LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Horses
built 227 days ago
Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla, a relatively ancient group of browsing and grazing animals that first arose less than 10 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct. In the past, this order contained twelve families, but only three families— Equidae (the horse and related species), the tapir and the rhinoceros—have survived to the present day. The earliest equids known as Hyracotherium developed approximately 54 million years ago, during the Eocene period. One of the first true horse species, it had 4 toes on each front foot, and 3 toes on each back foot. the extra toe on the front feet soon disappeared, and by the Pleistocene era, as the horse adapted to a drier, prairie environment, the 2nd and 4th toes disappeared on all feet, and horses became bigger. These side toes first shrunk in size until they have vanished in modern horses.
Source:
Horses are highly social and intelligent herd animals. Like many other herd animals, their society is derived, or has evolved from survival instincts. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant mare. The center of the herd is the safest because it is further away from predators than any other part. The edge of the herd is where the lowest on the social order are found. Punishment is delivered in the form of expulsion from the herd temporarily or even permanently.
Source:
Horses and humans have an ancient relationship. Asian nomads probably domesticated the first horses some 4,000 years ago, and the animals remained essential to many human societies until the advent of the engine. Horses still hold a place of honor in many cultures, often linked to heroic exploits in war.
Source:
Horses as a species are believed by scientists to have first evolved in what is now North America. Horse evolution was characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from five per foot, to three per foot, to only one toe per foot (late Miocene 5.3 million years ago); essentially, the animal was standing on tiptoe. One of the first true horse species was the tiny Hyracotherium... known as Eohippus, "the dawn horse", which had 4 toes on each front foot (missing the thumb) and 3 toes on each back foot (missing toes 1 and 5). Over about five million years, this early equid evolved into the Orohippus. The 5th fingers vanished, and new grinding teeth evolved. This was significant in that it signalled a transition to improved browsing of tougher plant material, allowing grazing of not just leafy plants but also tougher plains grasses.
Source:
Horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight instinct. Their first response to threat is to startle and usually flee, although they are known to stand their ground and defend themselves or their offspring in cases where flight is not possible, or when their young are threatened. They ... tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain large draft horses. However, most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors.[19]
Source:
Horses have been used, ridden, treasured and coddled for hundreds of years. There were horses around when the ancient Greeks and Trojans went to war. The most important warriors often were depicted riding a horse into battle while the less important people used their own feet to do their duty. Horses were around when the Pilgrims landed in North America, and they are still useful animals today. Some people are viewed riding a horse just for pleasure. Some of these people are riding a horse that they own while others spend time on horses that they have rented or borrowed from somebody else.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Horses