Thread: info on horses

I was wondering several things about horses which feature quite prominently in a story of mine.

-how long on average, can a fully grown horse go on running before it simply has to stop?
-how fast does a horse run (mph)?
-is a horses coat called fur/hair or is it simply called its coat?
-how often do horses need feeding, resting and watering if travelling with their riders for long distances?
-do they always sleep standing up?

Answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated!

It is not unheard of for horses to obey their riders and keep going until they die. I'm not certain how far that is. A thoroughbred can run about 35 mph or maybe a little faster. It can only keep that up for a mile or two at the most. A Quarterhorse can go a little faster but only for a quarter mile - hence the name. A horse that has not been specifically bred for racing will max out a little slower 20 or 25 mph. Call the fur its coat. A horse eating grass must graze almost 24/7 with no time left for work or traveling. The horse can not digest grass very efficiently and the grass goes right through the horse almost intact. To get work or travel out of a horse the human must feed it grain (oats) which is much more nutrious and more efficiently digested by the horse. Horses are fairly adaptable and will eat and drink when the rider lets it. The horse can survive several days on one meal and several oportunities to drink each day. Remember the old saying about leading a horse to water but you can't make him drink. The horse will drink when he wants to. As for rest, the rider will probably want to stop and rest his or her saddle sores before the horse needs to rest. Yes, horses sleep standing up. If a horse goes down, it is usually a sign of something wrong. It is a primordial instinct. It is easier to run away from preditors if the horse is already on its feet.

Mature horses most frequently rest in a standing position. The 'stay apparatus' of the forelegs and 'check apparatus' (functions of the leg tendons and ligaments) of the hind legs allows them to rest and relax while not falling down. Lying down is actually more stressful for a horse than standing. Their own weight causes pressure on their internal organs. But most horses will lie down for a brief rest every day if they have a comfortable place to do so.

How Horses Sleep - How Long and How Horses Sleep

I never saw my horses laying down when we had them. I have watched my younger horse swaying as he slept standing up(after a looonng ride.)

Like the reply says, they can continue til they drop(dead). My horses on the long trail rides slowed and would fall alseep walking. When they kept going straight when the rest turned, I knew something was up.

Feeding: twice a day, never feed grain when they are hot.(killer colic) Wait for them to cool down.

Horses can zone(probably sleeping with thier eyes open.) Thats why you talk to them before walking up on them. I walked up behind my horse properly, when my hand touched his flank he jerked awake.

If riding a horse, if you ride into a stream(knee deep to horse or deeper) on a hot day, the horse might paw at the water, a clear sign they intend to lay down in the water, with rider on their back.

You might want to pick your breed, or the breed you want to most closely link your story too. Draft horses can pull greater weights, but are slower. Ponies are smaller horses, they can't pull as much as bigger horses. Gaited horses move at different speeds then non-gaited horses.
Horses bred for speed will be faster.

Horses have personalities. If you pay attention to how they act and react, they can tell you what their seeing or thinking.
I was holding my horse (that I saw 1 day after birth, and butted heads with during his puberty(studdy is he----very stressful) He was standing quietly, then his head turned intent on something, his eyes fixed on something, I asked him: "What do you see?" with a smile, then look towards the way he was looking, a woman was in trouble with a horse on a lead rope, pulled down the second time when I saw her. She was a little bit away from the crowd, so it might have taken a little while for us to notice.

I learned how to handle a horse with our colt(Redd), so I was really close with him, I prefered to ride him over all other horses in the groups. I only rode our other horse in the medevil games because Redd had an abcess in a hoof. So when we won, Redd's brother got the title.

If you have other horse questions just ask. I have experience in trail, wagon train, and medievil equestrian games. (Some friends on the IJA, but I did not have enough riding exp to joust.)

Funny note; horses loose their teeth like humans. NO one told us this. We came in one day and found our young horses front teeth loose, one bleeding. First thought was another horse kicked him, but after several phone calls to several horse people, we found out that they loose thier baby teeth for bigger nippers.

Hope I didn't bore you.

Really useful information thanks for taking the time to reply, guys!

The horse breed I would need for the story would be one that could carry its rider long distances.

I was also wondering, how do horses react to cold - as in travelling through snow and across icy terrain?

Not well.

Unless the temps aren't too extreme, I generally don't ride in the winter for a reason. Winter brings a wealth of problems, from too much hair (winter coat) and the horse can't cool down properly, to slipping on ice, falling on ice, strained and/or pulled tendons and ligaments and even pulled radio (not sue if that's the right word; the vet had been talking sorta fast that day) nerves, and most of that can happen when the horse is riderless and at a walk. Hooves aren't designed like snowshoes. A horse can get bogged down pretty easily in deep snow and the hooves themselves can get snow balling up in them, hence the pulled tendons and nerves. Think Bambi on ice. And no, shoes would not help. They'd make it worse, in fact.

Breeds of people make breeds of horses. Find peoples with similar lifestyles to your MCs people. The answers may surprise you.

Peoples to check out:
Mongols ride Mongolian horses. Very tough, short, enduring horses. Cope well with heat and cold.
Vikings ride a Norwegian Fjord Horse. They're like sturdy mini draft horses. Good for rough terrain and cold climate.
Bedouins ride Arabians. Fast, enduring, hot climate horses.
Knights. Check out Friesians and Percherons (which are a bit too big for the Destrier role, but would work)
For good mention, look up donkeys

Also look into temperament and uses for the breed. What do these people need?

