xvi, 223 pages : 18 cm

Answers more than one hundred questions about the physical characteristics, behavior, and culture of horses, including "Why do horses get spooked so easily?" and "Why do they measure horses in hands and what does it mean?"

Foreword -- Introduction -- Why do horses sleep standing up? -- Why do horses let people ride them? -- Why do horses get spooked so easily? -- Why do they measure horses in hands and what does it mean? -- How well do horses see? -- What is the biggest breed of horse? -- What is the fastest breed of horse? -- What is the strongest breed of a horse? -- What's the difference between a foal, a colt, and a filly? -- How long does it take for a baby horse to learn to stand? -- What's up with all the sayings about a horse's mouth? -- Why do flies like horses so much? -- How do you take a horse to the veterinarian? -- Why are so many horses afraid to step in water? -- Do horses get claustrophobic when riding in trailers? Why do domesticated horses wear horseshoes if wild horses can cope without them? -- Do horses have good memories? -- What's the difference between a pony and a horse? -- Are some breeds better at long-distance riding than others? -- What's the relationship of horsepower in engines to the power of a horse? -- How do directors get horses to fall down in movies? -- Why do some horses have longer manes and tails than others? -- Why the differences between English and Western riding? -- Will a panicked horse really run back into a burning barn? -- Why do horses neigh so much in the movies? -- Do horses like to jump? -- Does a horse need to have a bit to be ridden? -- Are horses afraid of snakes? Will they run from them, step over them, or stomp them? -- Do horses prefer to live alone or with another horse? -- How did Native Americans keep their loose herds of horses from running away? -- Do horses prefer some people over others? Are horses prejudiced? -- Why do horses go lame so often? -- I've heard horses and goats make good friends. Is this true? -- Why do some people like the smell of horse manure? -- How hard is it to adopt a wild horse? Can they be trained to be ridden? -- What's the difference between a mustang and a wild horse? -- Do horses like to be in parades? -- Why do some horses foam at the mouth when being ridden? How does getting a leg up on the competition relate to horses? Do they really send old horses to the glue factory? -- How can you guess a horse's age by looking at his teeth -- How well do horses hear and smell? -- What is the largest load a horse can carry? -- Do horseshoes really bring good luck? -- How much water can a horse drink? -- Can horses swim? -- What does it mean when a horse "cribs"? -- What's the difference between nickering, whinnying, and neighing -- Are horses ticklish? -- What's the difference between hot-blooded, warm-blooded, and cold-blooded horses? -- How can you get an animal as large as a horse to cooperate when they don't want to, such as when the veterinarian is working on them? -- Do horses prefer to graze or have fast-food delivered to their stalls? -- Can horses smell fear? Why do horses groom each other? -- Why do horses roll after they work out or are bathed? -- Does it hurt when you pull on a horse's mane? -- How can you tell if a horse is happy? -- Why do some horses have to run in circles on a line before being ridden? -- One swish of a tail is for flies, one's in aggravation, another is a smile of sorts. How can you tell the difference? -- Do spurs hurt a horse? -- How do you know what kind of bit to use in a horse? What is the difference between a hard-mouthed and soft-mouthed horse?

Why did people start riding sidesaddle? Why do some do it now? -- Why do horses get a swayback when they get old? -- What is a gait? How many kinds of gaits are there? -- Why do horses wear blinkers? -- Is it true that a horse's hoof is really his middle finger (or toe)? Where did the other toes go? -- What's the relationship between donkeys, horses, and mules? -- How is a purebred horse different from a Thoroughbred? -- Does a horse know if he was won a race? -- I've heard the expression "Gotta piss like a racehorse." -- Can horses taste the same flavors that we can? -- How long do horses live? -- What is the world's most expensive equine purchase? -- Why do horses have such long faces? -- Who was Charley Horse, and how did a leg injury get named after him? -- Is it true horses can't throw up? Why not? -- Is artificial insemination possible for horses, as it is for cattle and other animals? -- Is it fair to ride police horses on noisy, scary city streets? -- How big is a horse's brain? What's the ratio of a horse's brain compared to other animals? What does it mean when a horse pulls his upper lip up and inhales? Does the hair on the lower part of Clydesdales have a purpose, or is it strictly decorative? -- Why do horses have such big nostrils? -- What, exactly, is a horse of a different color? -- How do they get racehorses from Europe to North America and back? -- Why do some horses wear blankets? Do they need them to stay warm? -- What is a horse's chestnut? -- How many bones does a horse have? -- Where did horses originate? -- Who do horses walk and poop at the same time? -- Why is a smart person said to have "horse sense"? -- How do horses keep from overheating? -- I once heard that all racehorses are born on January 1. How is that possible? -- Do horses ever give birth to twins? Triplets? -- Do racehorses have bigger hearts than other horses? Can you neuter or spay a horse like you would a dog or a cat? -- What is it like to be hung like a horse? -- Why can't they save horses who break a leg? Why can't they just put a cast on it? -- Is it true veterinarians do acupuncture, chiropractic, and other alternative treatments on horses? -- Are there really hairpieces for horses? -- Do you guys ever get tired of giving advice on animals every day of your lives until the end of time? -- Acknowledgments -- Special thanks -- Do you have a question? -- About the authors

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