By Evolutionary Biology and a Legend is Born
There may be no greater metaphor for freedom than that of wild horses running free on the plains. These noble animals have been the subject of art, legend, and history for thousands of years. But behind this romantic image is a sophisticated animal. To gain a better understanding of these creatures, it’s worth considering the horse facts that help them to thrive in hostile environments without human intervention. From birth to the stallion’s protection of his herd, there’s nothing about the horse that hasn’t been shaped by evolution.
Staying Alive with the Stay Apparatus
Perhaps the most amazing fact about horses is that they can sleep standing up. In the wild, it’s very dangerous for a horse to lie down. To reduce the risk of attack, Untamed horses have developed the “stay apparatus”. It’s a series of tendons and ligaments that enable the horse to lock its major joints.
The use of the stay apparatus allows wild horses to relax most of their muscles and fall into a light sleep without falling over. This is critical for wild horses as it enables them to go from sleep to full gallop in an instant. So, in the event of a predator attack, feral horses don’t have to waste valuable time getting up; they are already standing and can run. In contrast to a young horse, which may lie down more often in the safety of the herd, this “standing sleep” helps adult Untamed horses serve as the herd’s eyes and ears.
The Life of a Young Horse
The growth of a young horse (or foal) is among the most interesting horse facts. For wild horses, the first few hours of the horse’s life are most important. A young horse isn’t like most mammals that are born helpless. Within hours of their birth, a wild young horse can be expected to stand up and even run with the rest of the herd.
This allows wild horses to be highly mobile. The horses need to be able to find water and food. If a young horse can’t keep up, it is likely to be left behind or eaten by a predator. Surprisingly, a newborn horse’s legs are about 80% to 90% of their adult size. This allows the horse to keep up with the older feral horses when in a distressed situation.
The True Definition of Wild Horses
When we talk about wild horses, most people are referring to “true” untamed horses as opposed to “feral” horses. Many wild horses that people are familiar with – like the American Mustang or Australian Brumby – are actually feral. That is, they are the offspring of previously domesticated horses that have become feral. Perhaps the most crucial equine facts for horse lovers is that today the one and only “true” feral horses is the Mongolian Przewalski’s horse.
Another surprising aspect of horses is their social life. A herd is more than a group of animals; it is a highly social group. Wild horses usually live in bands, which have a dominant mare and a stallion. The foal has its own place in the band. The young horse’s interactions with the band’s adults allow the foal to pick up on the complex body language of feral horses that keeps order and safety in their band.
The Power of Observation
All horses learn from the adults. Wild horses learn from the herd for survival. From sniffing out a water source to smelling the predator in the air, life as a wild horse is an exercise in using all of the senses. As we explore these horse facts, it’s clear that untamed horses are not only beautiful but also highly adapted and successful survivors.
There are countless challenges to growing up in this environment, but a feral horse has all the attributes it could need to succeed. From the locking legs to the rapid development of the young equine, horses are still a product of evolution. In Part 2, we will explore the senses and other special adaptations that make the wild horse so unique.
Senses: 360-Degree Vision and Silent Language
To survive in the wild, wild horses rely on their senses. How feral horses see, hear, smell, and feel is much different from our own, and these adaptations are essential equine facts if you want to understand their behavioural patterns. Their wide-angle eyes and flexible ears are all geared to spot potential predators from afar. A young horse’s ability to read these cues is crucial to its survival.
The 360-Degree Vision Mystery
One of the most astounding facts about horses is that untamed horses have the biggest eyes of any land mammal. Wild horses have a 350-degree field of vision because their eyes are on the sides of their heads. This means that wild horses can view just about everything in their surroundings without turning their head. Unlike humans, who have a more limited field of vision, wild horses are able to scan the entire horizon.
But there are some drawbacks to this wide field of vision. There are two major blind spots for wild horses: directly behind them and directly in front of their nose, about six feet away. It’s important to never sneak up on feral horses (or even a young domestic horse) from behind; if they don’t see you, they will kick you before you know it. Also, until a horse has developed its depth perception, it may seem “spookier” or more reluctant to interact with new objects on the ground that may be in that front blind spot.
