Number of horses in Russia
According to statistical data, there were still 19,357 thousand of all horses in the USSR, these horses were distributed by region as follows: in the consuming zone - 6,781 tons, in the producing zone - 5,818 tons, Ukraine and Crimea - 3,474 tons, North Caucasus - 941 tons, Siberia - 3,069 tons, Kyrgyzstan - 1,242 tons.
Digital data show that out of 19,357 tons of horses in Russia, 70% of the horses are short (below 2 arshins), weak, narrow-chested, weak-backed, with a skinny croup, and bad legs. Such horses are unsuitable for working in plows, hay mowers, and reapers; they are unable to work on heavy soils and perform deep plowing.
In a cart, such horses carry no more than 500 kg. When removing manure and transporting heavy loads with small loading, the peasant spends an extremely large amount of time. Raising this type of horse is unprofitable for the farm. To raise a peasant horse , you need to spend a lot of money on its feed for 3 years, while its selling price is half the cost of raising it. It is not surprising that before the war the increase in peasant horses almost stopped, while abroad the number of horses continues to grow rapidly. Even in America, where tractors
introduced for tillage on many farms, the number of horses is still growing. In Canada (North America) from 1913 to 1922, 138 thousand cars and 47 thousand tractors came into use in the villages, but at the same time, during the same time, horses increased by 782 thousand and, in addition, from 10 to 15 thousands of horses were exported to Europe every year.
In our country, the main labor force in the peasant economy was and still is the horse. It depends on its health, strength and quality whether the field will be satisfactorily cultivated or not; Often a peasant farm is destroyed by the death of a horse. Therefore, we need to take steps to increase the number of horses, improve the quality of our horse, increase its height, weight and strength.
Conditions for keeping
By following all the rules for keeping animals, a horse breeder will be able to raise a large and healthy herd.
Stable
Most owners prefer to keep their horses in a stable.
The premises requirements are as follows:
- For reliable thermal insulation, the outer walls are made of wood, and the inner walls are made of brick.
- The roof is constructed from highly durable fireproof material. The ceiling is insulated, especially if there is an attic in the stable.
- Floors are laid from non-slip materials that do not absorb moisture, for example, expanded clay concrete. It is better to avoid wooden or adobe floors, as the former quickly become unusable, and the latter require frequent cleaning.
Skeletal structure of a horse
The basis of a horse is a skeleton consisting of a number of bones. The bones of a good horse should be of a certain length and thickness, in accordance with the type of horse. The articular ends of the bones should be well developed. The skinny ends of the bones have insufficiently developed ligaments, which, when the horse is working, predisposes the ligaments of these joints to sprain. The bones connect to each other at known angles. This or that angle is of significant importance for the horse's performance.
The bones of the fore and hind limbs are located to each other at known angles. The sharper the angles formed by the bones, the more capable the limb is of lengthening, the longer the animal’s step and jump. With obtuse angles, the span of the bones is smaller, but the muscles need less tension. Long bones also have long muscles that are capable of significant shortening.
Such muscles are capable of developing a high speed of contraction. Thick muscles have a short contraction length, but have great strength. The large length of the bones of the scapula of the shoulder and thigh, their rectangular, but not obtuse-angled joint, and the well-developed muscles of these bones give the horse a long and elastic stride.
Head office
Horses' heads should be proportional to their body. But the appearance of the profile depends on the structure of the facial bones. The head can be:
- pike (concave);
- straight;
- hook-nosed.
Disadvantages include very small or very large head sizes. This department consists of the following parts:
- ears;
- frontal lobe;
- temporal lobe;
- organs of vision;
- cheekbones;
- cheeks;
- bridge of the nose;
- the nasal part, consisting of nostrils;
- oral part;
- ganaches.
Horses can have different shapes and lengths of ears, it all depends on the breed characteristics. Prominent ears are considered a defect. The eyes also come in different sizes and shapes; preference is given to individuals with large almond-shaped eyes. The more prominent the eyes, the better the animal's vision.
Horse with pike profile
The norm is that the horse has large, wide open nostrils and a large distance between the ganaches, which ensures proper functioning of the respiratory system.
