Horse Populations
Horses belong to the Equidae taxonomic family. The majority of horses are separated into two types. The first is Equus caballus, and it represents the domestic type of horse. The second is called Equus ferus, and it is used for wild horses, which are extremely rare in the modern era with only the Przewalski horse breed being considered truly representative of this type. It is important to note that even when Equus caballus becomes feral, they are still not considered Equus ferus. Other types include donkeys and zebras. The scientific name for donkeys and zebras is Equus asinus. It is estimated that there are 58 million horses present on the planet Earth, 43 million donkeys and 10 million mules. The majority of horses are located in the United States, China, Mexico, and Ethiopia. Unfortunately, some species, such as mountain zebras and African donkeys are currently endangered and may go extinct in the upcoming decades. Their unique physiology will likely disappear with them.
Horse Evolution
The evolution of horses occurred over a period of 55 million years. By analyzing bones and DNA of the ancient horses, we are able to get an idea about their origins. Eohippus is considered the first horse, but its skeleton is much smaller than the modern horse, with the most significant differences being present in the construction of its lower legs, toes, and teeth. Throughout the millennia, the four toes that Eohippus had progressively moved up the leg, with the modern horse only using a hoof to stabilize itself. The changes in the teeth structure showcase that originally horses were a browser species, without an ability to be a heavy grazer. However, their teeth changed with time to accommodate different types of diet until the grinding teeth of the modern horse appeared. Horses migrated to the Americas in the past but went extinct around 10,000 years ago under unknown circumstances. They were not present in this part of the world until the Spanish reintroduced them in the 1500s.
Impact of Horses
Horses had a tremendous impact on human development over the years. In early ages, they were consistently hunted for food, and in some countries, their meat is still a part of a normal diet. It is possible that horses were domesticated more than 6000 years ago. Areas of modern Ukraine, China, and Mongolia, as well as Northern Kazakhstan, are considered to be the origins of horse domesticated due to bone analysis. Horse domestication allowed for faster and easier travel, better hunting, and eventually provided an advantage in combat. Saddles and stirrups were eventually developed to allow for easier riding and transportation of goods. Domestic horse population decreased dramatically after the First World War but began to reemerge after the 1960s.
Physiology of Horses
70% of a horse’s weight is located in its front end. The majority of it is located in its chest, shoulders, neck, and head. The bottom of the chin is called the throat latch. Lower the horse’s crest is located all the way down the neck, which sometimes may label the horse as “cresty.” This may occur either naturally as a practice of horses trying to appear large to their mates by arching their necks, or as a result of being overweight. The withers of the horse are often used to measure its height. Underneath the horse, the canon area is located, as well as its legs. Cannon goes do fetlock, pastern, and the hoof. Front and back legs differ from each other. The front legs have the knee, the forearm, and the elbow. The back legs have the gaskin, the hock, and the stifle. Horse skeleton contains the cranium, ribs, the neck, teeth, S-shaped cervical vertebrae and other bones. The vertebrae are supported by a series of ligaments and muscles.