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Like many other domestic animals horses
were first used by humans as food. Roast horse was a popular item on
the menu in cave restaurants, but chasing horses into traps or pits
to catch them was an exhausting job. Eventually, some bright
cave-person hit on a brilliant idea. Why not sit on the back of a
tame horse when you need to chase the wild ones? Taming a wild horse
was not easy, but once the horse got used to having a human on its
back, this new form of transport was a great success. Horses have
been used in battles and other tasks, such as
ploughing fields, playing polo, racing and even milk production.
These days there are lots of different breeds of horses, from tiny
Shetland ponies to giant plough-horses.
How Horses
Talk to Each Other
Horses are very social animals. When they run around together,
horses use their tails to signal to each other. For instance,
tail up means “Go!” Tail down means “Stop!” These
messages help to prevent horses running into each other, the way
brake lights do on a car. When horses point their tails right up to
the sky, they are really having fun and showing off.
When strange
horses meet they investigate each other thoroughly. To begin with, a
horse will raise his head as high as possible to get a good view,
and he shoots his ears forward to listen properly. Then the horses
begin to chatter, starting with long shrieks that mean, “Who are
you?” If the horses have met before and are good friends, they soon
begin to exchange short whinnies which mean, “Good to see you—are we
still chums?” When two horses get close,
they lower their heads and breathe in deeply. This allows them to
sniff each other and work out which group each of them belongs to.
To let another horse
or a human know that he is angry a horse turns his head quickly in
the direction of his opponent. His ears will be pinned back and he
may bare his teeth by pulling his top lip up and making his nose
wrinkly. He may lunge forward at the same time. If he is going to
kick, he will tend to lash his tail from side to side first. If
these threats are ignored the other horse or the human may be badly
injured by the angry horses’ teeth and hooves.
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HOW TO SAY 'HELLO' TO A HORSE
To say “hello” to a horse, you
have to show that you mean no harm. Never rush up to a horse.
Let him come to you. Gently offer your hand so he can sniff it. He
will not bite but he may well lick your hand to taste you. Be extra gentle with foals. They are more likely
to panic than adult horses.
If the owner says
it's OK, you can offer the horse a piece of food from your hand.
Hold out your hand as flat as can be and place your thumb straight
alongside your fingers. The horse will use your hand as a dinner
plate. He may push the food around on your hand before he eats it.
This can tickle but it doesn’t hurt.
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