Horse body parts
Horse's head
. The length of the head is measured from the occipital crest to the line connecting the inner corners of the nasal openings. The length of the head in Western horses is 40% of the length of the horse, while in Eastern horses it is 35%. The width of the forehead of the horse's skull is 1/3 of the head, and the width between the nostrils is 1/2 of the forehead.
A horse’s massive, heavy head, with a short, low-set neck, is a defect for a riding horse, since it does not allow the horse’s center of gravity to be easily moved, but for a draft horse it is acceptable. Looking at a horse from the side, the following head shapes are distinguished: straight, semi-humpback (convex nose), mutton (crown and forehead are convex), humpback (crown, forehead and nose are convex), pike (concave nose), pork (concave forehead).
Horse ears
There are: normal - medium size, mobile, slightly drooping, mouse - very small, donkey - long, standing, cow - long and saggy. The horse's ears, bending down when a person approaches, especially in combination with the gaze of the eyes, speak of the animal's anger.
horse neck
The connection of the neck with the head is called the position, and the connection of the neck with the body is called the neck position.
The neck making 45° with the spine forms the correct posture. At a higher angle, when the throat is almost vertical, there will be a high neck. A neck set at a lesser angle or even horizontally will be low-set and unsuitable for riding horses, but is not a defect for carriage horses.
The depression of the neck in front of the withers is called the notch. With a significant neckline, it is easy to press the withers with a clamp.
The shape of the neck is: swan, perverse, deer, short, ham, long, plank.
Horse withers
make up 12 spinous processes of the dorsal vertebrae. In a riding horse, it is 4 cm higher than the sacrum. In carriage horses, the withers are shorter and lower. Withers extending over 12 vertebrae are found in good horses. High withers are very often subject to pressure from the collar, saddle and saddle.
Horse's back
place from the withers to the first lumbar vertebra. A good back in riding horses occupies 6 dorsal vertebrae and, together with the loin, equals 1/3 of the length of the body. A good back is either straight or slightly concave. In draft horses, the back has a significant concavity. In addition to the correct one, the back may be humpbacked - this is a strong back, but shaking for riding, saddle with a large concavity - this is often the case in old horses, especially in mares that have foaled frequently.
Horse loin
formed by six lumbar vertebrae. This is the weakest place in the horse’s skeleton, and therefore the shorter the loin, the longer the transverse processes of the vertebrae, the more widely they are covered with full, convex muscles, the stronger this part is, and the more reliable the horse is for work. A sunken lower back is often caused by a sprain of the iliopsoas joint.
Horse croup or rump
The place located between the lower back and the tail in a horse is called the croup or sacrum. The basis of the sacrum is made up of the sacral, pelvic and two or three caudal vertebrae. In the lower part of the croup gradually merges with the buttocks or thighs.
The length, width and direction of the bones, the volume of the muscles in this area are of great importance for the particular work of the horse. In fast horses, the rump should be as long as possible; in heavy horses, for example, it should be less long, but it should be wide. The length of the rump must be at least one third of the horse's body; in riding horses even a longer length is desirable.
In draft horses, and partly also in riding horses, the sacrum in the rear is more sloping than in riding horses. .
External angles of the iliac bones
called molocks; prominent molocks are called horned. Mo-locks are very often subject to bruises and fractures, and therefore, when viewed from behind, such mo-locks seem asymmetrical. When the horse has fractures, the horse often sidesteps (walks with the damaged side forward).
Horse tail
formed by the tail vertebrae, muscles and skin with modified hair. The connection of the tail to the rump is called setting. The tail can be set high, low, with a sloping rump, stuck in, i.e. sticking out from the gap between the muscles. With old age, the caudal vertebrae become less mobile, and therefore sometimes horse dealers, turning the tail, judge the horse’s old age by the low mobility of the vertebrae.
horse chest
- the space between the shoulder joints and the forelimbs to the belly. A good chest for a riding horse is about 36 cm wide, or three quarters of the length of the body. The falcon is level with the shoulder joints.
The lion's chest is wide, fleshy and fat. Narrow chest, significantly less than 36 cm. Racehorses have a chest somewhat less than 36 cm, but in most cases it is deep and long, with good rounded ribs, and therefore is not vicious.
Horse Cock Breast
wide with a prominent hawk.
