| Horses have long been among the most economically | | | | pasture or hay alone, with adequate water (10-12 |
| important domesticated animals; although their | | | | gallons per day minimum) and free access to a salt |
| importance has declined with mechanization, they are | | | | block or loose salt. It should also have some form of |
| still found worldwide, fitting into human lives in various | | | | regular exercise whether it is being ridden, lunged or |
| ways. As prey animals, they have very large eyes | | | | turned out in a spacious field. Horses that are fed |
| (only the whale has a larger eye), with excellent day | | | | improperly may develop colic or laminitis or "founder," |
| and night vision, though they may have a limited range | | | | particularly if fed spoiled feed or subjected to |
| of color vision. Horses also are used for historical | | | | excessive feed or a too-abrupt change of feed. Bran |
| reenactment of specific periods of history, to preserve | | | | should be fed with care as it is high in Phytates that |
| cultural resources, or for ceremonial purposes. Around | | | | bind dietry Calcium, Iron and Zinc preventing their |
| the world, horses play a role within human economies, | | | | absorption into the blood stream |
| for leisure, sport and working purposes. But today the | | | | A hackamore is a type of bitless bridle usually used to |
| term "warmblood" usually refers to a group of sport | | | | train young horses, or to go easy on an older horse's |
| horse breeds that have dominated the Olympic | | | | mouth. German martingale: This design consists of a |
| Games and World Equestrian Games in Dressage and | | | | split fork that comes up from the chest, runs through |
| Show Jumping since the 1950s. Horses require annual | | | | the rings of the bit and attaches to the reins of the |
| vaccinations to protect against various diseases, need | | | | bridle between the bit and the rider's hand. Some |
| routine hoof care by a farrier, and regular dental | | | | western saddles will also have a second strap known |
| examinations from a veterinarian or a specialized | | | | as a flank or back cinch that fastens at the rear of the |
| equine dentist. | | | | saddle and goes around the widest part of the horse's |
| Horses or ponies should be shod (hoof maintenance) | | | | belly. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, |
| every 4-6 weeks, depending on the horse and the | | | | harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms |
| weather. A horse that is not ridden daily or subjected | | | | of horse tack. |
| to other stressors can maintain adequate nutrition on | | | | |