Behind the Average Horse & Pony

Horses are really great. I get so many people making fun of me a day for being horse crazy. They don’t know what they’re missing!

Horses and ponies have been devoted to people over the years. If it hadn’t been for those equines, we wouldn’t be here. Face it. Horses and ponies make up our entire history in just minor roles to us. Ever seen Black Beauty? They didn’t have cars. Without horses, we would all be isolated, not knowing if there was any other people or not, until cars were invented.

Equine, coming from the Latin words Equus Caballas, means a four legged animal with a string-like tail and mane.  Donkeys, mules, zebras, horses and ponies are all equines. They drink about three gallons every two days and up to eight gallons during the hot summer. The tallest horse ever was Goliath, standing at eighteen hands. A hand is four inches. The average horse is fifteen point two hands to sixteen hands high. Thoroughbreds, or racehorses, stand sixteen hands to seventeen hands. A pony is a equine of any age underneath fourteen point two hands.

When people tease me for liking horses, they tease me for cantering across fields, wind caught in my hair. They tease me for having an amazing bond with a beautiful creature. They tease me for cold winter mornings snuggled with a soft-coated, warm animal. They tease me for the nickers, the happy whinnies. They tease me for flying around an arena over three foot fences, a smile of excitement on my face. They tease me for horses. All I can do is feel sorry for them. They’ll never experience what I do.