Horse ribs
the space behind the shoulder blade and shoulder to the groin; Steep and long ribs are good for draft horses, flat and short ribs are vicious. With them, the horse is unsuitable for hard work, as well as for fast running. In the lower and partly back part of the last ribs, when a horse is fired, there is a so-called ignition groove.
Horse groin
the distance between the last rib and the molock. The width of a good groin should not be more than the width of an average palm. A long groin, one and a half to two palms wide, usually occurs with a long loin, but is not desirable for a horse.
Horse belly
the space between the chest and pubic bones. A good belly is in line with the lower part of the chest and only rises slightly upward from the navel.
A lean belly, strongly pulled up, occurs in particularly hot horses and with intestinal diseases. A barrel-shaped, swollen belly is called a hay belly. A hay belly occurs when a horse is fed rough and bulky feed.
Tail
The tail is formed by a rib and hair. The last extension of the spine is called the reticulum. Thanks to the muscles, the mobility of the tail is ensured.
Horse tail
The tail not only helps horses protect themselves from blood-sucking insects, but also plays a role in coordinating movements. Today, many horse owners braid their pets' tails with ribbons.
Horse forelimbs
Horse shoulder blades
A good shoulder blade with its upper end touches the base of the withers and is so long that its lower end is level with the chest bone. About a plumb line it forms an angle of 45. The muscles on it should be convex and elastic. The scapular ridge should not protrude from under them. With a short and vertical blade, the result is a narrow and connected step.
Horse shoulder joint
located slightly below the junction of the neck and body. Shoulder, i.e. The area of the humerus with muscles, in a well-built horse, forms a right angle with the shoulder blade. Long, convex and elastic muscles of the shoulder and shoulder blade are a prerequisite for a good, spacious and swaggering stride.
Horse Elbow
should be wide and long enough and pointing slightly back. On the olecranon process there is very often a so-called spinous nodule, which is most likely a defect in the area than a defect. The width of a good elbow is twice as wide as the forearm at the wrist.
Horse forearm
A good forearm can be considered one that is one third longer than the metacarpus, it should have wide, convex muscles. In case of flabbiness and weakness of these muscles, propping up the limbs is difficult, the limb bends. When these muscles are paralyzed, the horse drags its leg along the ground with the toe wall of the hoof .
Horse wrist
or the front knee consists of a whole series of bones. It should be wide enough to bear the weight of the body and so that the ligaments are powerful. A good pastern is considered to be one whose length is equal to 2/3 the length of the forearm. The position of the pastern is vertical; hard tendons should be clearly visible on the side of the pastern under the skin. With a short pastern, the step is long but low; with a long pastern, the opposite is true.
In the area of the metacarpus there are tendon thickenings—brockdowns, nodules, fillings, and bones. More than a third of horses, especially draft horses, have bones on the inside of the pastern. If such bones are not located near the tendons, then they are only a defect of Beauty, while bones that come close to the tendons cause inflammation of the tendons.
horse puto
has an inclination to a plumb line of 45° and is on the same axis with the underlying coronoid and coffin bones. The articular ends of the fetlock and metacarpal bones must be well developed, since otherwise the ligaments of this joint are easily subject to sprains.
The femoral joint also gives rise to frequent sprains and inflammation of the periosteum, which inflammation ends in hoop-shaped thickenings or, as they are called, toads.
Horse's hind legs
Hip. The base of the thigh is the femur. A good thigh should be long, from top to bottom and from back to front and form a right angle with the ilium. A very long femur has a more horizontal position and causes the leg to move too far forward, making the movement less successful. The short thigh has a vertical position and the legs move back. The thigh muscles dry out in many diseases of the hind limb. The femoral joint is often subject to sprains.
Horse beret
between the knee and the hock joint is formed by the tibia. This bone forms an obtuse angle with the femur. A good tibia should be 1/3 longer than the metatarsus. In a good working and especially riding horse, the thigh muscles should be long, wide, convex and widened like cavalry trousers.
Hock joint in a horse
consists of a number of bones connected by a complex ligamentous apparatus. Tendons pass through this joint, and there are mucous bursae on it; It is not surprising that this joint is often subject to frequent and complex diseases. The saber-shaped hock joint, the cow joint, when the hock joints are close together and the limbs diverge downwards, are often the cause of the formation of spar, i.e. bone growth on the inside of the hock joint.
