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Sports such as polo and
horseball do not judge the
horse itself, but rather use the
horse as a partner for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the
horse assists this process and requires specialized training to do so, the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the rider's actions -- be it getting a ball through a goal or some other achievement. Examples of these sports of partnership between human and animal also include jousting (reenacting the skills used by medieval knights), where the main goal is for one rider to dismount the other, and buzkashi, a team game played throughout Central Asia, the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on
horseback. Filly: a female
horse under the age of four. Modern
horses are often used to re-enact their historical work purpose. One famous example is the Budweiser Clydesdales. This team of draft
horses pulls a beer wagon in a manner similar to that used prior to the invention of the modern motorized truck.
horses are used, complete with equipment that is authentic or a meticulously recreated replica, in various historical reenactments of specific periods of history, and especially famous battles.
horses also are used to preserve cultural traditions and for ceremonial purposes. Countries such as the United Kingdom still use
horse-drawn carriages to convey royalty and VIPs to and from certain culturally significant events.
horses are frequently used in television and motion pictures to add authenticity to historical dramas as well as adding charm to films set in modern-day, or even futuristic science fiction settings. The
horse frequently appears in coats of arms in heraldry. The
horse can be represented as standing, trotting, courant (running) or salient (rearing). The
horse may be saddled and bridled, harnessed, or without any harness whatsoever. The
horse features in the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. According to Chinese folklore, each animal is associated with certain personality traits, and those born in the year of the
horse are intelligent, independent and free-spirited. The
horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten living species of the family Equidae. For centuries
horses have been one of the most economically important domesticated animals, especially relied upon for farmwork and for transportation. Their importance declined following the introduction of mechanization. The history of the
horse is prominent in religion, mythology, art, transportation, agriculture, and warfare. The size of
horses varies by breed, but can also be influenced by nutrition. The general rule for cutoff in height between what is considered a
horse and a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands as measured at the withers. An animal 14.2h or over is usually considered a
horse and one less than 14.2h is a pony. However, there are exceptions to the general rule. Some smaller
horse breeds who typically produce individual
horses both under and over 14.2h are considered "
horses" regardless of height. Likewise, some pony breeds, such as the Welsh pony, share some features of
horses and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2h, but are still considered ponies.
For centuries
horses have been one of the most economically important domesticated animals, especially relied upon for farmwork and for transportation. Their importance declined following the introduction of mechanization. The history of the
horse is prominent in religion, mythology, art, transportation, agriculture, and warfare.
Sports such as polo and
horseball do not judge the
horse itself, but rather use the
horse as a partner for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the
horse assists this process and requires specialized training to do so, the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the rider's actions -- be it getting a ball through a goal or some other achievement. Examples of these sports of partnership between human and animal also include jousting (reenacting the skills used by medieval knights), where the main goal is for one rider to dismount the other, and buzkashi, a team game played throughout Central Asia, the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on
horseback. Most
horses perform work such as carrying humans or are harnessed to pull objects such as carts or plows. Hundreds of distinct
horse breeds have been developed, allowing
horses to be specialized for certain tasks; lighter
horses for racing or riding, heavier
horses for farming and other tasks requiring pulling power. Some
horses, such as the miniature
horse, can be kept as pets. In some societies,
horses are a source of food, both meat and milk; in others it is taboo to consume these products. In industrialized countries,
horses are predominantly kept for leisure and sporting pursuits, while in other parts of the world they are still used as working animals. All
horses move naturally with four basic gaits: the four-beat walk, the two-beat trot or jog, and the leaping gaits known as the canter or lope (a three-beat gait), and the gallop. Besides these basic gaits, some
horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. In addition, there are several four-beat "ambling" gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral slow gait, rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Ambling gaits are often genetic traits in specific breeds, often referred to as gaited
horses. In most cases, gaited
horses replace the standard trot, a 2-beat gait, with one of the four beat gaits. Gelding: a castrated male
horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt." epending on breed, management and environment, the domestic
horse today has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. It is uncommon, but a few
horses live into their 40s, and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy," a
horse that lived in the 19th century to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest then-living pony, died at age 56. For centuries
horses have been one of the most economically important domesticated animals, especially relied upon for farmwork and for transportation. Their importance declined following the introduction of mechanization. The history of the
horse is prominent in religion, mythology, art, transportation, agriculture, and warfare.
The
horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten living species of the family Equidae.