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HORSE LEGENDS AND ODDITIES

Scientific Classification Of The Horse

• Kingdom:Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Class: Mammalia
• Subclass: Theria
• Infraclass: Eutheria
• Order: Perissodactyla
• Family: Equidae
  

Ancient Connection
Humans and mustangs have developed a mysterious relationship which involves both the meaning of "wild" and the difference between romance and reality. Man's relationship with the horse began some 50,000 years ago, when Cro-Magnon man considered the horse a valuable source of food. Eventually, as early Cro-Magnon farmers were forced to become nomadic, it is likely that they used horses as pack animals to move their camps, food and belongings.

Around 5,000 years ago farmers kept horses for meat and milk, and may have begun the process of taming horses for riding; unearthed horse teeth from this period show distinct signs of wear from a bit, the metal mouthpiece on a bridle used to control the horse. Today we are still making connections with the wild horses that roam the free ranges of this country.

Although North America was once home to boundless herds of wild horses, a combination of man, a changing environment and disease forced them to emigrate from this continent. They migrated throughout the world. It wasn't until the early 1500's that North American soil would once again cushion the pounding hooves of herds of wild horses.

Spanish conquistadors came to the Americas in the early 1500s, bringing with them both domesticated horses and cattle to help them conquer the vast new world. The journey over the seas was often a grueling one for man and beast alike. The horse would become a central factor in the settlement of the Western Hemisphere. The Spanish also brought cattle that became the foundation stock for the great cattle industry that was to develop extensively during the 19 th century. Once the conquistadors destroyed the Aztecs and other Indian peoples, many Spanish horses escaped or were turned loose and became feral or wild. The Spanish horses, which we now describe as Andalusians, were from the finest strains and were regarded as the foremost breed in Europe. They formed the nucleus of the great herds of wild horses that spread upward from Mexico into the United States and the western plains country.

The North American Indians' astonishment at these "horse-men" contributed to their submission to the conquistadors. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who accompanied Cortes in his 1519 incursion into Mexico, wrote "The natives had never seen horses up to this time and thought the horse and rider were all one animal. " But over time, the Mexican Indians became the original cowboys. Enslaved by Spanish conquerors who put them to work tending herds on their vast rancheros, the Indians became highly skilled horseman , developing a close bond with this magnificent creature and the beginning America's long romance with wild horses.

Native Americans and the Horse
Western Indians Begin to Acquire the "Big Dog"In 1541, Viceroy Mendoza put allied Aztec chieftains on horses to better lead their tribesmen in the Mixton War of Central Mexico. This appears to have been the first time that horses were officially given to the Indians. Indians were seen to rub themselves with horse sweat, so that they might acquire the magic of the "big dog."

But the early relationship between Native Americans and horses was not always mutually beneficial. Indians, especially the Apaches, acquired a taste for roasted horse meat. After 1680, the Pueblo Indians forced the Spanish out of New Mexico. Many horses were left behind. The Pueblo learned to ride well but didn't live by the horse. They mainly valued the horse as food and as an item to trade with the Plains Indians for jerked buffalo meat and robes. Horses and horsemanship gradually spread from tribe to tribe until the Plains Indians became the great mounted buffalo hunters of the American West.

Plains Indian Horsemen
The alliance of the American Indians and the Spanish horse gave the Indians great mobility and changed their way of life. Tribes of horses were dominant over other tribes who relied on moving camp on foot. The plains Indians were great mounted buffalo hunters. They traded meat and buffalo hides for glass beads, metal tools, cloth and guns.

Indians and the Horse at War
In many tribes, horses were the measure of wealth. So, horses were often the cause, as well as the means of waging war between alien tribes. The Indians' own pictographs often featured their most prized possession and companion - the horse.

The Comanche became legendary horsemen, terrorizing their enemies, frightening away settlers, keeping the plains open and wild. By the late 1800's more than a million mustangs roamed the Texas frontier. So many mustangs that early maps of the region labeled the plains with just two words -- "Wild Horses."

Sporting Horse
Horses have been a companion to man in his play as well as work. Given the competitive nature of man, it is fair to assume that from the time there were two men and two horses they were probably pitted against each other in races for speed, agility and strength. The history of horse sports is a rich one in this country. Many sports have had their basis in preparing man and horse both physically and emotionally for battle. The International Museum of the Horse provides a comprehensive history of horses in sport.

