Think Like A Horse - Natural Horsemanship

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Test your horse knowledge here

I am not well versed in this and I am not that concerned with confirmation, unless it causes problems, but I ran across these pics and decided to post them for reference information: 

The first image above is considered good confirmation, all other pics show defects or issues.

 Again the first image above is correct or good confirmation the others have flaws.

First image is correct, the rest show flaws.

In the image above, the first hoof prints show good confirmation all others show flaws.

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The normal horse’s small intestine is about 75 feet long. The normal horse's large intestine is about 12 feet long.

A horse will produce 12 gallons of saliva a day to aid in digestion of hay.

Horse's cannot breathe through their mouths and cannot vomit.

The top speed of a of a Horse is about 45 Mph (70 Kph).  A horse walks at about 3 to 4 miles per hour, so a three hour ride will will cover about 9 to 12 miles.

Horses have the largest eyes of any land animal.

Horses and humans are the only animals that sweat through their skin for cooling.

While walking a horse consumes 1 Liter (.25 gallon) of oxygen a minute but at racing gallop the horse takes exactly 1 breath per stride and consumes nearly 60 Liters (15 gallons) of oxygen per minute

Horse of average size has approximately 50 pints of blood (28 liters) which circulate through his system every 40 seconds.

A horse uses more energy while lying down than it does while it is standing up.

Horses have a stay apparatus in their legs which allow them to sleep while standing without falling over.

A horse uses much more energy swimming than running.  A 500 yard swim is like a mile run for a horse.

Horses have spiral shaped patterns in their hair that is called Whorls.  These are unique as fingerprints.  Some horse registry still use this for identification of horses.

Camargue horses are completely white as adults, but their babies are pure black when they are born.

Horses can communicate how they are feeling by their facial expressions. They use their ears, nostrils, and eyes to show their moods. Beware of a horse that has flared nostrils and their ears back.

A horse is usually not considered to be a "horse" until it is 5 years old. Before that, males are known as colts and females are known as fillies. However, it is still acceptable to call a colt or filly a horse.

Horses height is measured in units known as "hands." One hand is equal to 4 inches. A horse is usually considered to be 14.2 (14 hands, 2 inches) or taller when mature. Anything under 14.2 when mature is usually considered to be a pony.

Adult female horses (mares) usually have 36 teeth. A mare may have up to 40 teeth if she happens to have any canine teeth, which is possible but less common. Adult males have between 40 and 44 teeth. (These figures do not include wolf teeth.)

Horses have eyes on the side of their head, like most prey animals (Deer, sheep, etc). This is so they can see greater area around them to identify predators.  Predators, like humans, dogs and wolves have eyes in front of their head so they can focus and catch prey animals.  Eyes in front give better depth perception but less peripheral vision. Horses will often move their head up and down to try and focus on things.  This is why collecting and holding a horses head tucked will often cause a horse to stumble or fall.

Floating a horse's teeth means to file the sharp edges or points off in order to create a flatter, more efficient chewing surface and to keep the sharp edges and points from cutting the inside of the horse's mouth.

Horse Terms (Depending on Age and Sex)

Colt - A young male horse, 4 years old or younger

Filly - A young female horse, 4 years old or younger

Foal - A newborn or very young horse, male or female

Gelding - A male horse that has been castrated, or gelded

Mare - A mature female horse

Stallion - A male horse that has not been castrated

Dam - The term given to a mare when she becomes a mother

Sire - The term given to a stallion when he becomes a father

The average horse's heart weighs approximately 9 or 10 pounds.

The tallest horse on record was a Sire named Samson. He was 21.5 hands tall and over 3.300 pounds.

A mule is a cross between a male donkey (called a jack) and a female horse (called a mare). Mules are usually sterile. A hinny is a cross between a male horse (called a stallion) and a female donkey (called a jenny). Hinnies are usually sterile. 

Scientists believe that the first known ancestor of the horse lived about 50 million years ago. This prehistoric horse is called Eohippus.  Eo means "dawn" and hippus means "horse," so Eohippus is "dawn horse."

