections of the book, the basic rules of riding and dressage of horses are simply and clearly stated. In the first section horse management techniques are considered: stopping, turning, reining in, lateral movements, riding in various gaits; it describes jumping over barriers and ditches, swimming with a horse, the rules for owning weapons on horseback. The second section provides a guide to dressage for young horses, divided into daily lessons and designed for nine months. The third section sets out the rules for bridling a horse, describes the various devices used for this. The fourth section contains the theory of forging; the anatomy of the horse's hoof and possible diseases of the hooves are considered, individual forging techniques are described, the timing of forging renewal, it is indicated what harm can be caused by improper forging. Finally, the fifth section of the book contains recommendations for correcting stubborn and "spoiled" horses. Written a century and a half ago (the first edition was published in 1859), the book will still be useful today for horseback riding trainers, horse trainers, professional athletes, jockeys and anyone who wants to learn how to stay in the saddle well.... Further

Marina Golubeva



This handbook contains a practical guide to horse breeding. You will also learn how to properly care for and feed horses, how to physiological features animal depends on its breeding value, you will learn about the methods of breeding horses and about the technique the safety of working with animals, you will understand the intricacies of building stables and maintaining premises in accordance with fire safety standards and SanPina. The book will also help you figure out how to successfully grow your business: it contains valuable recommendations that have stood the test of time!... Further

Katherine Lasky



The Escape novel opens new series works of the famous American writer Katherine Lasky, popular in Russia thanks to a series of books about the adventures of owls ("Night Watchers"), wolves ("Wolves from the Land of Far Far Away"), mermaids ("Daughters of the Sea"). ... Further

The new series tells about the appearance in the New World, on the American continent, of the first horses that sailed from Europe, about their life in the new world. "Escape" is the first in a series of novels about the adventures of a pretty pinto named Estrella, about her friends and enemies, victories and defeats.

Katherine Lasky



The novel "Star Rising" is the second in a series of works by the famous American writer Catherine Lasky, popular in Russia thanks to books about the adventures of owls ("Night Watchers"), wolves ("Wolves from the Land of Far Far Away"), mermaids ("Daughters of the Sea") . ... Further

The Horses of Dawn series tells about the appearance in the New World, on the American continent, of the first horses that sailed from Europe, about their life in the new world. The novel "Star Rising" continues the story of the adventures of a cute piebald horse named Estrella, about her new friends, old enemies, and how important real friendship and loyalty are in life.

For average school age. ... Further

Dmitry Lekuh



“It’s hard not to call Lekuh a “Russian Dougie Brimson” - but the label is inaccurate: Brimson’s “cashles” are eccentrics channeling their bad energy through violence. For Lekuh’s Russians, it’s the other way around: to carry out violence is a way to accumulate energy” Poster "The true heroes of the book - football fans. And these are not outcasts from the outskirts, but respectable citizens over thirty, for whom "football fever" is an opportunity to flourish the gray office everyday life" Kommersant "I must admit, the author skillfully showed the path from fan unconsciousness to the incredibly rich "spiritual life" of a fan of the early 2000s -x "Russian magazine" Lekuh is a wonderful storyteller. His stories are short, very tough and "stylish" Rossiyskaya Gazeta... Further

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  Story Arabian horse has been going on for several hundred centuries. And all this time, the breed remains popular and in great demand not only among professional horse breeders, but also among horse enthusiasts. The book you are holding in your hands tells not only about these magnificent animals, but also about the conditions of their keeping, the criteria for choosing training and maintenance personnel, the rules of feeding, sports use and much more. The book will be interesting and useful to specialists, as well as to all horse lovers.... Further

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  English Thoroughbreds are deservedly considered one of the most frisky horses in the world. It is difficult to find a racetrack or dressage ground where they would not perform, winning prizes and awards. The book you hold in your hands not only tells about these magnificent animals, but also about their conditions of keeping, selection criteria for training and service personnel, feeding rules, sports use and much more. The book will be interesting and useful to specialists, as well as to all horse lovers.... Further