Horse Racing
Up through the mid-19th century, horse racing was the main form of organized sport in America. Today small towns and larger cities tout athletic rivalries on athletic fields across America. In colonial America, the same rivalries were more commonly organized around the sport of horse racing. Much like today, legions of Colonial fans traveled far to early "quarter-race" tracks to place hard earned wagers on their town's horse and rider. Wages in the early days of this country may have included money, tobacco, slaves, and property.

Emotions ran high and tempers flared with unjust calls, false starts or one rider interfering with another's horse. From the early races, often conducted in the woods to today's well manicured tracks the sport of quarter horse and thoroughbred racing remains a popular American pastime for horse and humans alike.

Emotions ran high and tempers flared with unjust calls, false starts or one rider interfering with another's horse. From the early races, often conducted in the woods to today's well manicured tracks the sport of quarter horse and thoroughbred racing remains a popular American pastime for horse and humans alike.

Fox Hunt
One of the earliest equine sports in this country found its roots in the sport of the fox hunting. As early as 1650 a man by the name of Colonel Robert Brooke brought hounds to Maryland from England. The sport became very popular and many of our founding fathers became active in the sport of "The Hunt". George Washington, who began hunting at 16 years of age, was well known for his pack of hunting hounds and horses he rode in the chase.

Fox hunting was quite popular in every region of the United States but its strongest roots were planted firmly in the middle-south . The lay of the land made it an ideal setting for the sport. The middle-south maintained many of the rich traditions of the sport handed down to America from the aristocrats of England.

A Kentuckian wrote in 1852: "Fox hunting in the middle and southern states is quite as much a subject of enthusiasm as it has been in England..." Among the most famous hunts in America, the Iroquois Hunt in Kentucky ranks as one of the finest. Founded in 1880 by Roger D. Williams, it is named after the first American horse to win the Epson Derby in England, Pierre Lorillard's Iroquois. The "Bluegrass" region of Kentucky offers particularly favorable land for fox hunting due to its fine turf and the absence of wire fencing, the anathema to fox hunters.

First American Polo (1876)
Another horse game readily adopted and richly rooted in the traditions of this country is Polo. Although polo and hunting are perhaps the oldest horse sports, polo was not played in the Western Hemisphere until the 1800s. The sport was brought to America by James Gordon Bennett in 1876. New York City riding arena was the first official unveiling of indoor Polo in this country. Harvard University formed an inter-collegiate polo team in 1885 due to the immense popularity of the sport. By 1886, the British and Americans were competing against each other in regularly scheduled matches. By 1892 there were 13 U.S. polo clubs, most in the Eastern portion of the country.

First Rodeo ("Cattle Ring")
In 1886 the cattle drive spawned the robust entertainment dubbed the Rodeo. This cowboy sport became a real entertainment draw. Rodeo began as a way to celebrate the end of the long cattle-drive. The cowboys had to look over their herds until they were sold at market. After the pens were emptied, cowhands would challenge each other to a calf roping contest or maybe a bareback ride on the orneriest horse on the lot.

Soon the draw of the rodeo was sweetened with dramatic and equally entertaining "Wild West" show. These extravaganzas included wagon races, bull-riding and steer-wrestling. A black cowboy named Bill Pickett invented one of the most exciting events in the rodeo, bull dogging. As the story goes, Pickett became enraged at a bull that refused to enter a corral. He leapt on the bull from his horse, grabbed its horns, gripping its upper lip in his teeth, bringing it to the ground like a "bulldog."

Horses of Hollywood
The baby boomers of this country are familiar with some of the best-loved horses of motion pictures and TV. To many, growing up in the late 1940's and early 1950's, the horses of the screen were as famous as the heroes who rode them. William S. Hart and Fritz, Tom Mix and Tony, Gene Autry and Champion, Roy Rogers and Trigger. The "western" soon became one of film's dominant genres depending heavily on the horse.

Television introduced, another host of heroes: the Lone Ranger and Silver, Tonto and Scout, Hopalong Cassidy and Topper as well as such individual stars as Fury, Flicka, and Mr. Ed series.