On the hock joint, in addition, on the back surface of the calcaneus, there may be a growth (kurba); at the end of the calcaneus, inflammation of the mucous bursa - pishak; iodine with the Achilles tendon of the viburnum mucous bursa.
Horse hooves
In terms of exterior appearance, one or another hoof structure is of enormous importance. There is no horse without a hoof, and rightly so. With a bad hoof, a perfectly built horse is not suitable for work. The hoof may have scars on it, which indicates a former inflammatory process in it, from feeding, from feeding, and under the influence of improper work, medicinal substances and other reasons.
Sometimes the consequence of these inflammations is a complete painful change in the hoof and even the coffin bone. The hooves can be oblique, butt-shaped, flat, or full with a convex sole. All these hoof defects devalue the horse to a greater or lesser extent.
Positioning the horse's legs
When examining a horse's legs, you need to pay attention to their correct position. When viewing the forelimbs from the front, as well as from the side, the direction of the limbs should coincide with the plumb line; only the puto, crown and hoof should point forward at an angle of 45°.
With legs diverging, converging, clubbed outward, clubfooted inward, put forward, placed under the belly, the joints, ligaments, hoof walls are burdened unevenly, which causes various kinds of diseases in these parts.
The position of the hind legs, when viewed from the side, is considered correct when the back surface of the hock joint touches a plumb line lowered from the ischial tuberosity, while the back surface of the metatarsus follows the same vertical direction, but does not touch this line. When viewed from behind, the hind legs should also coincide with the plumb line.
Basics or articles
The study of anatomy begins with an examination of the skeleton and parts of the animal. The horse skeleton consists of 252 bones that perform motor and support functions. The bones of such a large but very dynamic animal are subject to large static loads. Therefore, the skeleton is very strong. For comparison, horse bones can withstand compression 2-3 times greater than granite, and in terms of tensile strength they are close to cast iron or brass.
You can find out in more detail what the horse’s skeleton is made of, as well as how many bones there are, by looking at the photo.
Horse skeleton - diagram
Stati
This is a part of the horse's body that performs a specific function in its body. Examining an animal according to its characteristics, taking into account age and gender, allows you to accurately assess its external characteristics and identify its advantages and disadvantages. During a professional examination, the exterior is assessed according to several dozen items, which are combined into three groups: 1- head, neck, torso, croup; 2 – limbs; 3 – build or constitution.
Horse statistics - diagram
Type of horse movement
Normal horse movements include walk, trot, gallop, amble, and quarry.
Horse step
Lynx
When trotting, the horse simultaneously raises and lowers diagonally located limbs at 2 tempos. The average trot speed of a draft horse over a short distance with a light load is 12 versts.
Gallop
This movement consists of first lowering one of the hind legs to the ground, then the other two, located diagonally, and finally the remaining front leg. Galloping is very tiring for the horse, as there are times when the entire weight of the horse's body rests on only one hind leg.
Amble
there is an accelerated movement in 2 tempos, in which the legs of one side alternate with the movement of the legs of the other side. Ambling is found in Kyrgyz horses, Bashkir horses and American trotters.
Career
the fastest movement of a horse, performed at 2 tempos, both hind legs simultaneously push the body forward, and after the jump the body is supported simultaneously by both front legs. This type of gait is the most tiring. English horses travel at this gait 1 mile per minute.
Harnessing methods
There are several well-known methods for harnessing a horse. Each of them requires skill and experience. In Russia, the most popular types of harnesses are drawbar and shaft.
Shaft-arc method
Before harnessing one, two or more horses, it is important to check the sleigh or cart and the tugs on the clamp. The length of the tug should be adjusted so that the rider has the opportunity to tighten the pliers and attach the bow to the shafts
Then a bridle is put on the horse, a strap is tightened on the chin, and the bit is inserted into the mouth. If you have to harness a horse in winter, in frosty weather, it is recommended to warm the bit in your palms. After this, the saddle is put on, moving from the withers to the back. Next, the harness is straightened, and the mane and tail are taken out from under it and the collar.
Line-to-drawbar method. A pair of harnessed horses using the drawbar method is called a pair. This method is used on the farm for implements and carts with a drawbar. The cart for harnessing must have a single shaft (drawbar), which is located in the middle. Horses are fastened to it.
