Horsing Around: Horses and humans have been partners for 4,000 years or more

I was a horse-crazy little girl, and my love for equines has never diminished. Members of the horse family (Equidae)range from the horses I grew up with, quarter horses — so named for their speed in races of one-quarter mile or less — to fleet thoroughbreds, powerful Percherons and stocky ponies and miniature horses.

All domestic horses belong to the same species: Equus caballus. Other members of the genus Equus are donkeys (Equus asinus), the Asiatic ass (Equus hemionus), the kiang (Equus kiang) and the zebra (Equus grevyi, Equus zebra and Equus burchelli). Mules are a domestic equine hybrid created by breeding a male donkey and a female horse. True wild horses, from Asia, are often considered a separate species (Equus przewalskii). Let’s look at some of the interesting facts and characteristics that make horses so special and loved around the world.

• All thoroughbred horses trace their origins to three stallions imported from the Middle East to England in the 17th and 18th centuries: the Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Godolphin Arabian. Bred to English mares, they produced horses with speed and stamina and changed the face of horse racing. Modern thoroughbreds have branched out to show jumping, dressage, polo, and other equine sports, and they contributed to the development of quarter horses, standardbreds and warmbloods, to name just a few.

• Hanoverians, a warmblood breed developed in Germany, originated as cavalry horses, and are now famed for theirathleticism. They’re often seen competing in the Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing and show jumping. Riders on Hanoverians have taken the gold in all three Olympic equestrian competitions.

• Raise your hand if your favorite childhood horse book was “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry.Chincoteague ponies, which became an official breed in 1994, are thought to descend from horses that escaped from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon off the Maryland or Virginia coasts in the 16th century, a belief backed by science. The “pony penning” event made famous by Henry’s story still occurs on Assateague and Chincoteague Islands every July. Find out more here: chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html.

• Draft horses, typically thought of as pulling plows on farms, are large and muscular. Modern draft horses have moved beyond the farm and can be found competing in draft horse shows and driving and pulling competitions, participating in parades, and working for logging operations in areas where motorized vehicles can’t operate. They’ve also contributed to the development of various warmblood breeds. Draft horse breeds include Clydesdale, Percheron, Friesian, Haflinger, Shire, Suffolk punch and many more.

• Throughout the world there are approximately 189 breeds of donkey. Donkeys are domesticated equines and descend from African wild asses (Equus africanus). In most countries, donkeys are working animals, used to carry burdens or pull carts, but on farms and ranches, they are becoming favored as livestock guardians, thanks to their territorial nature and powerful kick. Donkeys kept as companions are known for being smart, friendly, and playful. The Spanish and Portuguese word “burro” can refer to small donkeys or to feral donkeys found west of the Rocky Mountains. Donkeys can breed with zebras, and their offspring are known as zonkeys.

• For a horse lover, few things are as special as seeing horses in the wild. I’ve been privileged to see wild Przewalski’shorses — also known as takhi — in Mongolia and domestic horses living wild in Arizona. Rare and endangered, takhi have distinguishing characteristics that include dun (light-colored) coats with dark manes, tails and legs, and primitive markings — most commonly a dorsal stripe and sometimes horizontal stripes on legs, transverse shoulder stripes (also seen on donkeys), face masks and lighter hairs, called “frosting,” on dark manes and tails. The mustangs in Arizona likely descend from Spanish horses brought to the West in the 16th century. They live in protected areas and can be seen on horseback rides or along the Salt River from kayaks, paddleboards, or tubes.

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker. Pet Connection is produced by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, journalist Kim Campbell Thornton, and dog trainer/behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. ©2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pet Connection: Facts and characteristics of horses