A newborn foal can stand up within an hour of being born and can keep up with the rest of the herd within 24 hours!

Most foals are born at night under the cover of darkness and away from preying eyes and possible danger.  Mares will clean the foal and relocate quickly to move away from the afterbirth, which may attract predators.  By having the baby at night it does not have to worry about keeping up with the herd since the herd settles down for the night.

Horses can drink up to ten gallons of water a day.

HIPPOPHOBIA or EQUINOPHOBIA = Fear of horses.

The average life span of a horse is 20-25 years, but some will live into their 30’s.

The term "colic" refers to abdominal pain. The most common cause of colic in the horse is termed spasmodic colic. The intestines become over-active resulting in painful spasms. In serious cases, the intestines can become twisted or impacted, requiring medical or surgical intervention.

When first born, foals cannot eat grass because their legs are too long to reach it.

It is estimated that there are about 750 million horses in the world.

Horses belong to the Equus family. Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning quickness.

Horses are mammals in the same family as zebras, mules and donkeys.

The modern form of horse evolved from small dog like animals that first appeared 60 million years ago.

Horses vanished from both north and south America in a wave of extinction that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, about 15,000 years ago.

Horses nearly became extinct in the rest of the world, about 7000 years ago the only horses in the world were confined to a small area in the still open grasslands steppes of Ukraine and central Asia. 

Horses were not seen in the Americas again until 1494, when Italian explorer Christopher Columbus transported them on ships from Spain on his second voyage to the new world.

All thoroughbreds are descendants of three Arabian stallions that were brought to England in the late 1600s and early 1700s and bred with native European mares.

Quarter horses were developed in America from crosses between thoroughbreds and descendants of Spanish horses.

A horse will eat 18 to 20 hours a day in the wild or in their natural environment.

A horse has approximately 205 bones.  Most horse breeds have 18 ribs, 6 lumbar vertebrae and 18 tail vertebrae.  Arabian horses only have 17 ribs, 5 lumbar vertebrae and 16 tail vertebrae.

Arab horses have 17 ribs (all other horses have 18), five lumbar vertebrae (other horses have six) and 16 tail vertebrae (other horses have 18).

Horses sleep between two and three hours per day. Only 45 minutes of this sleep time is spent lying down.

Horses are mounted on the left side by tradition.  In the time of Knights, since most people are right handed, the sword was carried on the left side.  By mounting on the left side, the sword did not get in the way.  This tradition continues today.

A dark brown stripe running the back of a horse is commonly called a dorsal stripe or eel stripe.  It is said that this is dominate gene and dates back to prehistoric times.  If all horse were let lose to breed in time all horses would have this same eel stripe.

There are basically four breeds of Horses:  (Coldbloods, Hotbloods, Warmbloods and Ponies)

Coldbloods:  These are drafts and larger horses which come from cool, damp weather where rich grazing is produced.  This breed is large and strong.  (Percheron, Clydesdale, Friesian, Belgian Draft)

Hotbloods:  The Arab is a good example of a Hotblood who usually come from the Middle East and North Africa.  These area have poor grazing and extreme climate which produced a light and fast horse. (Arabs, Barb and Thoroughbreds)

Warmbloods:  These were produced by crossing hotbloods and coldbloods.  These are considered to be stronger and faster and more flexible working breeds.  (Warmblood, Hanoverian, Trakehner,  Morgan, Quarter, Appaloosa, Foxtrotter and Mustang)

Pony:  Smaller horses which are normally not taller then 14.2 hands (57 inches).  Ponies tend to have shorter legs and be stronger in relation to their size.  They are considered to be sturdy, tough and independent.  (Shetland, Welsh, Haflinger and Fell) 

Maiden Mare:  Is a mare that has never been bred.

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Auction: A popular social gathering where you can change your horse from a liability into an asset.

Colic: Gastrointestinal result of eating at horse-show food stands.

Colt: What your mare gives you when you want a filly.

Endurance ride: End result when your horse spooks and runs away with you.

