Friday, September 29, 2017

Can horses pee while running?

Nope, they have to stop and adapt a specific stance to do so. In fact, riders have to stand up in the stirrups to free their back up while they do it. Fortunately they only do it a couple of times a day.


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Can horses poop while running?

Yes, although they generally prefer not to. Horses are perfectly capable of defecating at any speed, and you'll sometimes see show jumpers poop in the middle of a round. However, given the choice (i.e., not pursued by a predator or in the middle of something) they prefer to stop.


Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Can horses only see sideways?

Because some people seem to think this: No.

Horses do see a much wider range than we do and have only a relatively small area of binocular vision, but they can see where they are going well enough to be able to, you know, jump.


Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Can horses eat honey?


Absolutely. In fact, a lot of commercial horse treats are sweetened with honey. Some upper level endurance riders think feeding a bit of honey before the race helps the horses with their endurance - this may not be true, but it's certainly safe (as long as you don't overdo it, of course).


Monday, September 25, 2017

Can Horses Faint?

Yes. Horses can faint - primary because they get insufficient blood flow to the brain. Horses do not faint from emotional shock the way humans can, though. (Horses that receive emotional shock are more likely to run or freeze up/go catatonic). Fainting in a horse is often a sign of some kind of heart problem.


Friday, September 22, 2017

Do horses kiss?

No, they don't. They don't "kiss" the way dogs do by face licking, either. Horses simply don't use their lips to show affection, although they can use their lips to manipulate objects in ways we can't.


Thursday, September 21, 2017

Can horses detect natural disasters?

There are lots of stories about horses predicting natural disasters. In fact, horses do have a good weather sense - I've had horses warn me about an incoming storm before. They are also aware of earthquakes well before we are.

They aren't psychic - they just have better hearing and can hear distant thunder, rain, or the rumble of a quake before we can. Horses may get very antsy during a storm - wild horses would try to move out of its path as much as possible and domestic ones don't always seem to quite grasp that the barn has a roof on it!