Waging War from Horseback
Horses have served as comrade to man on the war torn fields of this country and abroad. Many gave their lives in service to their countryland. The International Museum of the Horse maintains an extensive history of horses in war from the dawn of man until current times. Horse were drafted into war in large numbers in service to this country for calvary and non-calvary roles alike. The history of the horse in battle in North America begins with the Spanish and the Native Americans.

New Firearms and Faster Horses
The development of firearms greatly affected the use of the cavalry horse AND led to a new role for the horse in battle in the early 1600's. Before then, Cavalrymen were previously armed with lances, which had proved effective against infantry and other cavalry. But cavalrymen became vulnerable to the well-aimed shot of the musketeer. In order to survive, cavalry were equipped with firearms - both pistols and short muskets. The roles of the new cavalrymen gave them names such as cuirassiers, cabineers, and dragoons.

Custer's Last Stand (June 25, 1876)
All Were Killed Save One Tough Pony! One of the most storied events in the history of the American West was the famous Battle of the Little Big Horn, otherwise known as "Custer's Last Stand." George Armstrong Custer's, earlier cavalry career included the interception of the General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox and after the War of Northern Agression was assigned as Commander of the 7th Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas. When ordered to move a band of Indians toward a large American cavalry force, the ambitious and often arrogant Custer became over-zealous. As his forces reached the Sioux encampment, he divided his regiment and decided to fight. Custer's force was entirely annihilated within a short time. The other regiment force was rescued by supporting cavalry four days later, and the search for survivors of Custer's troops began. Not one man was found alive. Only one horse survived - Comanche.

Comanche was found in a thicket with seven arrows in his body. Comanche, was a gelding ridden by Captain Keogh, one of Custer's officers. The horse's wounds were treated and he was carefully loaded onto a riverboat. Comanche was sent back to Fort Lincoln in the Dakota Territory where he was given great attention until he recovered. As an honor, Comanche was given the freedom of the fort's grounds. The Seventh Cavalry's commanding officer insisted that Comanche be saddled for all engagements and official occasions, but he could never be ridden again. Comanche became a national celebrity.

On his death, his obituary appeared in newspapers throughout the country. Comanche was taxidermied after his death, and is now exhibited at the Museum of Kansas University.

Nez Perce Spotted Horses (1877)
Few tribes could rival the Nez Perce Indians in the art of selective breeding The Nez Perce inhabited the mountainous plateau region at the intersection of what are now the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Here, near the Palouse River, the steep mountains and box canyons provided natural enclosures in which horses could be contained or separated for selective breeding. The trademark of the Nez Perce horses was their spots. These horses, named Appaloosas after the river near which they were bred, were renowned among western Indians for their speed and endurance.

The peaceful life of the Nez Perce was ended when settlers and miners intruded on their lands. Treaties were made and broken, until Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce led his people and 3,000 horses on a 1,600 mile evacuation to Canada in 1877. All along the way, the Indians fought off pursuing cavalry. In one battle alone, the Indians lost 900 of their spotted horses. Just below the Canadian border, Chief Joseph surrendered to the cavalry as he heroically declared, "I will fight no more forever." His tribe was decimated, wounded, and starving. The remaining tribal members were exiled to Oklahoma, and Chief Joseph was imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth. The remaining 1,100 horses were dispersed. The purity and survival of the Appaloosa was threatened until the breed was revived in the 1900s.

World War I And The Last Cavalry Battle (1914-1918 )
Well before the United States sent its men into the fray, another resource had been drafted -- its horses. World War I resembled the classic calvary battle. But the new weapons of war proved devastating to the cavalrymen and their mounts. This war was was demarcated by inpeneterable barbed wire. Machine guns massacred man and horse alike with little or no direct contact with their enemies. The horse's utility in battle was over. The death of millions of horses in this war drastically reduced the world's equine population.

Some estimates hold that six million horses served in the war zones of American troops. Most of them were killed. In the four years of the war, the United States was left with a seriously depleted stock of horses in America. The American Expeditionary Force took with it an additional 182,000 horses to the battle lines. Of these, 60,000 were killed and only 200 made it home to the United States. British veterinarians treated 120,000 horses for wounds or disease in aftermath of the battles.With the newly developed weaponry one fact remained painfully obvious, the horse was the innocent victim.

