The horse, Equus caballus, is a large hoofed mammal of the horse family, Equidae, known above all as a domesticated animal. It has a single oval hoof on each foot, long slender legs, a deep muscular body, a long thick neck and a large elongated head. Wild horses once ranged across Europe, the northern edge of Africa and the Palearctic as far east as China and Mongolia, and the species now lives worldwide beside people. Horses are mainly grass eaters and prefer cool temperate grasslands, steppes and savannas, though they also use semi-deserts, marshes and woodlands. They live in social groups with dominance hierarchies and are most active at dawn and dusk. Domestic horses typically live 25 to 30 years. People have used horses for food, transport, war, sport and companionship, and feral herds can damage ecosystems that have no large grazing equids of their own.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsOther or No Known Threats 1 Relationship to People Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleInvasive or Introduced Species 1 Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Comparison
NatureServe Rank CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Equidae, Taxa Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
Equus, Taxa Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
In Biome
Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
Steppe, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
Source Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
In the Other Atlases
Same As
Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: the same subject.
Also in Divinity Atlas: the same subject.
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus (Horse)
Conservation Status
Domesticated horses are abundant in many areas around the world.
Food Habits
Primarily folivores by nature, horses primarily graze on true grasses.
Habitat
Preferred habitats are cool, temperate grasslands, steppes, and savannahs, but they also occupy semi-deserts, swamps, marshes, and woodlands.
Habitat, living or extinct
Horses are adaptable and occupy a wide variety of habitats under domestication.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Horses are economically very important to humans now and historically.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive, relationship to people
Horses are also beloved companion animals
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Feral horse populations may be disruptive to ecosystems that are not adapted to the presence of large equid grazers.
Conservation Status, CITES (Przewalski's horse, then domestic horse)
Appendix I No special status
Physical Description, range mass
Range mass 227 to 900 kg
Behavior
Horses are crepuscular and have an interrupted sleeping pattern that compliments this.
Lifespan/Longevity, typical domestic lifespan, upper end
Typically, domestic horses have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years
Child Taxon Of: Equidae, Scientific Classification
Family Equidae asses, horses, and zebras
Child Taxon Of: Equus, Scientific Classification
Genus Equus asses, horses, and zebras
In Group: Odd-Toed Ungulates (Perissodactyla), Scientific Classification
Order Perissodactyla horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs
View the Source2. NatureServe: Equus caballus (Horse), NatureServe Explorer
NatureServeGlobal conservation status rankQuote, Global conservation status rank
"roundedGRank": "GNA"
3. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, University of Liverpool: AnAge entry for Equus caballus
Human Ageing Genomic Resources, University of LiverpoolLifespan, ageing, and relevant traitsQuote, Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
Maximum longevity 57 years (captivity)
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