There’s no doubt that horses are magnificent creatures. They are one of the oldest domesticated animals on the planet, usually used for a broad kind of domestic, industrial, individual, and entertainment purposes. There are several myths and misunderstandings about equines that can be very inaccurate at times and some of the information we hold onto may no longer be true. For this reason, we have decided to show you some of the most common misconceptions about horses, and offer you the most correct facts that can clarify these myths once and for all.
1.Horses Like to Jump
There are a lot of people who often think that their horse loves playing games or doing other sports activities. It’s amusing to think that your horse likes doing the same thing you do but the truth is that your horse most likely doesn’t share your passion for horse sports. A horse may have characteristics that make them more fit for a specific sport but that doesn’t mean he prefers it more. Your horse probably fancies eating hay, hanging out with his mates, or you know, just being a horse.
2.Horses Are A Lot Like Dogs
This is actually a very common misconception. Maybe dogs and humans have a number of mutual interests. You both like a warm bed, the same kinds of food, both humans and dogs can survive by hunting, etc.
On the contrary horses are prey that hunters might like to eat, and their social structure is quite different from dogs (and humans). Even though a lot of people think their horses are companion animals, they are just not like dogs.
3.Horses Aren’t Smart
This is something that new horse riders say about the horses they ride. Just because you can’t make a horse do something doesn’t mean he is not smart. It simply means that you are not communicating clearly what you want.
Horses immediately sense which riders are precise communicators and make their hints irresistible. They also know which ones can’t. Horses aren’t smart in same the way people are, but they are very skilled and are considered amongst the smartest animals.
4. Horses Communicate by Neighing and Whinnying
Well, this myth is partly true because as you know horses do whinny and neigh to communicate. But what is often exaggerated is the fact that they don’t carry on a conversation the way you sometimes see in the movies or read in fictional books. Horses are relatively quiet animals. Much of their communication with each other is in the form of body language.
5.Horses see the world in black and white
It is stated by a lot of experts that horses don’t see in the world in black and white, unlike other animals such as dogs and cats. Of course, they have a restricted spectrum of color identification that alters from blue to green, while red and yellow are difficult to be recognized. Hence, they don’t have the full clarity of colors as humans, but they can see more colors than cats or dogs. In addition, horses also have exceptional eyesight at night or in low-light conditions, which works in their favor in the wild.
6.Riding a Horse Is Not An Exercise
If you ask anyone who rides they will tell you that riding is much more than just sitting there. In case you have never ridden a horse before, the second you try it your muscles will tell you that it really is an exercise! Very good riders make riding look easy.
The more skilled rider you become, the more elegant and inconspicuous your signs become. It may resemble sitting but riders use their legs, arms, weight, hands, balance, and brains to ride.
7.Horses only sleep standing up
Turns out that one of the most famous facts declaring that horses sleep while standing up is not entirely true. Yes, they do doze while standing on their feet but they won’t sleep deeply or enter the REM phase of sleep. It’s actually a popular misunderstanding to say that horses sleep while standing up because when they need to sleep deeply they will lie down.
The actual motive that horses do stay standing while they nap is because they’re prey animals and if there’s a predator around them, horses don’t need to waste valuable time getting up, making their getaway much faster and eventually helping to save their life. Hence, the myth that horses can only sleep while standing up is false.