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Strange Facts

• Horses like classical music.
• The oldest horse was named Old Billy. He was a cross breed, he was born in 1760 and he lived to be 62.
• The World's Largest Horse was a Shire gelding named Samson, bred by Thomas Cleaver of Toddington Mills, England. Foaled in 1846, this horse measured 21.2 1/2 hand high in 1850, and weighed 3,360 pounds.

• Horshoes are supposed to be lucky.
• The luckiest horse shoe of all is one off the hind leg of a gray mare.
• If you hang a horseshoe upside down, the luck runs out.
• Gray horses are supposed to be lucky, while piebalds are unlucky.
• According to superstition in Lincolnshire, England, if you see a white dog, you should stay silent until you see a white horse.

Things One Should Never Say To A Blacksmith

• If you will just give each of the dogs a piece of hoof they will get out from under the horse and quit fighting.
• As much as you charge, I should get to use that truck too.
• If you get that done in 30 minutes, you'll be making $160. per hour. 
• That's not the way they did it on that horseshoeing show.
• I see who makes all the money in horses farriers!
• My last farrier couldn't finish they gave me your name and number.
• You don't mind if I feed the other horses, do you?
• Are you sure you have them on the correct foot?
• If he didn't kick like that, I'd trim him myself.
• Would you mind trimming my new BLM mustang?
• Can we shoe him in the arena? If he rears in the barn, he hits his head.
• You sure earned your money on that one!
• I forgot you were coming; I just turned all the horses out.
• Can you make it after six, or on Sunday, I have to work.
• I just cannot believe that he bit you.
• I read all about the "Natural Way" to trim on the internet, and you're supposed to...
• Did that hurt?
• I know that he is difficult to shoe, but he is so good on the trails.
• It doesn't look like he's leaning from here.
• Good morning glad you're here can we reschedule? I have a lot going on today.
• It's so cool that he can "balance" on just two feet.
• Can you shoe him so that he doesn't paw?
• Don't tell my husband that I used the grocery money.
• Most times when he kicks, he misses!
• Just do the hinds I'll do the the fronts.
• I left the checkbook in the car, and my wife/husband just left can you bill me?
• I'm sure glad you don't mind working on muddy feet.
• Does it mean my horses have some sort of deficiency when they chew the paint off your truck like that?
• This horse does forge, also interferes, and sometimes hits his knees.... we need to keep the price down on this bill.
• I got a bargain on these shoes at a rummage sale, could you use them instead and save me some money?
• Oops! Wrong horse.
• I know I said just a trim, but can we shoe ‘em as well?
• My weanling colt needs a trim, and I figured you could halter break him at the same time.
• I've got a new horse whose feet are in pretty bad shape. The previous owners said their farrier wouldn't work on him.
• I know it's been a long day for you; that's why I saved the worst one for last.
• If my other farrier's ribs weren't broken, he'd be able to get shoes on this horse.
• It's a good thing you're slow today, or he'd have had shoes on when he kicked your truck.
• My grandpa used to shoe horses like you, only he used a sledge and a corn knife.
• I don't understand why the shoes didn't stay on. I just had them done 12 weeks ago.

