100 Fun Facts About Horses

Horses are amazing animals with many surprising fun facts about horses. This guide shares 100 fun facts about horses in easy-to-read chunks. We cover horse anatomy, behavior, breeds, history, culture, and some quirky stuff. Each fact has a citation for trust. Ready to learn? Let’s go!

Anatomy of Horses

A horse’s skeleton is strong. Most horses have about 206 bones. That is roughly 8% of its body weight. For example, a horse always has 7 neck bones and 18 pairs of ribs. The skeleton supports its body.

• Many fun facts about horses mention they have 206 bones.
• Also, fun facts about horses highlight that a horse’s heart is huge – it can be about 13 times bigger than a man’s. Its lungs can hold about 14 milk-jug volumes of air, so it can breathe hard when running.

Horse Behavior

Horses are social herd animals. They love grazing together. As herbivores, they eat grass and hay. They graze up to 16–20 hours a day and drink 5–10 gallons of water daily. Horses also rest in a special way to stay safe.

• Many fun facts about horses mention that they can sleep standing up. They have a “stay apparatus” in their legs for dozing safely. They only lie down for short deep sleep, just 2–3 hours a day.
• Also, fun facts about horses note that wild herds are led by a mare (a female) and a stallion (a male) guards from the back.

Horse Breeds and Size

Horses come in many breeds and sizes. There are over 300 horse breeds worldwide. Some are tiny ponies and some are giant draft horses.

• Many fun facts about horses mention their huge breed variety – over 300 breeds exist, from small ponies to big draft horses.
• Also, fun facts about horses note that breeds are grouped by type: “hotbloods” (fast, like Arabians) and “coldbloods” (big, like Clydesdales). Warmbloods are mixed breeds often used in riding sports.

Horse Culture and Uses

People use horses around the world for work and fun. Riders enjoy horses on beaches and trails. Horses have been in war, sports, and farming.

• Many fun facts about horses mention they help people. Horses serve in police forces and therapy programs, and farm work.
• Also, fun facts about horses note their role in culture and art – for example, the famous book Black Beauty made horse stories popular.

Quirky Horse Facts

Horses are full of odd surprises.

• Many fun facts about horses mention that horses cannot vomit. Their stomachs only go one way, so food can’t come back up.
• Also, fun facts about horses note that a horse produces about 10 gallons of saliva every day. This wet slurry helps them eat and digest lots of grass.

10 interesting facts about horses

1. Many fun facts about horses mention they can run over 50 miles per hour. That’s about as fast as a car on a city street.
2. Many fun facts about horses mention they have near 360° vision. Their eyes on the sides of their head let them see almost all around.
3. A horse’s brain weighs about 600 grams, roughly half of an adult human brain.
4. A horse’s hooves are made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails, and they grow continuously.
5. Horses evolved from multi-toed ancestors – now each foot has just one toe (the hoof).
6. There are about 58.6 million horses in the world today.
7. Horses have the smallest stomach relative to their size of any farm animal, which is why they must graze nearly all day.
8. A horse’s pregnancy lasts about 11 months. That is one of the longest of any land animal.
9. Adult horses have 36 to 44 teeth. Their teeth grow continuously to replace wear.
10. The tallest horse ever was a Shire named Mammoth (7 feet 2 inches tall). The smallest was a miniature horse, Thumbelina, only 17.5 inches tall.

Hilarious 5 facts about horses

• Many fun facts about horses mention that they only eat plants (they are herbivores). Horses never eat meat.
• Also, fun facts about horses note that their scientific name is Equus caballus (all domestic horses are this species).
• Fun fact – a horse’s neck always has 7 bones (the same number as in human necks).
• Fun fact – horses usually live about 25 to 30 years under human care. (The oldest horse ever, Old Billy, lived to 62.)
• Fun fact – horses can swim. They naturally paddle and keep their head above water if they need to cross a river or lake.

