TRUE OR FALSE: There’s one member of the animal kingdom (you can think of it if you try) that seems in virtually all ways to be engineered to be useful to humans.
T / F
Please scroll down.
…
Keep scrolling.
…
Just a bit more…
…
Almost there…
…
(Honest! Keep going.)
…
T is correct. At least, in my opinion it is! How else do you explain the extraordinary makeup of horses, so perfectly tailored for friendship and service? Just compare the horse to other mammals:
• Unlike deer or antelope, for example, the horse has a large frame, strong back, sturdy legs, and solid hooves, all of which make it possible for him to support not only his own weight, but ours as well.
• Unlike cattle or oxen, the horse has a back with rounded contours, making him comfortable to sit on for hours at a time—even without a saddle. (The boniest horse is a sofa compared to a cow.)
• Unlike most hooved animals, the horse has no horns or antlers on his head, making him much safer to be around. (Imagine an antlered horse in fly season!)
Even some of the horse’s finer details—accessories, if you will—seem engineered for our benefit. Consider the interdental space, that odd little gap between his front incisors and rear molars, which makes the wearing of a bit possible.
Or the withers, which help position and stabilize us (not to mention a saddle) on his back. Or the mane, that super-convenient hand-hold.
Or, moving into even finer amenities, his coat colors—every natural hue you can imagine, plus dazzling patterns of white…all of which make the horse—let’s face it—utterly irresistible to us.
BUT! As pleasing and convenient as all these physical characteristics are, none of them would matter if the horse were untamable.
But no–the horse is in fact among THE most trainable creatures on earth, with a phenomenal memory and a disposition that makes him willing, often eager, to bear us and do our bidding.
Where would we be without the horse? Think of it—it’s a lot to be thankful for.
LIKE TRIVIA? Sign up for The Ride, Horse&Rider’s free newsletter, which brings you educational trivia questions plus a wealth of other great information every week.