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Horse Jokes

• What is the best type of story to tell a runaway horse? - A tale of WHOA!
• What is a horses favorite T.V. show? Neeeebours!
• What disease do horses fear most? Hay Fever!
• How do you lead a horse to water? With lots of carrots!
• Why did the boy stand behind the horse? He thought he might get a kick out of it!
• Why can't horses dance? Because they have 2 left feet!
• When do vampires like horse racing? When it's neck and neck!
• What does it mean if you find a horse shoe? Some poor horse is walking around in his socks!
• There was a famous jockey that never lost a race.When asked how he achieved this,he replied, I whisper in the horse's ear: "Roses are red, violets are blue. Horses that lose are made into glue".
• What animal has more "hands" than feet? Why, a horse, of course!
• What do you call pony with a sore throat? A little hoarse!
• Why did the horse go behind the tree? To change his jockeys!
• What did one horse say to the other horse? How's your hay fever?
• What did the bartender say to the horse? Why such a long face?
• What are the only animals to sleep with their shoes on? A horse, of course!
• What breeds of horses can jump higher than a house? All breeds. Houses don't jump!
• A horse walks up to the bar and orders a drink from the bartender. The bartender sets the drink in front of him and tells the horse, "It's okay buddy, you can talk to me. Why the long face?"
• A mean school principal who rides on weekends went into a tack store and asked for one spur. "One spur?" said the store owner, "Surely you mean two spurs?" "No," said the principal, "Just one will do. If I can get one side of the horse to go, the other side is bound to come with it."
• Two stupid men bought a bunch of horses at an auction, paying one hundred dollars apiece for them. Then they drove to another auction, and sold all their horses for the same price they'd paid for them. After counting their money at the end of the day, they realized that they'd ended up with no more money than they'd started with. "See!" said one. "I told you we shoulda bought more horses!"

• Horse's hooves grow at a rate of about 1cm per month.
• The forelock on a horse's head helps to keep flys out of the eyes.
• Horse's legs are built so that they can sleep standing up, but to get a good rest they need to lying down.
• Each leg has a small spot that looks like a scar called a 'chestnut'.
• Horse's knee caps are not done fusing until they are about 3 1/2 years old. That's why many young racehorses are injured.
• Mares come in to heat around age 1, but usually can't be safely bred until 4.
• Stallions are mature and can breed around 2 or 3 years of age.
• A horse's heart weighs about 10 pounds.
• A horse's back cannot bend, it remains stiff when the horse moves. That's why it's hard for horses to get up after rolling or resting.
• The teeth take up more room in a horse's head than its brain does.
• Horses can see color.
• Horses can see in two directions at once.
• Horses have two blind spots where they cannot see- directly in front of them, and directly behind them.
• Human hair and fingernails are made from the same protein as horse hooves.
• Horses have 36-42 teeth, with females usually having 36 and stallions and geldings having 40-42. "Canine teeth", remains of fighting teeth, are present on some horses, usually males, in either 1 or 2 pairs. "Wolf teeth" can be present in males or females, and sometimes have to be pulled because they cause pain.
• Most breeds of horses have 18 ribs, 6 lumbar bones, and 18 tail vertebrae. Arabians have 17 ribs, 5 lumbar bones, and 16 tail vertebrae.
• A full grown horse that weighs about 1,000 pounds contains approximately 13.2 gallons of blood.
• Horses have about 175 bones in their body.
• Horses make 8 basic sounds- snort, squeal, greeting nicker, courtship nicker, maternal nicker, neigh, roar, blow.
• It is almost impossible for a horse to vomit-- if they do, their stomachs usually rupture soon after.
• It takes a horse 60 days to double it's birth rate.
• A horse focuses its eye by changing the angle of its head, not by changing the shape of the lens of the eye, as humans do.
• While horses graze, they keep a look out for predators.
• A racehorse averages a weight loss of between 15 and 25 pounds during a race.
• Adult electric eels 5 feet to 7 feet long produce enough electricity – 600 volts – to stun a horse.
• A horse weighing around 1000 lbs. voids from 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 quarts of urine daily.
• A horse's gestation period is 11 months, but can be anywhere from 10-12 months long.

Basic Horse Facts

• A horse is considered adult at age four.
• A female horse over 4 years old is called a mare.
• A male horse over 4 years old is called a stallion.
• Horses are measured in hands.
• A hand is four inches.
• A horse is generaly over 14.2 hh (hands high).
• Anything under 14.2 hh is a pony.
• There are over 200 breeds of horses in the world.
• A horse's gestation period (time between breeding and birth) is about 11 months, but can be anywhere from 10-12 months.
• Horses usualy live to be 20-25 years old. The oldest horse lived to be 62.
• A father horse is called a sire.
• A mother horse is called a dam.
• The scientific name for the horse is equus caballus.

Sources: Dr. Michael Voorhies, PBS, "Blacksmith" Dick Williamsport, HORSEBARM.COM, The Ultimate Horse, leadmare.com and the ;usual gang of idiots at Caddylak Graffix Art Studio.

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Last Updated: Friday July 20, 2007 1:47 P.M.

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