Animals that are hunted by predators, their main defense is to run
Prey animals are very active compared to predator types when they are born
Prey animals can instantly run, walk and stand at the moment of birth as this is their main defense
Prey animals only fight back when cornered, they would rather flee than fight
Look out
In a herd, prey animals have a member that watches for approaching danger while the others are drinking
Herd animal
Prey animals depend on their herd for survival, many eyes and ears are better than one
Social
Prey animals enjoy having the company of others and can form friendships
Instinctual
Prey animals react without thinking, they use their internal instincts
Pecking order
Each individual prey animal has its place in the group, these clear boundaries help keep peace
Herbivores
Prey animals thrive on a plant-based diet of grass, hay, herbs and vegetables
Habitual
Prey animals like to follow a set schedule and learn to anticipate events
The brain of a horse weighs around 22 ounces (623.69 grams)
Horses produce 10 gallons (37.85 liters) of saliva per day
The teeth of a horse take up more space in the head than the brain
Grazing
Horses like to move around in search of food and water
Wanderers
In addition to grazing, horses like to continuously move from place to place for their own safety
Obligate nose-breathers
Horsescannot breathe through their mouths
Smile
Horses that "smile" are smelling their environment thoroughly, often during breeding season
Sleep
Horses can sleep standing upright or lying down, they are lightsleepers
Stay apparatus
The stifle joint that allows horses to sleep standing up
Horse eyes
Largest eyes of any landmammal, positioned to enable nearly 360degree vision, limitedbinocularvision, only yellow-green and bluecones (dichromatic)
Horses do not have a clavicle (collarbone), instead they have a thoracic sling
Speed
Top speed is 27 miles/hour, fastest is 55 miles/hour (quarter horses, but only short distances)
Horses do not have a gall bladder
Horses can drink up to 25 gallons of water per day, but less than half of that goes into saliva production
Laterality
Horses can be either left or right footed
Vomiting
Horses cannot vomit due to a strong esophagealsphincter, angle of stomach, weakgagreflex, and if they do it means their stomach has ruptured
There are more than 300 breeds of horses in the world
The closest relatives of horses are rhinoceros and tapir
The average lifespan of a tamed horse is around 25years
The oldest domesticated horse was named Old Billy, a barge horse, who lived from 1760 to 1822 and died at age 62
The tallest horse was Sampson, a Shire horse later named Mammoth, who was 21 hands and 2.5 inches tall
The smallest horse was Thumbelina, a dwarf miniature horse who was 17.5 inches tall and held the Guinness Record
Oldest horse breeds
Icelandic Horse
Norwegian Fjord
Akhal-Teke
Mongolian Horse
Arabian Horse
Caspian Horse
Miniature horses bred for their small size are prone to genetic diseases
The pre-horse, also known as Eohippus or Hyracotherium, lived 52 million years ago and was 1-2 feet tall with 4 toes on the forelegs and 3 toes on the back legs
Mesohippus lived 40 million years ago and had 3 toes on all legs, standing 3-4 feet tall
Equus, the modern horse, evolved 5 million years ago and has 1 functional toe with 2 splints on all legs