We've all heard the saying 'a horse is a horse,' but every horse owner knows that your horse is way more than just a horse, He's your teammate, your soul mate, and your therapist. You love your horse, and you want to make sure he has everything he needs. But how, exactly, are you supposed to know how to take care of your horse?

 
Let's start by acknowledging that every horse is unique, and there's no "one size fits all" advice. That's why we always recommend working with your veterinarian, farrier, trainer, barn manager, and/or other equine professionals when making any changes to your horse's management program. That said, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind when evaluating your horse's care.
Horses have a few basic needs for survival - water, food, companionship and a place to find shelter. Let's look at each of these four areas of basic support a bit more in depth, to find ways to optimize them for your horse.

FACTS

 
*         Horses have been around in some form or other for at least 50 million years
*         Foals are born with legs 90% of their full adult length.
*         Most foals are born at night.
*         All Thoroughbreds birthdays are celebrated on the same day - August the first.
*         The world's smallest horse is the Falabella which ranges from 38 - 76 cm tall.
*         Apart from Antarctica, Australasia is the only continent with no native horses.
*         The oldest ever horse lived to be 62 year
*         Horseshoes are said to be lucky and the luckiest horseshoe of all is one from the hind leg of a black stallion.
*         Foals can stand an hour after they are born.
*         There are over 150 different breeds and types of horses.
*         There are about 750 Lac  horses in the world.
*         A horse has approximately 205 bones.
*         A horse's teeth can be used to estimate its age.
*         A zebroid or zorse is a cross between a horse and a zebra. 
*         A cross between a    zebra and a donkey is a zeedonk.

*         Breeding a male horse to a female donkey results in a hinny.
*         Mules and hinnies are almost always sterile.
*         A donkey stallion is called a jack. A donkey mare is called a jenny.
*         The smallest pony ever was a stallion named "Little Pumpkin" who was only 35 cms tall
*         The fear of horses is known as equinophobia.
*         Horses can't breathe through their mouths.
*         One of the tallest horses on record was a Percheron called Dr Le Gear. He stood 21 hands high (2.13 metres) and weighed 1 370 kilograms
*         Arab horses have 17 ribs (all other horses have 18), five lumbar vertebrae (other horses have six) and 16 tail vertebrae (other horses have 18).
*         The right hand side of a horse is called the off side. The left hand side is the near side.
*         Horses sleep between two and three hours per day. Only 45 minutes of this sleep time is spent lying down.
*         Modern horses are known as Equus  caballus. 

Breeding a male donkey to a female horse results in a mule.