♞ First off, let's see the terminology associated with the horse: Foal - Male or female horse less than 1 year old. Yearling - Male or female horse between 1 and 2 years old. Colt & Filly - Colt is a male horse between 2 and 4 years old, while a filly is a female horse between 2 and 4 years old. Mare - A female horse older than 4 years. Gelding & Stallion - Gelding is a castrated male horse older than 4 years, while a stallion is a non-castrated male horse older than 4 years. ♞ A horse is a member of the "equus" family. This word originates from the Greek dialect, and means 'quickness'. Equus caballus, is a term given to modern-day horses.
♞ Foals have milk teeth, just like human babies. At around age 3, these start getting replaced by permanent teeth. A horse's teeth can give a good estimate of its age!
♞ A horse's head weighs 11.84 pounds on an average, while its heart can weigh an amazing 10 pounds.
♞ A little about their head markings: A narrow white mark, which runs down the face from the forehead, is called a Stripe. A white mark, which covers one or both the lips and proceeds up to the nostrils, is called a White Muzzle. A broad splash of white that covers most parts of the forehead between the eyes and carries, right down the nose to the muzzle is called a Blaze. Any kind of mark, which appears on the forehead of a horse, is called a Star, irrespective of whether it resembles one. ♞ A horse has 4 gaits: Walk (2 beats) - The average walking speed of a horse is 4 - 5 miles per hour. Trot/Jog (2 beats) - 8 - 12 miles per hour is the average speed at which a horse trots. Lope/Canter (3 beats) - A horse can canter at an average of 12 - 16 miles per hour. Gallop - Horses can gallop at 26 - 32 miles per hour. Besides this, some horses have a varied gait referred to as ambling.
♞ The height of a horse is measured using the unit, "hand", where one hand equals four inches. So if a horse measures 16.4h, it is 16 inches and 4 fingers tall.
♞ Some people have a fear of horses. It is called Equinophobia.
♞ There are more than 350 breeds of horses in the world! From: Buzzle.com
Muscular System of a Horse
A Horse has three kinds of muscle; skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Their main kinds of skeletal muscles are the ones around the neck, shoulder, chest, and back. Their cardiac muscles make up the heart, and their smooth muscle makes automatic parts of the body like the digestive system. Some of their important tendons of the leg are the common digital extensor, deep digital flexor, and the superficial digital flexor. These tendons all contribute to a horse's great speed. There are six different muscles that control its tail. There are many different diseases that hurt its muscles, such as Bowed Tendon, Compartment syndrome, and Hypocalcaemia.