Feed: Expensive substance used to manufacture manure.

Fence: Decorative structure built to provide your horse something to chew on.

Grooming: Fine art of removing dirt from your horse's body and applying it to your own.

Hock: Financial condition of all horse owners.

Lungeing: Popular training method in which a horse exercises his owner by spinning him in circles until dizzy.

Watch a person handle, lead, work and ride a horse.  You can tell if they really know and understand a horse. 

How they Handle a horse: 

Good:   If they handle the horse calmly, smoothly and with confidence.  Does the horse respond to their request with ease and respect.  Do they communicate clearly with cues and body language on what they want.  Are they consistent.  Do they move the horse when the horse test them or acts disrespectful.  Are horse's calm with them or nervous, upset and uneasy.

Bad:  If they fight, argue and force the horse to do everything.  If they talk to the horse like they talk to their kid.  Does the horse react to their demands with fear.  Do they chastise the horse verbally like he understand what they are saying.  Do they blame the horse for everything bad it does wrong.  When they correct the horse do they have to talk about and explain and make a big deal about it.  By drawing attention they think they are showing how good they are?  Do they use stud chains, tie downs, big bits, draw reins, bungee cords, or twitches?  Do they tie bags in the stall or put other scary things in the stall thinking they are sacking out?

Leading a horse:

This is a dead give away.  I can watch a person lead a horse and know with 95% accuracy that the person either has horse sense or has no clue.

Good:  The horse follows the person on a SLACK rope.  The person communicates with body language and encourages the horse to follow on a SLACK rope.  The horse follows calmly with his head down like he is comfortable and knows what to do.  The horse stops when the person stops and walks when the person walks.  You will not hear or see how the horse knows to stop or start.  They will not be raising their voice, yanking the head, have a tight rope, talking or dragging the horse.  It is smooth and easy.  Other people will comment that the horse is good and calm.  They don't get it, the person causes a horse to be the way it is.  If they got it, they would know the person knows what they doing and that is why the horse  is good.  However if they admit this, then they would have to admit that their horse is bad because of them and then they could not blame the horse for being bad!  They will not be yelling raising their voice and making a big deal out of everything.  Quiet mouth and quiet hands!

Bad:  The person holds the horse by the snap or right under the chin!  Dead give away.  The person is not confident, thinks they can control the horse if their hand is close to halter.  The horse is pulled when you want it to walk.  The horse is pulled or yelled at when you want it to stop.  The horse looks around and is not comfortable.  The horse pulls towards food or other areas and tries to drag person.  The person ignores the horse and does other things like talk, answer the phone and then blames the horse for pulling and not standing still.  The person will be constantly correcting the horse, changing directions trying to pull the horse and be angry and upset or always in a hurry and complaining about how bad, stubborn and hardheaded their horse is.

Riding a horse:

This will tell a lot about the confidence and riding ability of the rider.

Good:  The person prepares the horse to mount.  The person mounts by jumping up into the saddle smoothly, puts their leg over softly and sits softly in the saddle.  The horse does not walk off or try to leave during mounting or after being mounted.  The reins are not pulled, yanked or tight.  The rider sits in balance has the horse stands calmly before riding off.  The horse walks off without the rider appearing to do anything.  NO KICKING the horse to make it go.  The reins are kept loose and the horse moves like he knows what the rider wants.  The rider's hands are slow, smooth and do not move much.  You will notice the reins are always slack or released when the horse gives a correct response.  The less movement you see from the rider the better they are.

