Mammal. Horses' hooves grow continuously, like toenails, and are naturally worn down traveling on grass. On hard surfaces, horses need shoes to keep their feet healthy. About every two months (depending on wear), the shoes need to be refitted after the hooves are trimmed. Horses have four natural steps: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. They change their step to change speeds, like shifting gears on a bike. Mother horses are pregnant for 11 months before giving birth. Baby horses are called “foals” and can walk within 25 minutes of being born. A foal's legs are nearly the same length as they will be when the horse is fully grown.
|
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Equus caballus |
Average is 20 to 25 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. Short, juicy grass is a favorite. Working horses need high energy food like oats, maize, barley, or bran |
| Predators and Threats |
| Having few natural predators, a wild herd can double in size every 5 years. Bears, mountain lions, and wolves have been known to attack horses. |
| Habitat |
| Horses originally came from the steppe areas of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Today, most horses are domesticated and can be found throughout the world. |