Five. A method suitable for harnessing six or more horses. Animals are placed in pairs. Pyaterik is used for ceremonial processions, performances, events, but is not used on the farm.
Horse height and weight
Horse height
determined by the plumb distance from the highest top of the withers to the ground.
There are special measurements for measuring height. Currently, the measurement of a horse has switched to a metric measure, whereby the meter is not considered in the readings, but only the measure above the meter; So a horse 1 m 50 cm tall is registered as 50 cm tall.
Horse weight
to some extent determines its strength.
A light weight horse cannot develop much strength.
The weight of a riding horse cannot be less than 345 kg, and that of a draft horse cannot be less than 573-655 kg.
Animal hair
In principle, the hair of any animal, be it a domestic cat or a grizzly bear, in the wild performs one single function - protective. But man, having domesticated many species of living creatures, brought his own adjustments to this fact: domestic animals are cut and combed in accordance with their owners’ ideas of beauty and elegance. This is how a new – aesthetic – function of the hair of cats, dogs and, of course, horses appeared.
So, what functions does a horse's mane perform?
As mentioned above, the hair of all living beings primarily performs a protective function. That is, it protects the animal’s skin from cold and heat, from precipitation, parasites and insects, and also reduces the risk of mechanical damage.
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And the horse's mane is no exception here. A horse can easily drive flies or horseflies away from its neck or back by just waving its head. By the way, the tail of these animals performs the same function, only on the other side. Protects the rear, so to speak.
The aesthetic function of the horse's mane developed historically in the process of integration of the horse into human history and culture. The mane of domestic horses is regularly washed, combed, trimmed and styled according to the owner's fashion and preferences. Long curls or a perky short hairstyle, and sometimes even pigtails or ponytails, give the modern domestic horse the style and charm necessary for his position. Maintaining a horse's mane in proper order is not a very difficult task, but it is quite troublesome and requires the daily work of the person caring for it.
Horse color and markings
The quality of a horse does not depend on color. There is little data regarding the connection between a horse's character and color, although such a connection is possible. During general cavalry attacks, regiments with a composition of red horses usually jump forward. During inheritance, it is noticed that the red color is transmitted better and the black color worse.
There are many suits, and their divisions do not always coincide among the authors. It is best to take for the division of suits the scheme that exists in the cavalry and is common among the general public.
Bay horse
, having a chestnut color base, a black mane, tail and legs. Its shades are: dark bay, light bay, golden bay, Karak (shades). Black has shades: velvety black, brilliant black. Red has shades: light red, dark red, brown, game (tail and mane are white).
White color of horses
has shades: satin white, milky white.
Nightingale horses have yellow hair at the base and a whitish mane and tail. Layouts: dun, mousey. The gray color has shades: light gray, dark gray, and dappled. Roan has shades: red-roan, gray-roan, bay-roan.
Age of horses
determined by the eruption, replacement of teeth, their abrasion and change in shape. A horse's teeth are divided into 12 incisors, 24 molars, and in males, in addition, there are 4 canines. The foal is born with 12 primary molars. In rare cases they are not. During the first two weeks, two milk hooks erupt in each jaw. By six weeks the middle incisors emerge, and by six months the edges appear.
The incisors have indentations called cups. By one year the cups are worn off on the hooks, by one and a half years - on the middle ones, by two years they are worn off on the edges. At 2.5 years of age, the toes begin to fall out, and at 8 years of age the foal already has two permanent toe teeth. At 3.5 years, the middle incisors fall out and the permanent ones grow in their place. At 4.5, the milky edges fall out and are replaced by permanent ones.
Thus, by the age of 5 the horse has all its permanent incisors. By this time, the stallions begin to develop fangs. The permanent incisors, like milk jugs, also have cups at their ends. On the lower incisors these cups are three lines deep, and on the upper ones they are 6 lines deep. After 5 years, the horse's age is determined by these cups. At the age of 6, the cup on the hooks of the lower jaw disappears. At 7 years old - on the middle holds and at 8 years old on the edges.