Bad:  The person fights with the horse before mounting.  The rider tugs and yanks on the horse to try and make it stand still to mount.  The person hops with their foot in the stirrup trying to get the horse to stop moving.  The person pulls the saddle to them as they slowly struggle to get up into the saddle, pulling the horse and saddle off balance.  While getting on they are unaware how they are pulling on the reins and the reins are tight and pulling to stop the horse from moving.  The rider appears off balance and leans back and forth trying to get their foot into the stirrups.  The horse walks off and the rider yells at it and yanks on the reins and blames the horse for not listening or standing still.  Then the horse walks off and the rider lets it and laughs and makes a joke that the horse is ready to go.  The reins are held in one hand and tight and the horse's head is pulled or yanked in the direction the rider wants him to go.  You will not see any release from the rider when the horse gives a correct response.  As you are watching you will not even know what the rider wants from the horse and the two will not be working as a team, they will be both wanting different things, trying and doing different things.  The rider will constantly move their hands and use the reins for balance.  The horse will ignore the reins from all the movement that means nothing.  The horse or rider will not be relaxed.

Round Pen Work or Lounging: 

Good:  The person will have a horse respond calmly.  The horse will appear to know what the person is asking and will do what is asked. The horse will not appear scared and fearful.  The horse will move in a direction told at the speed requested.  The horse will stop and come when asked.  There will not be a whip used or popped to scare the horse.  The person will use multiple cues, voice, body, movement, and others to ensure the horse knows the right answer and what to do.  The person will not chase the horse to make it run.  They will not make fast running movements which threaten the horse.  They will get the horse to do inside and outside turns in the round pen.  The person will immediately stop pressure when the horse moves.  They will not continue to chase or spin a rope after the horse moves.  If the horse tries to put pressure, the person will respond appropriately with just enough pressure to overcome the horse's pressure and get the desired response.  The horse will move not run fearful.  The horse will come to person when told to and will lock (hook on) on to person and follow person while off line.

Bad:  The person will be loud, fast and jumpy.  They will chase the horse, they will run after the horse after the horse is moving.  They will not stop pressure after the horse gives the a correct answer.  The horse will appear to be fearful and running and reacting not responding.  The horse will appear to be looking for the right answer and will not look confident or will not know what the right answer is.  The horse will not move correctly and will try and run past the person and will not turn with asked but will race to get past person faster.  The person will blame the horse for not know how to lounge and not being a smart horse.  They will say this horse is bad, stubborn and untrained.  They will get mad at the horse and use a whip to make it run faster and cut the horse off with a whip to make the horse turn.  After all it has to be the horse's fault, it can't be the person's fault.  : (

Conclusion:

A good horseman knows it is never the horse's fault.  They will never blame the horse.  A horse only reacts to the people around them.  There are no bad horses, only bad and uneducated people that cause a horse to do bad things.  If a horse is good, he is being handled by a good person who understand horses. (Unless the horse is being bullied or controlled by pain)  A horse is good when he feels safe, secure and is treated fairly.  By fairly, I mean he knows what to expect, he does not get ambushed or surprised, he is NOT always guessing what will happen next, he knows, because he gets good clear and consistent cues, he is prepared for a move (not ambushed) and he gets release of pressure when he gives the right answer.  If a horse gives the wrong answer, you asked the questions wrong.  If a horse fails, the person caused him to fail.  If a horse blows up, the person pushed him too far, too fast.  If a horse acts bad, he was not given the right direction to find the right answer.  When a horse is good, the person is giving good guidance, when he is bad, the person is confusing or scaring him to react and not respond. A horse is only a reflection of the person handling him.  Where you see good horses, you will find good horsemen.  A horse is not good if he is being controlled by big bits, spurs, pain or fear.  Only when you accept that you cause all actions from the horse, will you be able to learn, grow and critically evaluate yourself as to what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong.  Remember, it is never the horse's fault.

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 Observation is key with horses.  If you get focused on seeing things as a human you will never see the horse as a horse and see the world as a horse sees it.  You have to have the ability to look at things differently from what you are used to and be able to see life from the horse's point of view. The pictures below are the same, depending on how you look at them?

