OklahomaHorses Magazine March 2021

12 OklahomaHorses • March/April 2021 Answers: 1 Gray, spotted or patterned colored horses, such as an Appaloosa or Pony of the Americas, often have alternating dark and white striped hooves, according to Triple R Horse Rescue. 2 The United States is reported to have the highest equine population by far at approxi- mately 9.5 million, according to a report com- piled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 3 True—equine hiccups are more commonly referred to as “Thumps” but are scientifically known as Synchronous Diaphragmatic Flutter (SDF). 4 Horses cannot vomit. Horses have a band of muscle around the esophagus as it enters the stomach. This band operates in horses much as in humans: as a one-way valve. Food freely passes down the esophagus into the stomach as the valve relaxes, but the valve squeezes down the opening and cuts off the passage for food going back up, USA Today explains. 5 Tapaderos, or stirrup coverings, have been a longstanding part of the Western saddle heritage. They can be traced back to the Spanish explorers who brought horses to the Americas in the 16th century. The primary purpose of tapaderos is protection from cactus, brush and limbs. Since the front of the stirrup is covered, the rider’s foot cannot go completely through and “hang up.” 6 The top speed at which the world’s fastest equine sprinter, the Quarter Horse, has been clocked is 55 miles per hour. The fastest record- ed race time for a Thoroughbred is 44 miles per hour. The average equine gallop clocks in at about 27 miles per hour, according to Horse & Rider. 7 Traditionally, switching hats follows the same rule as wearing white. Wear straw cowboy hats Memorial Day through Labor Day and felt cowboy hats Labor Day through Memorial Day. Straw is a more practical choice for summer as it is more lightweight and breathable. Felt hats are more for winter and “going out,” per F.M. Light & Sons’ website. However, ranchers may wear felt throughout the year in response to their individual climate. 8 The Arabian horse is the foundation of many other light horse breeds. They also possess some unique characteristics. Arabian horses have one fewer vertebrae, rib and tail bone than other horses, according to sprucepets.com. 9 Flehmen is the term used to describe the behavior in which a horse extends its neck, raises its head and inhales as it rolls its upper lip back, displaying its front teeth, according to the- horse.com . Horses display the flehmen response to facilitate transfer of inhaled scent molecules (pheromones and possibly some other substanc- es) into the vomeronasal organ (VNO). To most of us, it simply looks like the horse is laughing. 10 According to the Equine Behavioral Health Resource Center, a human brain weighs about 3 pounds, and a horse’s brain weighs about 2 and a half pounds and is about the size of a human child’s brain. Most of the horse’s brain is used to analyze information it gets from the environment while much of the human brain is used for fine-motor skills and language. 11 A horse can see better at night than a hu- man. However, it takes a horse’s eyes longer to adjust from light to dark and from dark to light than a human’s, according to Cowboy Way. 12 A night latch is a safety strap attached to a saddle to help the rider hold on and stay on a contrary horse. This contraption was used as part of old-time traditional cowboy bronc gear and can still come in handy, according to cowboyshowcase.com . HORSE SENSE POP QUIZ