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 honour, respect, good manners, and straightforwardness.

 

Horses are measured from the ground to the top of the withers. The withers is the highest point of the back. It is created by the vertebrae between the shoulder blades. Traditionally, horses are measured in “hands.” One horse hand (or hh) is 4 inches long (10 centimeters). It’s about the width of a man’s fist. So 1 1/4 hands is written 1.1 hands, while 1 3/4 hands is written 1.3 hands. One of the tallest breeds, the Shire, can reach 19 hands high (76 inches, or 193 centimeters). Miniature horses can be as small as 5 hands high (20 inches, or 51 centimeters).

 

The Arabian has the oldest horse breed registry in the world. Its lineage goes as far back as 3000 B.C. In fact, every light horse breed, including Appaloosas, Morgans, and Andalusians, can trace their ancestry back to the Arabian. It can be a rather spirited horse breed, so not all beginners can handle it. But it’s also generally a loving and loyal horse.