1. People who don't take care of their own horses will be the first ones to tell you how to care for yours.

2. You should never buy a cheap girth!

3. A handsome horse who's badly behaved will become a lot less attractive in about 15 minutes

4. People who think they have nothing more to learn about riding hit the ground the hardest.

5. Children and ponies are natural allies and often have identical dispositions.

6. The richest horse people often look the poorest. (horse sense wise)

7. The closeness of a horse is one of the sweetest smells in the world.

8. A solitary ride through the woods is more beneficial than six months with the best psychiatrist.

9. The worse a person rides the more likely they are going to blame it on the horse.

10. The best thing about going to the barn first thing in the morning is that horses don't care how you look.

11. If a dealer insists a horse is worth twice what he's asking he's usually worth half that much.

12. The best way to appreciate how another person rides is to get on their horse.

13. I can recognize another horse person no matter what town, city, state, county or country I visit.

14. You can never have too many hoof picks.

15. It is not always wise to argue with something that outweighs you by 1,000 pounds.

16. I'd rather have a horse with a perfect mind then a perfect head.

17. Eight hours is not too long to be in the saddle! (For you and your horse)

18. If you think you left the water on in the barn you have, if you think you closed the pasture gate you haven't.

19. When someone asks you if you like their horse, always say yes

20. The happiest people I know own horses, dogs, cats and at least one deranged goat.

21. If you're looking for the perfect horse you will never own one.

22. Owning a horse can either make a marriage or break it.

23. I'd rather lose my Chap Stick than my curb chain.

24. You shouldn't talk about your first place ribbon to someone that came in second.

25. If someone says that horse has a little buck, it has a BIG buck.

26. If we need rain, schedule a show.

27. I've never warmed up to someone that didn't want to walk down to the stables.

28. A clean stable and a sparkling horse are among life's great pleasures.

29. A Free horse is not a cheap horse.

30. No matter how badly behaved you are, your horse always gives you a second chance.

31. A expensive horse or good breeding doesn't make a better horse.

32. I can't stand to have an empty stable.

33. Losing a horse can break your heart, but it will have been worth it.

Arena:  Place where humans can take the fun out of forward motion. 
 

Bit:  Means by which a rider's every motion is transmitted to the sensitive tissues of the mouth.
 

Bucking: counter-irritant to the person riding poorly
 

Crossties: Gymnastic apparatus to practice pulling, rearing and twisting
 

Dressage: Process by which some riders can eventually be taught to respect the bit.
 

Fence: Barrier that protects good grazing. 
 

Grain: Sole virtue of domestication. 
 

Hitching rail: Means by which to test one's strength. 
 

Horse trailer: Mobile cave or bear den. 
 

Hotwalker: The lesser of two evils.
 

Jump: An opportunity for self-expression. 
 

Latch: Type of puzzle. 
 

Lunging: Procedure for keeping a prospective rider at bay. 
 

Owner: Human assigned responsibility for one's feeding. 
 

Rider: Owner overstepping its bounds. 
 

Farrier: Disposable surrogate owner; useful for acting out aggression without compromising food supply. 
 

Trainer: Owner with mob connections. 
 

Veterinarian: Flightless albino vulture

Sea sawing bits: bad hospitality and just plain meanness

Sleep heart rate is usually about 5-7 bpm lower than when an awake

Equine is in transport: The horse's heart rate increases to about 20 bpm above normal during Trailering

Exertion through exercises increases the heart rate as follows: Extended walk 62 bpm Collected trot 80-100 bpm Collected canter 100-120

Grooming:  If you want to make your horse feel good, and reduce his heart rate significantly (up to 22%), try imitating the common social grooming behavior of horses in a herd

This is a term that is talked about a lot.  This site explains this very well and is worth reading.  On the Bit

Bone Spavin:  Inflammation of one or more bones located  between on the inside of the hock joint. Can lead to arthritis. Early stages will be extremely painful in late stages less so as the joint surfaces fuse together.

• Possible Causes: joint stress from concussion on hard surfaces, quick & sliding stops such as those which occur during roping and reining.  Mineral deficiencies Poor confirmation.  

Bog Spavin:  Soft spongy Bursal enlargement of the hock joint capsule. Located towards the front inside of the hock joint.

• Possible Causes:  bang or blow to the joint,  wear and tear from work on hard surfaces. Poor confirmation and possible vitamin & mineral imbalance while horse is young.

