- People started to
domesticate wild animals in the Stone Age. At first
dogs, cats, goats and cows were tamed. A horse was
hunted for meat at first and only later it was
tamed, harnessed and saddled.
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- Since the first ages
of our era there was a tradition in Lithuania to
bury a rider with his faithful horse. Investigating
the burial mounds and cemetery in Lithuania,
archeologists found a lot of graves of the first
millennium. A horse or parts of the horse are buried
together with a man. This tradition remained alive
later too. During the funeral of great dukes
Kestutis and Algirdas their favourite horses were
burnt.
- There are graves where
only horses are buried. They are in Versvai (Kaunas)
on the right riverside of the Nemunas, in Grauziai
(Kedainiai district) on the right riverside of the
Nevezis, in Nendriniai (Marijampole district) on the
right riverside of the Sesupe.
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- The word “to die”
in Lithuanian was applied to a man, a bee, a horse.
Forefathers said that it was not so bad, when a
child died; a new one could be born. But if a horse
died, starvation started: you could not plough, sow,
or go to a festival. A horse was given the best hay,
and a handful of oat. If the church was more than 3
km away, a farmer, who respected himself, would
never harness a horse. If a horse was pulling a cart
with a lot of things, a farmer would get out and
push forward to help his horse.
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- According to Russian
physiologist I.Pavlov horse can be: phlegmatic,
melancholic, choleric and sanguine.
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- When a horse is calm
his pulse is 28-40 strokes a minute. When it works
hard or is excited - his pulse is 130 strokes a
minute. His pulse becomes faster if you shout on the
horse.
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- Horse’s ear and
scent are better than man’s. Horses can
distinguish not only a man’s voice, but the
intonation too. They scent with their body.
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- Horses have a trained
taste. They are very fastidious: they never eat
spoiled oat, poisonous plants, never drink water,
which smells bad and has unhealthy substances.
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- In France horses were
given onions. They became healthier and harder
working. Onions prevented from formation of clots of
blood.
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- The proverb says: “Even
a horse doesn’t scratch in vain”. It has got a
real base connected with horse habits. Sometimes
horses scratch each other: they nimble another’s
back, when that horse scratches his back. Touching
each other horses clean each other and communicate.
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- The French emperor
Napoleon had a horse called Marengo that lived 63
years long. English mare Billy lived 62 years long.
Generally horses live about 30-35 years. They grow
up till they are 5-6 years old. When they are 4-5
they are the most industrious and keep being such
till 18-20 years old.
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- The largest horse in
the world is Brabanson named Brooklyn Supreme. Its
height to the withers is 198 cm; its weight is 1374
kg.
- The smallest horses
are in Argentina. Their height to the withers is 40
cm; weight is not more then 25 kg.
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- In the 18th century
when the industry was developing, the horsepower was
compared to the power of a machine. The horsepower
is a non-systematic power unit. 1 horsepower = 75 Kg
m/s. A man’s power is equal to 0.3 horsepower.
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- Ancient Romans and
Greeks used to build mausoleums to horses and
depicted their images on the coins. Alexander
Macedonian founded a town after his horse Bucefalo
death and named after it. Emperor Caligula made his
horse a number of the senate. The English king
Richard III promised to give a kingdom for the
horse.
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- There about 50 games,
which are played in many countries. The most popular
is polo - grass hockey on horseback.
- Horse football is
played in England, Czechia. Two teams with five
riders compete. The ball is as tall as the horse. In
Georgia cchemoburti is played. Riders throw a ball
into a basket with the help of a dipper. All the
games are divided into some groups: games with a
ball, javelin throwing, riders fight, games with
gymnastics elements, a stick or a rapier, speed
games, catching horses and taming them.
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- Horses were sacred in
some nations. When Indians, American aborigines (at
the end of the 15th century) saw horses they
considered them gods. Defeated Indians gave gold and
food to the conqueror. The same presents were given
to horses, and the neighing of the horses was a sign
of agreement and peace.
- White horses in Japan
were kept near the temples and took part in religion
festivals. The ancient Teutons kept these horses in
stables. They believed that sacred horses could
drive away bad spirit. They couldn’t ride these
horses in order not to make gods angry.
- In Prussia and
Lithuania in paganism a very light horse was a
sacred animal. Only wizards could ride those horses.
If a mare had a colt with sacred hair it had to be
taken care for five years and then it was given to
the head wizard. He could burn it as offering or
ride it himself.