At the age of 8 years, the incisors of the upper jaw still have cups, because they are deeper there than on the lower incisors. At the age of 9, the cups on the upper hooks wear off. At 10 years old - in the middle and at 11 - in the outskirts. From 12 years onwards, the age of a horse is more difficult to determine. From this time on, age is determined by the shape of the teeth. At first, the incisor teeth are much wider across the jaw than along their length, i.e. have an oval shape.
Then their shape gradually changes to a shape approaching a circle, then to a triangle, and, finally, in old age they are longer along the length of the jaw than in the transverse direction. From the age of 12, a round tooth shape appears on the lower hooks. At 13 - on the middle ones, and at 14 on the edges. At 15 years of age, a round tooth shape appears on the upper toes. At 16 - on the middle ones, at 17 - on the edges. At the age of 18, a triangular shape of the teeth appears on the lower hooks, then on the middle ones, etc. At the age of 23, all the incisors have a triangular shape.
At the age of 24, the lower toes acquire an oboval shape, i.e. they are longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. The transverse oval shape consistently appears on the teeth every year in the same order in which the incisors usually changed in other periods.
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Sense organs
They need all the senses of animals to live a full life and find food, even if we are talking about domestic varieties. As for horses, they have excellent hearing and smell, and taste and tactile receptors help them distinguish the slightest changes in the world around them and easily adapt to them. Let's take a closer look at the features of all sense organs.
Taste
The possibilities of taste perception in horses are closely combined with their sense of smell and are much wider than those of other farm animals. They are well versed in feed and do not eat many plants, and when feeding oats and cockle at the same time, the grains of the latter will most likely remain in the feeder. Thanks to their taste buds, animals are good at grazing and can even partially eat poisonous plants if they have safe edible parts (for example, leaves or flowers).
Smell
The ability to smell (smell) is a very important skill for a horse, because it is with the help of its nose that it can identify edible and inedible plants, recognize its saddle and harness, find its mother and clearly mark the boundaries of its territory. Like a dog, this animal sniffs almost everything in its path, thanks to which it has excellent spatial orientation.
Touch
The organ of touch for a horse is the entire surface of its body: not only the skin, but also the hooves and especially the lips. Subtle perception of any touch helps the animal adapt to any external changes and easily develop conditioned reflexes.
Often this feature of the body is used in the learning process: for example, after a correctly performed jump, the owner can stroke his horse, which will be perceived by the latter as approval and praise.
Rumor
Horses have much better hearing than humans, which is largely explained by the structure of the corresponding organ. The ears of these animals are shaped like shells, located at the top of the head and can even rotate, which only contributes to better perception of all sound vibrations. This skill becomes especially relevant at night, when already poor vision cannot help the animal at all.
Raising the head, tensing the neck and straightening the ears in a particular direction indicates that the animal has heard some new sounds and is interested in them.
Vision
The lateral position of the horse's eyes allows her to see everything that is on the sides of her, but she can only get a three-dimensional picture by turning her head towards the object of interest.
The visual acuity of a horse cannot be called high, because even in good weather and in good lighting the animal cannot see further than a few hundred meters, but in such a situation other organs of perception help it well.
Many researchers believe that the horse is capable of distinguishing some colors (for example, red, green and blue), but there is no reliable evidence of this yet.
Be that as it may, one thing is clear: a horse is a completely harmonious and very capable creature, therefore, with the right approach to training a pet, it will become not only a good helper, but also a good companion.
How to properly care for it
In order for a horse to look beautiful, its body needs constant care, especially for long hair, since by itself it is not soft and silky. First of all, they need to be washed systematically. This must be done monthly. During these procedures, you need to use a special shampoo, which can be purchased at many pet stores. If there is yellowness in your hair, you need to choose a bleaching product. Afterwards, you must comb your hair.
This will help remove dead hair, prevent tangles from forming and promote even distribution of natural fat along the entire length. For this procedure, take a special brush with sparse bristles or a brush with natural bristles.
Before you begin the combing process, you need to remove with your fingers burrs, shavings and other elements that could become entangled in the animal’s hair. Scratching begins from the tips and gradually rises to the base of the tail. Continue until the hair becomes soft and silky. Finally, everything is treated with a special shine product.
Important! In order to detangle the tail without compromising the density, it is recommended to treat it with corn starch, if it is not possible to purchase a special solution designed for this.
