Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 18:01:53 GMT -5
Markings 1.) Blaze 2.) Stripe 3.) Thin Blaze and Snip 4.) Irregular Blaze 5.) Interrupted Stripe 6.) Bald Face 7.) Faint Star 8.) Star 9.) Star and Stripe 10.) Irregular Star 11.) Snip 12.) Lip Marking 1.) Stocking 2.) Sock 3.) Fetlock 4.) Pastern 5.) Coronet 6.) Partial Pastern
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 18:42:24 GMT -5
ColorsFor information on Appaloosa markings, see here. For information on the Champagne Gene, see here. For information on Gray Coats, see here. For more information on Coat Colors, see here.
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 18:46:06 GMT -5
Size && Measurement
The height of horses is measured at the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. This point was chosen because it is a stable point of the anatomy, unlike the head or neck, which move up and down.
The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands and inches. One hand is equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). The height is expressed as the number of full hands, followed by a point, then the number of additional inches, then the abbreviation "h" or "hh" (for "hands high"). Thus, a horse described as "15.2 h" is 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm) plus 2 inches (5.1 cm), for a total of 62 inches (157.5 cm) in height.
The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition. Light riding horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,200 lb). Larger riding horses usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,300 lb). Heavy or draft horses are usually at least 16 to 18 hands (64 to 72 inches, 163 to 183 cm) high and can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,500 to 2,200 lb).
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 18:51:05 GMT -5
Points of a Horse
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 18:52:34 GMT -5
[/b] A horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at 5 to 7 months of age, although foals can be weaned at 4 months with no adverse physical effects. [/li][li] Yearling:[/b] A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. [/li][li] Colt:[/b] A male horse under the age of four. A common terminology error is to call any young horse a "colt", when the term actually only refers to young male horses. [/li][li] Filly:[/b] A female horse under the age of four. [/li][li] Mare:[/b] A female horse four years old and older. [/li][li] Stallion:[/b] A non-castrated male horse four years old and older. [/li][li] Gelding:[/b] A castrated male horse of any age.[/li][/ul] [/center]
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 19:09:31 GMT -5
Reproduction && Development
Gestation lasts for approximately 335–340 days and usually results in one foal. Twins are rare. Horses are a precocial species, and foals are capable of standing and running within a short time following birth.
Horses, particularly colts, sometimes are physically capable of reproduction at about 18 months, but domesticated horses are rarely allowed to breed before the age of three, especially females. Horses four years old are considered mature, although the skeleton normally continues to develop until the age of six; maturation also depends on the horse's size, breed, sex, and quality of care. Also, if the horse is larger, its bones are larger; therefore, not only do the bones take longer to actually form bone tissue, but the epiphyseal plates are also larger and take longer to convert from cartilage to bone. These plates convert after the other parts of the bones, and are crucial to development.
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Mother Nature
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Post by Mother Nature on Aug 3, 2011 19:15:00 GMT -5
Sleep Patterns
Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. In an adaptation from life in the wild, horses are able to enter light sleep by using a "stay apparatus" in their legs, allowing them to doze without collapsing. Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. A horse kept alone will not sleep well because its instincts are to keep a constant eye out for danger.
Unlike humans, horses do not sleep in a solid, unbroken period of time, but take many short periods of rest. Horses spend four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. Total sleep time in a 24-hour period may range from several minutes to a couple of hours, mostly in short intervals of about 15 minutes each. The average sleep time in a 24-hour period of a domestic horse is said to be 2.9 hours.
Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep. They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements. However, if a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived, and in rare cases may suddenly collapse as it involuntarily slips into REM sleep while still standing. This condition differs from narcolepsy, although horses may also suffer from that disorder.
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