Horse Facts for Kids

A Picture of Horse
  • Name: Horse
  • Genus: Equus
  • Species: E. ferus
  • Trinomial Name: Equus ferus caballus (subspecies)
  • Lifespan: Between 25 and 30 years
  • Diet: Herbivorous
  • Range: Worldwide (Domesticated)

24 Horse Facts for Kids

  1. Horses are members of the Equus genus.
  2. The trinomial name for horses is Equus ferus caballus.
  3. Horses first appeared on our planet around 50 million years ago.
  4. Horses can be found in every country around the world, except on the Antarctica continent.
  5. Horses have been domesticated by humans.
  6. It’s estimated humans first domesticated horses between 3000 and 4000 B.C. in Asia.
  7. Horses have a lifespan between 25 and 30 years depending on the breed, environment and management.
  8. Horses are herbivores and eat vegetation.
  9. Domesticated horses also eat barley, bran, hay and rolled oats.
  10. A horse can walk between 3.1 and 5 miles per hour.
  11. A horse can gallop between 25 and 30 miles per hour.
  12. An adult male horse is called a stallion.
  13. A young male horse is called a colt.
  14. An adult female horse is called a mare.
  15. A young female horse is called a filly.
  16. Female horses have a gestation period (conception to birth) of about 11 months.
  17. A new born horse can walk within a few hours of birth.
  18. There are over 400 horse breeds around the world.
  19. Thoroughbreds are one of the best-known horse breeds because of their popularity in horse racing.
  20. Arabian horses are one of the oldest horse breeds in the world, dating back 4,500 years in the Middle East.
  21. Friesian horses are common in movies and television shows due to their colors and striking appearance.
  22. Mustangs are horses that are free-roaming (feral, not domesticated) in the Western United States.
  23. On Monday, May 12th, 2008 a horse named Winning Brew set the world record for the fastest two furlongs at 43.97 miles per hour.
  24. The horse Old Billy has the record for the longest lifespan, Old Billy lived to be 62 years old.

Additional Resources on Horses

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