Seigfried, did you mean mules (re donkeys)? Many people who know, prefer mules to horses. Mules are less excitable than horses and have a tougher hide. Probably some other advantages, too.

Originally Posted by seigfried007

Breeds of people make breeds of horses. Find peoples with similar lifestyles to your MCs people. The answers may surprise you.

Peoples to check out:
Mongols ride Mongolian horses. Very tough, short, enduring horses. Cope well with heat and cold.
Vikings ride a Norwegian Fjord Horse. They're like sturdy mini draft horses. Good for rough terrain and cold climate.
Bedouins ride Arabians. Fast, enduring, hot climate horses.
Knights. Check out Friesians and Percherons (which are a bit too big for the Destrier role, but would work)
For good mention, look up donkeys

Also look into temperament and uses for the breed. What do these people need?

At the moment, horses that can cope with low temperatures and icy/snowy terrain. I've written one novel where the weather is very hot, and the sequel takes place in the winter which is very harsh. It's also a fantasy tale - so including "real life" breed - eg. Fjord horses might not work considering the story does not take place in this world but I think researching the different breeds you listed could help a lot. Thanks again, guys

There are tradeoffs with speed and stamina. If a horse doesn't go flat-out (there's an easy swinging gait that some can be taught or do naturally called a 'lope') it can last longer, just like if you're running. Some horses are better over long distances than others depending on breed, size, lung capacity, etc. Pretty much, again, like people. Some are just naturally better suited to it.

Horses have hair, referred to as the 'coat'. They grow a thick undercoat in the winter and shed it in spring.

Our horses sometimes slept lying down. They more usually sleep standing up, though.

As for the feeding/watering over long distance travel, I'm not sure, I've never done that. I would think that especially with hard travel the horses would need watered fairly often and fed less regularly though that might be tough on them if it goes many days. (horses are grazing animals, used to wandering around snacking as they go if they aren't doing anything else)

Incidentally, if you've never seen a horse roll to scratch its back you can watch this video. Always good for a chuckle.

Cute video, Foxee.

Joe loves to roll, but only in his favorite spot. I moved him and Pete to a new pasture with longer grass and didn't understand for a bit why Joe seemed a touch "off." When I moved him back, the first thing he did was drop in his favorite dirt spot and lay there, flat out, for easily five minutes. Then he rolled and scratched and went on something terrible. After he got up and shook, he gave me one heck of a long, dirty look. My bad.

You absolutely rotten owner, you. Sheesh, you're supposed to be able to read his horsey mind.

Oh, I know! Most times I can. Then there are the times when he figures I should know.

Originally Posted by Hawke

Not well.

Unless the temps aren't too extreme, I generally don't ride in the winter for a reason. Winter brings a wealth of problems, from too much hair (winter coat) and the horse can't cool down properly, to slipping on ice, falling on ice, strained and/or pulled tendons and ligaments and even pulled radio (not sue if that's the right word; the vet had been talking sorta fast that day) nerves, and most of that can happen when the horse is riderless and at a walk. Hooves aren't designed like snowshoes. A horse can get bogged down pretty easily in deep snow and the hooves themselves can get snow balling up in them, hence the pulled tendons and nerves. Think Bambi on ice. And no, shoes would not help. They'd make it worse, in fact.

Snow also covers holes and other obstacles that might hurt a horse.
Horse shoes are smooth and flat, on ice they are probably like ice skates. While the hoof is also flat, the horse can "feel" the difference.

Like some one else said pick the people that live closest to your story and base the horse the horse used by the people.
If the world has breeders, the horse will be bred to fit their needs. If horses are only caught wild and trained then the horse might not fit perfectly to the enviroment. Nature will adapt over time, but man breeds it into or out of the breed as needed.

Originally Posted by SeverinR

If the world has breeders, the horse will be bred to fit their needs. If horses are only caught wild and trained then the horse might not fit perfectly to the enviroment. Nature will adapt over time, but man breeds it into or out of the breed as needed.

Ah, but the environment forms the breed into what the horse needs to survive in that area. If the land is hot and arid, human beings need not breed the horse to fit the bill. They'll get large nostrils, small bodies, good bone, short coats and the ability to live on nothing--all on their own. All humans need do is select from the wild herd and breed for temperament qualities or to suit a job.

The environment is the biggest factor for traits. A nomadic people in an arid place will find wild horses that suit the heat fine; a rocky, cold terrain will already have indigenous short-legged, heavy bodied, big-headed sturdy horses with thick bones and cool dispositions.

Originally Posted by seigfried007

Ah, but the environment forms the breed into what the horse needs to survive in that area. If the land is hot and arid, human beings need not breed the horse to fit the bill. They'll get large nostrils, small bodies, good bone, short coats and the ability to live on nothing--all on their own. All humans need do is select from the wild herd and breed for temperament qualities or to suit a job.

The environment is the biggest factor for traits. A nomadic people in an arid place will find wild horses that suit the heat fine; a rocky, cold terrain will already have indigenous short-legged, heavy bodied, big-headed sturdy horses with thick bones and cool dispositions.

Thats true if available nature will adapt the animal to its climate. Man just uses selective breeding to help do it faster.

The Americas didn't have native horses before Europeans brought them. Now in parts the US we have vast wild herds of horses. I haven't heard of a study, but I bet the wild horse of today do better with the enviroment then the first horses across the ocean. I would also say if the breeders did so inteligently they got a horse better suited then if just randomly bred.

If a horse exists in the area, it probably has or is adapting to the area. Man also has the option of getting horses from a like climate and bringing to the new land.