home / Relationship/ Research work "horse in human life". What role do horses play in human life? The economic importance of horses for humans

Research work "horse in human life." What role do horses play in human life? The economic importance of horses for humans

A horse is an indispensable assistant in farming. The areas of use of horsepower are: transport work for the transportation of goods, and agricultural work, such as plowing fields, etc.

Horses turned out to be very hardy animals, so they are heavily used for various transportations. For example, removal of manure, delivery of building materials and equipment during construction or repairs, transportation of feed and much more. For short distances, it is much more efficient and easier to use a horse for transportation than a tractor or car. It will be very relevant and convenient to transport goods off-road, that is, where there are no paved roads, or the road has been washed away due to rains and floods; a car will not pass in such a place, but a horse will cope with this task.

In agriculture, horses are used not only for various soil cultivation, but also for digging root crops, cultivating crops, applying fertilizer to crops and making hay. At the same time, in order to control a horse it is not at all necessary to study this for a long time; low-qualified personnel can be used for the work.

In terms of performance, a horse can be compared to walk-behind tractors or mini tractors. To use a horse for such work, you need to choose horses with good draft power. Horses are also used for grazing and driving livestock.

There are about 250 horse breeds in the world. Horses that were bred during selection work in conditions as close as possible to the natural environment are characterized by the greatest productivity. Horses are divided into 4 types: draft horses, riding horses, riding horses and heavy draft horses.

A sign of a horse's quality is its color. The main colors of horses are: brown, dun, nightingale, black, forelock, roan, savrasaya, game, mousey, karak, bay, piebald, red.

In addition to draft work and transportation, the horse gives us a wonderful tasty and healthy drink called kumiss, which is made from mare's milk. There is even a treatment system - kumiss treatment. Kumiss has antimicrobial activity, restores immunity, improves digestion, increases the digestibility of fats and proteins in food, and normalizes underweight. In Germany, kumiss is used to make cosmetics.

The horse helps us in maintaining law and order. In many cities there are mounted police, which can be found at carnivals, parades, and when patrolling parks and squares. Before a horse is accepted into the mounted police, it must undergo training courses that teach the horse to behave calmly among crowds of people and not react to loud noises.

The contribution of horses to healthcare is also invaluable. Horses help people restore health after injuries. Horseback riding helps restore the functionality of the limbs and spine. In the history of medicine, there have been cases when horse riding helped wheelchair users get back on their feet. It is also useful to ride horses for people with vestibular disorders. Horses are also donors. Drugs containing pathogens are injected into the horse’s bloodstream. The animal's body is able to develop immunity to these diseases, after which, based on this blood, a life-saving serum is made that helps save the lives of people who seemed to have lost faith in healing.

Currently, horse racing is very popular. Undoubtedly, the equestrian circus is a delightful spectacle, which not only children, but also adults love to watch.

The horse has always been a faithful friend and comrade for people, who helped us out not only in times of peace, but also in times of wars and campaigns. Take care of your horses - they are our devoted helpers.

Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea

SMALL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN OF CRIMEA “SEEKER”

Department: Biology

Section: Zoology

THE IMPORTANCE OF A HORSE IN HUMAN LIFE

Work completed:

Alexandrova A.

9th grade student

general education

schools of 1-III levels No. 2

Scientific adviser:

Krylova N.V.

biology teacher

general education

schools of 1-III levels No. 2

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 Origin and history of the horse

1.1 Evolution of horses

1.2 Classification of horses

1.3 Horse management

1.4 Breeding horses. Horse breeds

1.5 Importance and use of horses today

CHAPTER 2 HORSES IN THE CRIMEA AND Pike-perch

Section 2.2. KSK "Sosnovy Bor"

LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the horse in the development of human society over the past 5 thousand years. It has played a more important role in human life than any other domesticated animal. Soon after taming, the true capabilities of the horse were revealed - it became an indispensable assistant in the field, during transport, and in war. Currently, due to the rapid development of technology, the role of the horse in human life has become much less noticeable - cars and tractors have replaced horses behind the plow, in harness and on the battlefield. However, even now people cannot do without their trusted friend and assistant.

A. I. Kuprin wrote: “ The horse is much more generously endowed with instincts and physiological senses than a human. A horse hears better than a cat, its sense of smell is finer than a dog, it is more sensitive to the passage of time and weather changes. There is no animal equal to it on earth.”.

