The horse ( Equus caballus ) is a hoofed, herbivorous mammal in the family Equidae. There are numerous breeds of this single species. Before cars, horses were draft animals and a primary mode of transportation. The evolutionary history of the horse is well-documented. The horse family, Equidae, began in the Eocene Epoch about 56 million to 33.9 million years ago. The first ancestral horse, Hyracotherium , also called Eohippus or "dawn horse," appeared during the early Eocene.

Why are horses considered mammals?

Horses are considered mammals because they share key characteristics with other members of this animal class. Mammals are defined by traits such as having mammary glands to feed their young with milk and possessing hair. Horses also regulate their body temperature internally and give birth to live young, like most mammals. These traits distinguish them from other animal classes like reptiles or amphibians.

What are some unique physical features of horses?

Horses possess unique physical features that enable their survival. Their large eyes, positioned on the sides of their heads, provide a wide field of vision to detect potential threats, while their long necks and high-set eyes allow them to spot danger even while grazing. Their legs have long bones that pivot on joints, and their bodies are supported by their toe tips, which allows for efficient energy use and greater limb extension when running. Furthermore, horses have strong, high-crowned teeth adapted for grinding grasses, and a long digestive tract suited for processing plant matter. Their hooves, which are made of a hard protein called keratin, protect their toes and provide a strong surface for bearing weight, and are an adaptation for fast running.

How do horses communicate with each other?

Horses communicate through a combination of body language, vocalizations, and possibly, though less understood, senses of smell and hearing. Their acute powers of observation and good memory enable them to understand and remember signals. Communication methods include: * Body Language Postures, facial expressions, and movements of the ears, head, and tail convey emotions and intentions. * Vocalizations Whinnies, neighs, and snorts express a range of messages, from greetings to warnings. * Senses Keen senses of smell and hearing enhance their ability to detect threats and communicate over distances.

How have humans used horses throughout history?

Since their domestication roughly 6,000 years ago, horses have been indispensable to humans, serving as partners and friends in various capacities. Initially hunted for food, horses swiftly evolved to assist in agriculture by plowing fields and bringing in harvests. They have also been used to haul goods, transport passengers, track cattle, and carry warriors into battle. Horses have additionally played a significant role in recreation through riding and sports, such as jousts and tournaments. They have been a status symbol, especially in ancient Greece, with kings and leaders needing to be skilled horsemen. Over time, horses have contributed to creating various commodities like glue, antitoxins, leather goods, and materials for upholstery.

What different breeds of horses exist and how do they differ?

There are three general types of horse breeds: heavy horses, light horses, and ponies.

horse

Images

Cave painting depicting a bull and a horse in brown and black pigments on a textured stone wall in Lascaux Grotto, France.

Ancient mosaic detail showing Alexander the Great in armor riding his horse Bucephalus at the Battle of Issus, with another soldier visible behind him.

The top half of the diagram shows a labeled illustration of a horse skeleton, identifying bones such as the skull, vertebrae, pelvis, ribs, and limbs. The bottom half displays the external anatomy of a horse (Equus caballus), with labels for key body points including muzzle, withers, shoulder, back, flank, hock, and hoof.

Illustration of a horse's hoof with a side view showing internal skeletal bones aligned inside the hoof and a bottom view displaying the horseshoe and the V-shaped frog structure.

Diagram showing the teeth of a horse (Equus caballus), with labeled molars, premolars, incisors, and tushes in a side view of the skull. Below are side and top views comparing the dental structure of young and old horses.

A grid of nine illustrations shows horses with different coat colors and patterns, including dappled gray, dun, brown, strawberry roan, chestnut, skewbald, palomino, bay, and black.

Illustration showing four horse heads with different white facial markings labeled as star, stripe, blaze, and snip, each marking varying in shape and position on the horse's face.

