Trinity Clark
Editor-In-Chief
Probably the best combination of terrifying and captivating, horses are difficult but highly rewarding pets to keep. In reality though, horses are more so in charge of their owners and riders than the other way around.
Humans have literally been riding off the backs of horses for thousands of years. As stated by Nigel Tallis for The British Museum Blog, horses were first used by humans in 3500 B.C. It is not an exaggeration to say that without horses, the earliest civilizations would not have been able to function like they did. Horses were used in everything from transportation to war and due to their essential roles, horses were seen as symbols of prestige. Stallions from the Middle East were highly desired in places like Britain, so breeding and trading of these impressive animals was extremely common.
To say the power held by horses is terrifying is not an overstatement. In an article by wonderpolis.org titled “How Strong Is a Horse?”, a statement was made that large breeds of horses can “pull up to 2,500 pounds or more!” In terms of speed, the average speed for horses is 27 miles per hour according to Jennifer Forsberg Meyer at horseandrider.com. However, a thoroughbred racehorse has clocked speeds of 44mph, and a Quarter Horse has clocked an even faster speed of 55mph. For comparison, the fastest speed a human, Usain Bolt, has ever ran is 27.5mph. This is not to demean Bolt’s achievement especially since I, being lazy, could never imagine meeting this peak of human performance, however, this comparison shows that our equine friends far out run their riders.
What may be even more impressive than their speed, is perhaps their ability to become perfectly in time with their riders as seen at many of the talent shows featuring horses. From bowing, to trotting in perfect step, horses can be some of the best trained and most loyal animals that have ever partnered with humans. I believe the steadfastness of horses, especially in the way they allow us to interact with them, is one of the most impressive things about them.
Nowadays, many people dream of being a horse rider with shows like Heartland giving them the downright hilarious idea that riding a horse is something that can be achieved through innate talent. While I know that most people understand that horse riding is obviously harder than it appears in shows, I want to make a quick mention of how hard it is to genuinely care for and ride horses.
Horses are known for being finicky and oftentimes become spooked at the worst of times. Due to their large eyes, horses have great peripheral vision, and, without training, many movements can mean the difference between sitting and falling for a rider. Not to mention, that since one may be fastened onto the horse, falling off does not always mean hitting the ground. Instead, it can mean being dragged, kicked, stomped on, crushed, etc. Please also do not forget just how large these creatures are. Horses usually weigh about 1,000lbs and are supposed to be fed 1.5% (as advised by Shea Porr et. Al in “Managing Horses Prone to Obesity) of the weight, so 15lbs. of food a day.
Of course, I do not mean to discourage anyone from getting close to these majestic creatures, but I write these words as a simple warning for those who may not have understood the respect that is needed to be had when riding horses.
Image Credit: Europeana
Commentaires