Vision: Monocular and Binocular
Wild horses use two types of vision to increase their safety. Usually, untamed horses employ “monocular vision” to see two different images with each eye. This enables wild horses to keep an eye on two distinct parts of the landscape. To focus on a particular object, such as a dangerous animal or a clump of grass for their foal to eat, wild horses will turn to “binocular vision” by looking directly at the object and using both eyes.
Another key set of horse facts concerns their vision at night. The wild horse has a reflective layer (also known as the tapetum lucidum) behind the retina, which is like a mirror to help reflect more light. This allows feral horses to see better in the dark than humans. For a baby in the herd, this increased sensitivity to light means they can keep up with their mother, even in the middle of the night on the prairie.
Ears as a Communication Device
If you’ve ever seen a herd of roaming equines, you’ll notice their ears are never still. Feral horses have 16 muscles in each ear, enabling them to move each ear 180 degrees. Ears are not only used for hearing, but also for communicating. You can tell by looking at the horse’s ears where it is looking and how it is feeling, according to horse facts.
If untamed horses have their ears pricked forward, they are attentive. If the young equine notices the lead mare’s ears are lying flat against her neck, it knows to get out of the way because this is a common signal for aggression or warning among wild horses. This type of communication helps them to avoid being heard by other animals and attract the attention of potential predators.
Hearing Beyond Human Limits
But their sense of vision is not their only weapon, as wild horses also have keen hearing. They can hear higher-pitched sounds than humans can. This means roaming equines can hear the rustling of vegetation from a long way away, or the breaking of a twig. For the young horse, whose safety depends on the herd, these ears can help locate the source of a sound without turning its head, which could alert a predator to its presence.
Thanks to their 360-degree vision and 180-degree ear mobility, it’s hard to sneak up on untamed horses. A horse will learn to “triangulate” dangers as it becomes older. These insightful facts about horses show that wild horses are among nature’s most successful species. In Part 3, we will take a look inside the roaming equines, its unique respiratory system, and how a horse grows.
Four-stroke Engines: Nasal breathing and anatomy
As we look at roaming equines, we have so far examined their outside senses, and now we turn to their inner workings. Wild horses are known for their stamina and can gallop for miles over rough country. These horse facts show their bodies are built for optimal performance in both long-distance and speed. Whether it’s a seasoned stallion or a colt just starting out, the inner workings of these horses are designed for action.
Why Horses are Obligate Nasal Breathers
Perhaps the most unexpected horse fact to many is that untamed horses are “obligate nasal breathers”. Wild horses are unable to breathe out of their mouths; instead, they must breathe through their noses. That’s because of a special structure of the soft palate that seals off the back of the mouth. This may appear to be a disadvantage, but for wild horses, it is a great benefit.
This configuration enables wild horses to eat grass while still keeping their airways clear in case of a sudden flight. At high speeds, untamed horses can fully flare their nostrils to increase their oxygen intake. This enables roaming equines to sustain their gallop for longer. This is a trait that is present even in a young horse, so you may see a horse “snorting” or flaring its nostrils following a frolic – it is drawing in as much oxygen as possible to recover.
The Growth of a Young Horse
Another example of the growth of a young horse in roaming equines that do not follow the normal mammalian growth pattern is the skeleton. In order to survive, a young horse needs to grow fast. These facts about horses and equine growth demonstrate that a horse may be up to 90% of its mature height by the end of its first year. But while they are tall, their bones are still “green”.
For wild horses, their rapid height growth helps them see over the tall prairie grass and stay with the herd. If the young equine didn’t grow quickly enough, it would not be seen by the mother and would be eaten by wolves or mountain lions. Wild horses are born with levered legs. In fact, the knee joints of a horse have growth plates that remain open for many years, enabling roaming equines to strengthen their bones by walking on hard ground or weaken their bones by walking on soft ground.
The Strongest Heart in the Wild
Wild horses have an amazing cardiovascular system. In order to provide blood to an animal that can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds and run as fast as 40 miles an hour, roaming equines need a large heart. Horse facts suggest that the average weight of a horse’s heart is 8-10 pounds, but what matters is the effectiveness of the heart. In an attempt to escape predators, untamed horses’ spleens actually release up to 24 quarts of blood into the body.