At a Glance

horse summary

horse

mammal

Also known as: Equus caballus

Written by

E. Gus CothranAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 30, 2026 •History

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The Puma horse, trainer, jockey for 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic • Oct. 26, 2026, 5:04 AM ET (The Lousiville Courier-Journal)

horse, (Equus caballus), a hoofed herbivorous mammal of the family Equidae. It comprises a single species, Equus caballus, whose numerous varieties are called breeds. Before the advent of mechanized vehicles, the horse was widely used as a draft animal, and riding on horseback was one of the chief means of transportation.

General features

In prehistoric times the wild horse was probably first hunted for food. Research suggests that domestication had taken place by approximately 6,000 years ago. It is supposed that the horse was first used by a tribe of Indo-European origin that lived in the steppes north of the chain of mountains adjacent to the Black and Caspian seas. Influenced by climate, food, and humans, the horse rapidly acquired its present form.

ClydesdalesA team of Clydesdales pulling a plow at a draft horse demonstration.

The relationship of the horse to humans has been unique. The horse is a partner and friend. It has plowed fields and brought in the harvest, hauled goods and conveyed passengers, followed game and tracked cattle, and carried combatants into battle and adventurers to unknown lands. It has provided recreation in the form of jousts, tournaments, carousels, and the sport of riding. The influence of the horse is expressed in the English language in such terms as chivalry and cavalier, which connote honor, respect, good manners, and straightforwardness.

The horse is the “proudest conquest of Man,” according to the French zoologist Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon. Its place was at its master’s side in the graves of the Scythian kings or in the tombs of the pharaohs. Many early human cultures were centred on possession of the horse. Superstition read meaning into the colous of the horse, and a horse’s head suspended near a grave or sanctuary or on the gables of a house conferred supernatural powers on the place. Greek mythology created the Centaur, the most obvious symbol of the oneness of horse and rider. White stallions were the supreme sacrifice to the gods, and the Greek general Xenophon recorded that “gods and heroes are depicted on well-trained horses.” A beautiful and well-trained horse was, therefore, a status symbol in ancient Greece. Kings, generals, and statesmen, of necessity, had to be horsemen. The names of famous horses are inseparably linked to those of their famous riders: Bucephalus, the charger of Alexander the Great; Incitatus, once believed to have been made a senator by the Roman emperor Caligula (see Researcher’s Note); El Morzillo, Hernán Cortés’s favorite horse, to whom the Indians erected a statue; Roan Barbery, the stallion of Richard II, mentioned by Shakespeare; Copenhagen, the duke of Wellington’s horse, which was buried with military honors.

The horse has occupied a special place in the realm of art. From Stone Age drawings to the marvel of the Parthenon frieze, from Chinese Tang dynasty tomb sculptures to Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches and Andrea del Verrocchio’s Colleoni, from the Qurʾān to modern literature, the horse has inspired artists of all ages and in all parts of the world.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

The horse in life has served people in travels, wars, and labours and in death has provided many commodities. Long before their domestication, horses were hunted for their flesh, and horsemeat is still consumed by people in parts of Europe and in Iceland and is included in many pet foods. Horse bones and cartilage are used to make glue. Tetanus antitoxin is obtained from the blood serum of horses previously inoculated with tetanus toxoid. From horsehide a number of articles are manufactured, including fine shoes and belts. The cordovan leather fabricated by the Moors in Córdoba, Spain, was originally made from horsehide. Fur coats are made of the sleek coats of foals. Horsehair has wide use in upholstery, mattresses, and stiff lining for coats and suits; high-quality horsehair, usually white, is employed for violin bows. Horse manure, which today provides the basis for cultivation of mushrooms, was used by the Scythians for fuel. Mare’s milk was drunk by the Scythians, the Mongols, and the Arabs.

Form and function

A mature male horse is called a stallion, the female a mare. A stallion used for breeding is known as a stud. A castrated stallion is commonly called a gelding. Formerly, stallions were employed as riding horses, while mares were kept for breeding purposes only. Geldings were used for work and as ladies’ riding horses. Recently, however, geldings generally have replaced stallions as riding horses. Young horses are known as foals; male foals are called colts and females fillies.

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