A one-toed, hoofed grazer, domesticated on the steppes of western Eurasia. Modern breeds spread across Eurasia from about 2000 BCE, and horses have been ridden and worked ever since.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
A frightened horse's first instinct is to run; if it can't, it bites, kicks, strikes out or rears.
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Kept for riding, sport and work more than as pets.
Do people eat it?In places
Horse meat is eaten in many parts of the world. About 5 million horses are slaughtered for meat each year.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatGrassland, Farmland
ColoursBrown, Black, White, Grey
SizeLarge
Height142–163 cm at the shoulder (light riding horses)
Weight380–550 kg (riding horses); 700–1,000 kg (draft)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for25–30 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide with people, plus feral herds descended from domestic horses. These are not true wild horses.
- What it eats
- Grass and other plants. Horses are grazers, with front teeth adapted to biting off grass.
Did you know
Dozes standing up, but has to lie down for deep sleep.
Horses can doze standing up, using a “stay apparatus” in their legs, but they must lie down to reach REM sleep.
Often confused with
- Pony
A pony is a horse that stands no taller than 14.2 hands (147 cm) at the withers. Anything taller counts as a horse.
Compare side by side - Donkey
A donkey has much larger ears, which help it pick up distant sounds and cool its blood.
Compare side by side
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