This “natural blood-doping” enables untamed horses to increase the amount of oxygen their blood carries. This allows a herd of roaming equines to go from a standing start to a gallop without needing a “warm-up” as humans do. This natural “doping” is critical for young horses in a herd who must keep up with the older horses during a relocation trip to find water.
The Hoof is a Second Heart
A hoof is more than a “toenail” to a wild horse: it’s a circulatory aid. A crucial horse fact is that as a hoof strikes the ground, it closes, which draws blood back up the limb, towards the heart. So the more a wild horse moves, the stronger its circulation will be.
For a young horse, play and exercise are not only fun, but they are necessary to ensure the circulatory system is well developed. The continual movement of roaming equineswild horses means that they never suffer from swollen legs. Today in Part 4, we will complete our exploration of untamed horses by discussing the only “true” wild horses remaining on the planet and how the social hierarchy protects all young horses in the group.
The Last “True” Wild Horse and the Social Order
This is the last part of our in-depth exploration of horse facts, and we explore the past and future of untamed horses. Although we commonly refer to free-roaming horses as “wild”, science has more to say about it. It’s one of the most vital horse facts for those trying to save endangered species: understanding the difference between feral and wild. For a young horse that’s born into these highly specialised herds today, they are part of a species’ fight for survival.
The True Wild Horse: Przewalski’s Horse
Perhaps one of the most fascinating facts about horses is that nearly all “wild” horses you see in the movies or on the rangelands of North America and Australia are feral. They are from previously domesticated stock. The only remaining “true” wild horse alive today (that is, a horse that has never been domesticated in its history) is the Przewalski’s horse (or Takhi).
The untamed horses are found in Mongolia and physically look different from the horses we are familiar with. They have a chunky build, short neck, and an “upright” roach mane. For a young Przewalski’s horse, there is even more that is different; they actually have 66 chromosomes, compared to 64 for all other domestic and roaming equines. This shows that they are a different subspecies that has endured from the Ice Age.
Survival Against All Odds
The lives of these wild horses have been a story of drama and survival. In the late 1960s, Przewalski’s horses were thought to have gone extinct. The untamed horses that are alive today are the offspring of just 12-15 zoo animals. These horse facts show the benefits of conservation; through the efforts of hundreds of international conservationists, Przewalski’s horses were reintroduced to Mongolia, China, and even the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
The birth of a foal in the wild in Mongolia today is a testament to this. These babies are amazingly durable and can survive in extremely low temperatures. These roaming equines grow a very thick, woolly winter coat and put on fat to keep them warm from the “dzud” (cold) Mongolian winters (unlike domestic horses). Witnessing a young horse’s ability to survive in such harsh conditions is a reminder of the wild spirit of the original horse.
The Social Organisation of the Herd
The social organisation of roaming equines is the last element of the puzzle. Wild horse herds are typically made up of a “harem” or family unit. This band is headed up by a “lead mare” who decides where the band will go and when to drink. The stallion loiters at the back, or on the outskirts, as the bodyguard.
This structure is beneficial to a young horse. The stallion will defend the young horse against other males or predators, while the lead mare will teach the horse the best places to feed. Once a young horse is old enough (two or three years), he or she is often forced away from the family group. Young stallions will join up with “bachelor herds” to practise aggression, while a young horse, if female, will join another harem so as to avoid inbreeding.
Conclusion: Preserving the Wild
After these 6 horse facts, it’s obvious that roaming equines are more than just breathtaking sights on the horizon. They are biological marvels with “second hearts” in their feet, panoramic vision, and primate-like social skills. From the growth of a young horse to the DNA of the Takhi, these facts about horses teach us that we need to preserve and conserve the environments in which they live.
Wild horses remind us of survival, freedom, and the harmony of the natural world. Through these facts, we can marvel at the beauty of the young equine and the strength of the herd. So the next time you look at a picture of roaming equines, know that you are witnessing a species that has existed for millions of years and continues to evolve in order to be the epitome of wild.