Contents
Horse Basics
How to Choose a Stable or Equine Riding Center
Equine Disciplines
Horse Riding Lessons
Horse Colors and Markings
Horse Breeds
The Horse’s Body
General Horse Care
Horse Healthcare
Horse Hoof Care
Horse Nutrition and Feeding
Horse Tack (Equipment)
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- How to choose the right stable, instructor, lessons, and riding style for you
- What to expect from your first lesson and what equipment you’ll need
- The basics of horse breeds, anatomy, grooming, healthcare, and nutrition
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Horse Basics
The horse is a powerful animal, and riding one can be an immensely gratifying experience. Mastering skills that allow you to manage a horse is a long-term process. But regardless of your skill level, knowing the basics about horses and horsemanship will make the experience a safer one for you, other riders, and the horse.
Origins of the Horse
The modern-day horse, known by the Latin name Equus caballus, is much larger than its predecessors. It evolved into its present-day form in three stages.
Eohippus
About 58 million years ago, the first horselike animal, Eohippus (also known as Hyracotherium), appeared. Doglike in appearance, it stood only 12" high at the withers (highest point of the shoulders) and had four toes on the forefeet and three on its hind feet. Eohippus lived in forested, swampy environments in North America.
Mesohippus
Mesohippus, which first appeared during the Oligocene Epoch (34–24 million years ago), stood 24" high at the withers and had three toes on all four feet, the third toe being the largest and most hooflike. Its evenly shaped teeth were adapted for grazing in its new, grassy environment.
Equus
Equus caballus, the modern-day horse, has only one toe on each foot. For unknown reasons, Equus caballus died out in North America. Before complete extinction, though, some of the Equus population crossed the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia and were later domesticated and refined in Europe and Asia. Spaniards returned the Equus caballus to North America on ships in the 16th century.
Basic Horse Terminology
Horses are categorized by age and sex as follows:
- Foal: A male or female horse less than 1 year old
- Yearling: A male or female horse 1–2 years old
- Colt: A male horse less than 4 years old
- Filly: A female horse less than 4 years old
- Stallion: A fertile, adult male horse
- Gelding: A castrated male horse, typically an adult
- Mare: An adult female horse
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