Horses have played an important role in human history, but now city dwellers rarely even see a horse. Horses or equestrian business are part of human culture. Our history is all connected with horses, starting with myths, fairy tales, legends and ending with the perpetuation of animals by historical monuments. In Russia there is a monument to the fast Oryol trotter “Kvadrat”, winner of the Grand Prize in dressage, Akhal-Teke horse “Absinthe”, three-time winner of the European Cup, thoroughbred horseman “Aniline”, etc. In eastern countries, horses are still the subject of special cult and art.

How are horses used now? For me, this question arose because... an animal that has done so much for humanity cannot just disappear into oblivion. The topic of my project is relevant also because the younger generation encounters this wonderful animal less and less, sometimes without knowing its purpose in modern life.

In my work I set target: How horses are used in Crimea, incl. Sudak.

Biological object research are horses, and subject studying the importance of horses in human life.

To achieve the goal, I set the following tasks:

Conduct a theoretical study of the origin and evolution of the horse

Work through questions about the current use of horses

Explore the importance of horses in Crimea and Sudak

The information obtained can be used for lectures and classes in various educational organizations.

1. Descriptive

2. Systematization

3. Historical method

4. Didactic

Chapter 1 Origin and history of the horse

Evolution of horses

The Eastern Slavs adopted the word “horse” from Turkic riders; it sounded like “alosha”. Turkic tribes roamed the southern Russian steppes and came into close contact with the Slavs of the Dnieper region. The words “horse”, “mare”, “stallion” are of purely Slavic origin; they are found in the languages of many Slavic peoples and their roots go back to the Indo-European proto-language.

Man learned about the origin of the horse and its evolution from the bones. More than 60 million years ago, a primitive predecessor of the horse, Barylambda, appeared. She looked almost nothing like a horse. Thick, more than two meters long, Barylambda moved slowly on short legs ending in five fingers with hoof-like claws. She ate shrubs and herbs. Many reasons influenced the evolution of the horse. One of the main ones is a change in her living conditions.

The distant ancestors of the horse lived in tropical forests with soft soil. Gradually the outlines of the planet and its climate became different. Where there used to be subtropical forests, vast steppes spread out. Most species became extinct and disappeared from the face of the Earth, but the equus, which appeared in the Old World during the Pleistocene era (about 1.5 million years ago), survived and became the ancestor of the modern horse.

The evolution of horses goes back centuries. Over the course of 50 million years, the small animal, no larger than a dog, turned into a large horse. The first ancestors of modern horses lived in North America, from there they gradually penetrated into Europe.

Hyracotherium is the most ancient ancestor of the horse - a small animal whose height at the shoulders did not exceed 20 centimeters. It practically did not resemble modern horses in any way, except for its small hooves. Hyracotherium had a short muzzle and neck, a long tail, an arched back and short legs, and the gait of this animal was completely reminiscent of a dog’s (Fig. 1.1).

Fig. 1.1 Hyracotherium is the most ancient ancestor of the horse

A key event in the evolution of horses is climate change in North America. Forests gave way to savannas, and the climate became drier. As a result, the ancestors of horses became larger in order to better adapt to environmental conditions. Their movement speed has also increased. About 40 million years ago, the genus Mesohippus emerged. The height of these animals at the withers already reached 60 centimeters. The neck, legs and muzzle became longer, and the back was no longer arched.

Fig. 1.2 Genus Myogypus

About 35 million years ago, this genus passed into the genus Myogypus, the characteristic features of which were a more elongated snout and greater height (Fig. 1.2).

About 23 million years ago, the genus Parahippus appeared. Their height at the withers was 1 meter, their teeth became more adapted for chewing food, and their feet had 3 toes with hooves. In addition, these animals had increased brain volume (Figure 1.3).

Rice. 1.3 Genus Parahippus

Modern horses of the genus Equus arose approximately 4 million years ago. One of the “youngest” ancestors of horses are the wild animals tarpans, who lived in the southern Russian steppes. Tarpans were relatively short in stature (height at the withers - about 135 cm), with short, thick and wavy hair. During the cold season, the tarpan's fur became longer. The hook-nosed thick head of these animals was crowned with pointed ears. The tarpan's tail was of medium length. Tarpans lived in large herds, which sometimes numbered several hundred animals. They broke up into small groups, each of which was led by one stallion. By nature, tarpans were cautious, they were quite timid and wild. Currently, tarpans are already extinct, but back in the 18-19 centuries these animals could be found in the steppes in the southeast and south of Russia, a number of European countries, Western Kazakhstan and Western Siberia (Fig. 1.4).