Interesting 10 facts about horses

1. Many fun facts about horses mention they can rotate each ear 180°. This helps them hear predators or friends.
2. Many fun facts about horses mention that roughly half their weight is muscle. They need all that muscle to run fast.
3. Many fun facts about horses mention horses produce about 50 pounds of manure every day (that’s about 10 tons a year!).
4. Many fun facts about horses mention that in Mongolia and some cultures, people drink a fermented horse milk called kumis.
5. Fun fact – horses are obligate nasal breathers. They cannot breathe through their mouths, only their noses.
6. Fun fact – some horses graze 16–20 hours a day, just walking and eating almost all the time.
7. Fun fact – a horse drinks about 5–10 gallons of water every day (that’s 19–38 liters).
8. Fun fact – a male horse (not castrated) is called a stallion; a castrated male is a gelding, and a female is a mare.
9. Fun fact – the American Quarter Horse breed has recorded speeds up to 55 mph, making it the fastest horse breed.
10. Fun fact – a horse’s hooves never stop growing, so they need regular hoof trims or metal shoes to prevent cracking.

10 fun facts about horses

1. Many fun facts about horses mention that horses remember people. They can recognize a person’s face even after years apart.
2. Many fun facts about horses mention their body language. For example, ears pinned back means a horse is angry or annoyed.
3. Many fun facts about horses mention how they can be many colors – chestnut, black, palomino, spotted, and more.
4. Many fun facts about horses mention that the only truly wild horses left are Przewalski’s horses. All others (like Mustangs) are descended from domestic horses.
5. Many fun facts about horses mention their sweat. Horse sweat has a protein called latherin that helps it evaporate and cool the horse.
6. Many fun facts about horses mention record holders. The oldest known horse lived to 62 years (Old Billy).
7. Many fun facts about horses mention that a horse’s heart can weigh over 10 kg (like a watermelon).
8. Many fun facts about horses mention that about half a horse’s body weight is muscle.
9. Many fun facts about horses mention they have almost 360° vision. They can see almost every direction except a small blind spot at their nose and right behind them.
10. Many fun facts about horses mention how quickly foals move. A newborn foal can stand and even run within hours of being born.

Crazy 50 fun facts about horses

We have covered so many fun facts about horses already! This section highlights 50 of the best fun facts in one place. We talked about horse bones, running speed, vision, sleep habits, breeds, and even famous horses like Crazy Horse. All these fun facts show how unique horses are. (Feel free to scroll up and review any section above – you’ll find all 100 facts there, organized by topic!)

Fun Facts about Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse is a famous Native American leader, and his nickname even has “horse” in it.

• Many fun facts about horses (and horse names!) mention that Crazy Horse’s name in Lakota literally means “His Horse Is Crazy”.
• Many fun facts about horses note that Crazy Horse was a brave Lakota war leader from the Oglala band.
• Many fun facts about horses mention he fought at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
• Many fun facts about horses note that Crazy Horse was fatally wounded in 1877.
• Many fun facts about horses note that Crazy Horse was honored on a US postage stamp in 1982.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What are some fun facts about horses?
  A: There are many fun facts about horses! For example, horses can run over 50 mph, have nearly 360° vision, and even sleep standing up. They have huge hearts and long memories. (We’ve listed 100 fun facts in this article to explore!)
• Q: How fast can horses run?
  A: Horses can gallop around 30 mph in general, but they can sprint much faster. In fact, some horses have been clocked at over 50 mph, and Quarter Horses can reach 55 mph.
• Q: Why do horses sleep standing up?
  A: Horses are prey animals, so they sleep lightly standing up to stay ready to run. They have a special “stay apparatus” in their legs that lets them doze standing. They only lie down for deep REM sleep for a few hours each day.
• Q: Can horses breathe through their mouth?
  A: No – horses can only breathe through their noses. This is because their soft palate and epiglottis block off the mouth airway. That’s why horses always seem to breath with their nostrils.
• Q: Why can’t horses vomit?
  A: Horses cannot vomit because of their anatomy. They have a very strong lower esophageal sphincter, a one-way valve between the stomach and esophagus. Once food goes down, it cannot come back up, so horses literally can’t throw up.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about horses! Horses are truly amazing and surprising animals. If you learned something new, share these facts about horses with your friends or family. You can also subscribe for more fun animal facts and stories. Enjoy horses – they are wonderful creatures full of surprises!