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  Unusual horses are the "main characters" of the new collection of fairy tales by the Ural children's writer Svetlana Lavrova. Fairy tales for younger schoolchildren and the story "Horses fly for a minute and a half" for older children have gathered under one cover this time. noble the animal, which in 2014 will play the role of a symbol of the year, appears in the most unexpected images: the constellation Pegasus, and an abstract "horsepower", and figures from a children's designer, and even an ancient pagan goddess. The reader will meet in the book, of course, real horses. A new journey into the fantastic world of Svetlana Lavrova's heroes promises, as always, exciting adventures, a little bit of absurdity and a lot of humor. The book is recommended for family reading.... Further

Agniya Barto



Cheerful, provocative and funny poems by Agnia Barto, included in this collection, will not leave young readers without smiles. The artist also tried to match the poet. Colorful illustrations will additionally draw the attention of the baby to this book. ... Further

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If you ask different people “Who is a horse?”, Everyone will unconditionally say that this is a large animal on high legs with hooves. Few will add that horses run fast, jump well, love oats and carrots. And on this, perhaps, knowledge about one of the most beautiful and graceful animals will be exhausted. However, the world of horses is fraught with many fascinating and unusual facts that will be of interest to both adults and children. We offer you to learn all the most interesting about horses right now.

Horses are one of the most beautiful and graceful animals, whose world is fraught with many amazing facts.

Everyone knows about horses as a herbivore farm animal, but unlike cows and goats, the whole physiology and body structure of horses is movement-oriented. Different gaits, jumps, tricks are possible thanks to a very flexible skeleton, which consists of 205 bones and over 700 muscles. It is surprising that horses do not have a collarbone, but it is due to this that good reach of the front legs is achieved for fast run and high jump.

Here's another Interesting Facts about horses you didn't know:

• the lungs of horses are capable of pumping up to 115,000 liters of air per day;
• horse breathing rate calm state about 16 breaths per minute, while when running it increases to 114-120 breaths;
• horses cannot breathe through their mouths, so if their nose is closed, they will suffocate;
• Of all domestic animals, horses have the largest hearts. His average weight- 4-4.5 kg, for racing it reaches 8 kg;
• no pet sweats as much as a horse. Thin skin, strewn with large sweat glands, removes up to 85% of all heat.

Mare and stallion

By the size and dimensions of the body, it is easy to distinguish a stallion from a mare, regardless of their breed.

Sexual dimorphism in horses is well developed, so you can easily figure out where the stallion and the mare are. Visually, a stallion from a mare, regardless of breed, is distinguished by the size and dimensions of the body. Stallions are always larger and more massive, have higher height and chest girth. The character will also differ: stallions are bolder, more flexible and quickly excitable.

The most reliable and unmistakable method of distinguishing horses by sex is to examine the genitals. In a stallion, a prepuce (the location of the genital organ and urethra) is visible on the back of the belly, the testes are located between the hind legs, and the anus is under the tail. Mares have both an anus and a genital gap (the entrance to the vagina) under the tail, and there are two mammary glands between the hind legs.

The strongest bones and hair

For horses, constant movement is vital, so their bones are able to withstand very high loads. They are comparable in strength to granite. However, a broken bone can cost a horse its life. Even at home and with good care, the bones of horses grow together very slowly.

Horses are also leading in terms of hair strength. In ancient times, the hair of a horse's mane and tail was used to make bowstrings and strong ropes. Today, they serve as material for hard brushes, brushes, fishing lines, and can even be used as a violin bow.

broad outlook

Of all mammals, horses have the most voluminous eyes, for example, 9 times larger than those of humans. Because of this, they see almost 360 degrees around them. Nature made sure that during grazing with their heads down, animals could notice the approaching predator in time. However, everything is not so simple here either, since there are some “blind” zones. They are located on both sides immediately behind the tail of the animal, as well as directly in front of the nose. That is why experienced horse breeders teach not to approach the horses: not seeing what is happening, the animal can get scared and hit a possible enemy.

