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History
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The domestication of horses is not easily dated, although it certainly dates back to several millenia B.C. In America, however, horses have been domesticated since the first colonies were settled. The American quarter horse was the first horse breed native to the country. The quarter horse was a hybrid bred between Spanish barbs from the Chickasaw Indians and the English stock horses brought over as early as 1611.
Size
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Several horse breeds are very tall. Horses range in size from very small to extremely large. The standard unit for measuring horses is called hands. A hand is equal to four inches. A true horse is 14.2 hands tall at the withers, while any horse shorter than this is considered a pony. The shire is the largest horse breed in the world, measuring 17 hands high.
Features
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Thick-bodied horses Horses' features are distinctive and unmistakable. They have long legs, an elongated body, erect ears and a large head with a long face. While they come in several shapes, sizes and colors, they all look remarkably alike due to their features. Different breeds were bred for different purposes, hence the varying sizes and body styles.
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Basic Horse Information
Horses have a long history in the United States and remain a large part of American culture. Many are raised for sport or work or as pets, and have a variety of of purposes within these fields.