Rice. 1.4 Tarpans (genus Equus)

Horse classification

Despite the diversity of ancestors, the equine family currently has only seven species. The most famous of them is the domestic horse. The remaining six types are wild horses. These include:

All representatives of the equine family are vegetarians and are adapted to high-speed running. They have long legs with a well-developed middle toe in the form of a hoof, a long neck, and a rather elongated head. The lower and upper incisors bite plants, and the strong molars chew.

Horses are very intelligent animals and have senses that are far superior to ours. They are completely attuned to the environment. Their strong sense of touch and smell play a significant role in establishing relationships with people as well as other horses. They use their keen sense of smell to detect any nervousness in the people working with them. Professionals swear that horses can smell fear in an inexperienced rider. Stallions can smell an excited mare more than half a kilometer away. Horses don't like the smell of blood and are obviously unhappy when near a slaughterhouse.

Their hearing is also much sharper than ours. We can hear frequencies up to 20 thousand hertz, and horses - up to 25 thousand. In horses, like in people, hearing weakens with age. Horses have extraordinary vision. They have larger eyes than elephants and whales and can see well at night and focus on objects by raising or lowering their heads. They see less detail than we do, but are much better at detecting motion. Horses are able to move their different eyes independently, and their placement on the sides of the head gives them good side-by-side vision and almost panoramic (340°) vision. Horse vision has blind spots - right in front of the animals and right behind them, so it's best not to approach them from these directions as you'll likely scare them.

Tamed horses return to wild life very easily. A striking example of this is the American Mustangs.

Horses live on average up to thirty years, some live up to forty. The female bears the offspring for 11 months. At the age of three years, the horse can already reproduce.

Horses are herbivores. Horses are fed hay and oats. It will not be possible to replace oats with other grains, because this is the main delicacy for horses.

Horse management

Many thousands of years ago, the first attempt by a person to control a horse looked quite strange and scary. Metal: a bronze or iron ring was driven into the nasal septum, breaking it. Then two ropes were tied to this ring and thus the horse was controlled. As a person establishing a relationship with a horse rightly assessed, pain should be more diverse. And then something was invented that in the language of all horse lovers in the world is called by the same word and concept - iron.

Iron, there are hundreds of varieties of iron, but the meaning and essence is approximately the same - to cause pain in the mouth, and the pain is so severe that the horse would always be under control.

It is a colossal illusion that a horse in sport, in cavalry or in a cart is controlled by a person. The horse is controlled by pain.

The main way for humans to control a horse has always been by manipulating its mouth. And even when a person was not armed with various colossal, ruthless devices, he still always tried to influence his mouth. And even the Indians of North America, in cases where it was not about special horses, not about buffalo horses, not about Tashunko Ozuya, even then they influenced the mouth in a rude, cruel primitive way, with the help of a special ipakhte, the so-called Indian bridle.

The domestication of this beautiful animal began more than six thousand years ago. The horse became a friend, a hunting partner, a faithful partner in war, and an assistant in the field. And in our time, people appreciate these beautiful and graceful animals. And now, in our time, there are horse hunts, horseback riding, and also equestrian sports. Horses exist not only for entertainment; they also work in the services of states. And horse riding itself gives work to all human muscle groups and improves posture. Riding also has a great effect on the condition of the vestibular apparatus and the functioning of the human respiratory system. There is even a wonderful program for people with disabilities, like hippotherapy. From time immemorial, mare's milk, called "Koumiss", has a healing effect, helping with stomach and lung diseases. A horse, the result of many years of evolution.

Horse breeding. Horse breeds

As I already said, there are many breeds of horses in the world.

Currently, a very large number of different breeds of horses have been bred. These are racing, riding, pack, harness - agricultural, heavy-duty, carriage... The most famous breeds are: thoroughbred riding, Akhal-Teke, American trotter, Arabian, Andalusian and others.