Thanks to their voluminous eyes, horses see almost 360 degrees around them.

Horses have color vision, but they do not see blue and red hues.

Ear for music

The ears of horses are very mobile and are able to pick up sounds from different sides for several kilometers. In addition, horses have an ear for music, which is easily demonstrated by participants in horse shows, as well as dressage athletes. Graceful horses change gaits to the music, perform various movements, as if dancing. Studies show that horses like calm and melodic music, while heavy and too loud music causes them anxiety.

Hoof shoes

The hoof is a very important part of the horse's body. It takes on the entire weight of the animal and experiences tremendous striking force during movement. Therefore, hooves require regular inspection and careful care. For their greater safety and to reduce the impact of a hard surface in ancient times, people came up with protective "shoes". At first they were bast shoes woven from dry grass, then they were transformed into the look of modern horseshoes. They are different in size and material, but always represent a strong lining on the lower layer of the hoof.

Horse smile

Many have seen how horses raise their heads up and lift their upper lip. They say that in this way the horses smile. Of course, such an unusual sight makes us smile, but in fact this phenomenon has a scientific explanation and is called Flehmen's syndrome. It is shown not only by horses, but also by other domestic animals, for example, goats. Thus, the animals try to catch the smell and better “sniff out” the aroma.

With their "smile", called Flehmen's syndrome, horses try to catch the smell.

Praise to memory and smell

Many legends and epics tell how horses find their way home, make their way in the dark in dangerous areas without any problems, navigate the terrain even with their eyes closed. All this is possible thanks to a very strong sense of smell and excellent memory of horses. A special role in the sense of smell is played by hooves and special hairs on the muzzle - vibrissae.

Scientists confirm that in the aggregate of all receptors and senses, the capabilities of horses cannot be compared with any other animal. Horses perfectly remember sounds, situations, numbers, events, they can build a causal relationship between them and even count.

Horses sleep standing up

In nature, horses have a lot of predatory enemies, from which the horses are saved by a swift run. Therefore, horses can afford to sleep, as they say, lying “without hind legs”, extremely rarely. They spend most of the day on their feet and sleep in the same way. The special structure of the limbs allows them to block knee joints thereby reducing the load on the legs. In this "standing" position, the horses doze for several hours a day.

However, this does not mean that horses do not sleep lying down. Feeling safe and in need of proper rest, the animals lie on their side, plunging into a sound sleep. In this position, they even see dreams.

Horse professions

Horses are used in many areas of human activity. But if earlier these animals mainly served as a transport or draft force, today a horse is a friend, a policeman, an artist, an athlete and even a doctor.

Two in one - a great horse-athlete in the police service.

• Police Horse. The first mounted police arose in 1806 in London. The advantage of a horse as a transport is that it allows you to maintain law and order in places where a car cannot pass. For example, in a park, in a residential area. On a horse, you can easily catch up with a person and overcome obstacles. Today, mounted police units exist in many countries around the world. Particularly famous are the "red coats" of Canada, the horsemen of the law and order of Spain and the United States.
• Horse artist. Many movie scenes cannot be imagined without the participation of horses. For this, specially trained animals are used that can safely perform various tricks. Even such a concept as a circus arose precisely from horse training and acrobatics. The diameter of the arena is 13 meters, specially designed taking into account the characteristics of the horses.
• Horse-athlete. Equestrian sports are on the list Olympic Games and is the most important industry for the use of horses throughout the world.
• Horse doctor. The world has long known that a horse has an extraordinary effect on a person, giving positive emotions and health. Even Hippocrates in his writings recommended spending more time in the stable. And people who work with horses are half as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease. Horse riding in many countries is a mandatory course of therapy for children with cerebral palsy. In this case, horses and children spend up to 8 hours a week together.

Conclusion

None of the animals is not immortalized in all genres of art like a horse. Painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, theater and cinema - everywhere there is information about horses. However, this is not enough to know the whole world of an amazing animal. Other interesting facts about horses and features of their life, read on our website.