Bowed Tendons:  Inflammation and in severe cases even rupture of the sheath encasing the tendon from the knee to the fetlock. One or both the deep flexor tendon and superficial  flexor tendons on one and/or both front legs may be affected.

• Possible Causes: severe trauma and over extension of the one of more of the tendons. Insufficient conditioning, fatigue and possibly blow to the leg.

Capped Hocks:  Bursal Enlargement - up to the size of a tennis ball on the point of the hock. 

• Possible Causes: a blow or bang to the point of the hock - usually from horse kicking a wall or from lying down on a hard concrete surface. 

Capped Knees:   Acute inflammation (bursal enlargement) or bruise of knee joint (carpitis) and/or the tendon that runs over the front of the knee.  

• Possible Causes:  Blows to the knee joint from a fall or from animal banging its knees on a feed manger. Stress on the joint from over work and poor confirmation.  Poor conformation.
• Note:  Damage to the joint capsule could be allowing synovial fluid to leak out into the surrounding tissues.  Open knees wounds could need veterinary attention.

Curbs:  Inflammation on the upper rear of the cannon area just below the point of the hock 

• Possible Causes:  Bang or blow the back of the leg - possibly from kicking the wall. Stress and trauma from a violent extension of the Plantar Ligament.

Jack Spavin:  A bony growth that can irritate  tendon that lies over the inside hock.  Can be very painful when the hock is flexed or bent. 

• Possible Causes: a bang or blow to the joint. Stress or trauma or poor conformation.

Knee Spavin:  Bony growth at back of knee on inner side. Not very common.

• Possible Causes: Joint stress, trauma from a blow.

Osselets – Green:  Inflammation of the joint capsule in the front of the fetlock joint is referred to as "green" osselets. 

• Possible Causes: Excessive racing of young horses while joints are still developing.

Osselets – True:  Bony growth at the front of the fetlock joint.

• Possible Causes:  late stage development of "green osselets" that were not allowed to heal. 

Sesamoiditis:  Inflammation of the bone above and at the back of the fetlock joint.

• Possible Causes:  Blow, Bang or trauma to the back of the fetlock joint.

Shin Splints or Bucked Shins:  Inflammation of the membrane that covers the Shin bone (cannon bone).

• Possible Causes:  Concussion - especially in young horses.

Speedy Cut:  Injury do to striking the inner and lower side of the knee with the inside toe of the opposite hoof.

• Possible Causes: poor conformation, occasional erratic  movement of limbs during turnout or exercise.

Splints:  Bony enlargements (sometimes up to the size of a half golf ball) usually on the inside of the front legs just below the knee.  Sometimes multiple smaller bumps running down between the Splint and Cannon bones. Most often on forelegs but can occur on hind legs.

• Possible Causes: poor conformation, rapid growth, trauma or striking the leg with the other hoof. 

Sprained Ankle:  Affecting one or more of the ligaments the support the fetlock joint. 

• Possible Causes:  stress to the ligaments of the joint  from over extension.

Sprained Suspensory Ligament:  Inflammation and strain of the suspensory ligament the runs down from the knee and wraps around the fetlock joint.

• Possible Causes: stress and trauma to the ligament from over extension and fatigue. 

Stocking Up:  Fluid retention in the lower limbs. 

• Possible Causes: poor circulation due to lack of exercise and overfeeding of grain. Some horses legs will fill if confined to a stall or trailer after strenuous exercise. May or may not indicate initial kidney problems. Some horses are predisposed to stock up.

Thoroughpin  Bursal enlargement of the deep digital flexor tendon sheath in hollow area between the back of the hock joint and the point of the hock.

• Possible Causes: stress to the tendon from over exertion, over extension and trauma to the tendons and joint. Poor conformation of the hock joint.

Wind Puffs or Wind Galls:  Soft "spongy" swellings around the back, front and or side of the fetlock joint.  The inflamed joint capsule distends with additional synovial fluid in an effort to protect against injury.

