|
MESOHIPPUS...Oligocene period, 35-40 million
years ago. Standing 18 - 24 inches tall.
Toes- 3 and 4th toe turned into the Ergot.
Spots disappearing except over the rump.
MIOHIPPUS. 30 million years ago. Standing
24 inches tall. First incisors. Fetlock joints
changing. Slight dish to face.
As many as 3 species of Mesohippus and 2 species of Miohippus existed at the same time overlapping 40 million years.
Mesohippus finally died out during the mid-Oligocene era, but the Miohippus continued.
MERYCHIPPUS. 20-25 million years ago. Standing
36 inches tall, toes still 3 and 3, but weight shifting
to middle toe. Teeth now similar to modern horse.
Neck longer.
PLIOHIPPUS. Standing 12 hands tall ( 48 inches ),
single toed. 3 species: Pliohippus, Astrohippus and
Dinohippus ( a recent discovery ). Pliohippus had an extreme
dish whereas Dinohippus did not. It may prove to be that it
was Dinohippus that evolved into Equus and not Pliohippus
as has always been thought. Early Equus did not have a dished face.
EQUUS: Early horse families. The most common classifications are....
PONY TYPE 1: 12 - 12.2 hands tall. Northwest Europe.
Similar to Exmoors and Icelandic breeds today. Resistant to
wet and cold. Usually brown or bay.
PONY TYPE 2: 14 - 14.2 hands tall. Bigger than Pony Type 1,
similar to Asian Wild Horses and resistant to cold. Convex profile,
stocky. Inhabited Northern Europe. Yellow to dun in color
with dorsal stripe.
PONY TYPE 3: 14.3 hands tall. Desert living in Central Asia.
Drought and heat resistant. Long necks, thin skin, goose rumped.
PONY TYPE 4: 12 hands tall. Prototype Arabian. Fine boned,
straight profile, refined head with slight dish. Heat resistant desert
horse. Silky long mane and tail, fine body hair. Native to Western Asia.
Racing Standbreds
There are basically 2 kinds of racing Standardbreds, Pacers and Trotters. Although racing with riders is making a comeback.
Below describes the difference between pacers and Trotters, as many people don't know the difference.
Pacers..
move in lateral gait, which means they move both legs on the same side forward in unison (for example, it's left front and left
hind legs) and then follow suit with both legs on teh other side (right front and rear legs).
Trotters...
move in a diagnal gait. For example, their left front and right hind legs move forward simultaneously,
and then the right front and left hind follow together.
| 