• Possible Causes:  joint concussion, excessive work while horse is young & joints are still developing, stress & fatigue due to intense work load on the joints.

Horse Origami:

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1. Where is the frog located on a horse?  A: Hoof

2. What candy bar was named after a horse? A: Snickers
3.  A horse is what type of animal and what is it's first type of defense?  A:  Prey and run

4 Why do people mount on the left side of a horse?  A:  An old tradition from the Knights
5 What teaches a horse?  A:  Release
6 The Gaskin is located where on the horse?  A:  The back Legs
7 What is a white spot/marking between the eyes of a horse called?  A:  A star
8 What is the part of the hoof at the top of the hoof, where the hair meets the hoof, called?  A:  Cornet
9 How long does a horse carry it's baby before birth?   A:  11 Months

10 Where is the coffin bone located?  A:  The Hoof
11 Zebra Stripes are normally located where on a horse?  A:  Legs
12 The normal body temperature of a horse is:  A:  101
13 If a horse attempts to hit you with is front foot it is called a:  A:  A Strike

14 A horse produces how much saliva each day:   A:  12 Gallons
15 An average horse's stomach holds how much:   A:  4 Gallons
16 A horse can breathe through their mouth when?   A:  Never
17 Horses have the largest eye of any land animal?   A:  True
18 A horse is the only animal that sweats like a human?  A:  True
19 A horse uses more energy laying down than standing up?   A:  True
20 A horse uses less energy swimming then running?  A:  False
21 The average horse's heart weighs approximately how many pounds?  A:  9 to 10 pounds
22 HIPPOPHOBIA means?  A:  Fear of Horses

23 Horses belong to the Equus family. Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning?  A:  Quickness
24 Quarter horses were developed in America from crosses between ___________ and descendants of Spanish horses.  A:  Thoroughbred
25 Horses have about how many bones in their body?  A:  205
26 A Quarter Horse belongs to what breed?  A:  Warm blood
27 A Mustang belongs to what breed?  A:  Warm Blood
28 A Clydesdale belongs to what breed?  A:  Cold Blood
29 A Thoroughbred belongs to what breed?  A:  Hot Blood
30 A mare that has never been bred.   A:  Maiden Mare
31 The bars on a horse are located where? (Not the bars on the hoof)   A:  The mouth (where the bit sits)
32 The Guttural pouch is located where on the horse?  A:  The head under the ear
33 What percentage of a horses body weight can a horse safely carry?  A:  20%
34 Rope halters are better for horses why?  A:  Stronger and no buckles
35 Horse shoes are bad for horses why?  A:  All of the above
36 The driveline of a horse is located where?   A:  the front legs and or shoulders
37 Where should you be positioned on the driveline to make a horse go forward?  A:  Behind the driveline
38 A leverage bit give the rider more power by changing the ratio of pull (like 3 to 1 or 5 to 1). The thing that determines the ratio is the length of the ______________ A:  The length of the shank
39 The horn, on a western saddle, sits on what part of the saddle?  A:  Pommel
40 A snaffle bit is what type of bit?  A:  Non-leverage and direct rein bit
41 A bucking strap is also called a _______________ which helps a rider stay in the saddle when tired.  A:  Nightlatch
42 When leading a horse you should always wrap the rope around your hand in case the horse pulls, so you will not drop the rope.  A:  False
43 It a horse pins his ears, it always means he is mad.  A:  False, it can mean pain or listening behind him
44 When a horse swishes his tail, he is always trying to warn you to get away.  A:  False, swatting a fly
45 You should always keep the reins tight so your horse cannot run away.  A:  False, lose should be lose
46 Direct reining is used with what type of bit?  A:  Snaffle and non-leverage
47 The normal resting respiration rate of a horse is about _________.  A:  10 to 20
48 The normal resting heart rate of a horse is ________ bpm.  A:  30 to 40
49 When a horse runs at full speed his heart rate can rise to ______ bpm.  A:  Over 200 as high as 250

50 A horse that has a dorsal stripe and zebra striping is commonly called a ___________.  A:  Dun

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