A breed is not an arbitrary term, but a category of horses for which there is a stud book with a pedigree. Parents with the most suitable characteristics, in the opinion of horse breeders, are entered into the stud books. For the purest breeds, ancestors must be registered members of the breed to be recognized as an heir. Breeds and types of horses and ponies were usually bred within relatively small geographical areas, and the characteristics of the animals were adapted to the specific needs of the local population. Not only do riding breeds have thinner and longer leg bones than working horses. Their muscles are longer and thinner than those of working horses. The structure of the limbs of heavy trucks allows them to transport significant loads at low speed. And the bones and muscles of riding horses are designed for rapid running, high and long jumps.

Heavy trucks
- harness
- trotting
- riding.

The variety of horse breeds is grouped either by zonal and climatic characteristics - forest, steppe, mountain, or by purpose - riding, horse-drawn, heavy-drawn, or by origin - cultural, transitional, aboriginal (local), or by development methods - factory, herd, cultural herd, etc.

Abroad, there is still a special category of horses of rare colors that can move with special types of gaits. These are the so-called show horses: American Cream, Appaloosa, Palomino, Pinto, Paso Fino, Missouri, Falabella, etc. Horse shows are very popular in the USA. They collect about 10-15 thousand horses and are held at such festive events as the World Horse Shows or Western Riding Rodeo Festivals. These horses live in all corners of the world.

Horse breeding is now well established in Asia, South and North America, and Europe. But Russia was once the leader in the number of heads and breeding of excellent breeds of horses. In 1916 there were 38 million horses. Unfortunately, half of the horse population was destroyed during the revolution and the First World War. In 1929 the number was restored a little, thanks to the use of horses as a means of transport and for work in the village. The Great Patriotic War also influenced further breeding. More than three million horses were destroyed, and seven million were stolen to Germany.

Modern Russia ranks VI in terms of the number of horses, and China occupies I place.

Heavy breed horses usually large, massive, with a large head and well-developed muscles. The most famous breeds of this group are the Barbançon, bred in Belgium, the Shire breed, bred in England, and the Percherons (French district of Perchy). Among the domestic breeds - Vladimir heavy draft; Russian heavy and Soviet heavy. Draft horses are strong, of medium height, and massive. They are capable of transporting cargo, carts and crews relatively quickly. Such breeds as Voronezh Harness, Belarusian, Latvian, Tori are widely known.

Percheron. The breed was developed in France at the beginning of the 19th century by crossing eastern, mainly Arabian, stallions with a local draft breed of the heavy western type. Height at withers up to 175 cm; typical color is gray and black (Fig. 1.5).

Vladimir heavy truck. The breed was developed over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries by crossing local mares with Percherons and Ardennes. Their descendants were subsequently united with the Shires. Large white markings on the head and legs, characteristic of horses of these English breeds, have become characteristic of Vladimir heavy draft horses, which, as a rule, are bay and karak (Fig. 1.6).

Rice. 1. 5 Percheron Fig. 1.6 Vladimir heavy truck

Trotting horses capable of transporting light sleds at a trot at high speed. Perhaps the most famous breeds are the Oryol Trotter and the Russian Trotter. Famous Oryol trotters: Leopard, Krepysh, Peony. Saddlebred horses are bred specifically for riding. Domestic breeds - Akhal-Teke; Tersk; Ukrainian. Foreign - Arabic; thoroughbred horse. Famous Akhal-Teke horses - Boynou, Mele-Kush, Absinthe. The ancestors of the thoroughbred riding breed: Bayerley Turk, Godolphin Barb, Darley Arabian.

Horse breeds

In Russia, based on the Don and purebred riding breeds, the Budenovskaya was bred (Fig. 1.7). Thanks to Arabian horses, the Oryol trotting and Oryol riding breeds arose in Russia (Fig. 1.8).

Rice. 1.7 Budennovskaya breed Fig. 1.8 Oryol trotter

Rice. 1.9 Akhal-Teke.

The oldest cultivated breed existing on earth

Akhal-Teke. The oldest cultivated breed existing on earth. It was bred over thousands of years in the hot, dry climate of Turkmenistan, and the largest number of horses of this breed is in Turkmenistan, Russia and Kazakhstan. The breed was and is actively used in the creation of many horse breeds, including in the recreation of the Russian riding breed (Fig. 1.9).

A separate (and quite numerous) group of breeds - pony. Ponies were bred as strong workhorses, adapted to harsh climates. In the broadest sense of the word, a pony is a small horse. “Small” usually means that its height at the withers does not exceed 147 cm. Real ponies have a number of distinctive features, which include, first of all, the disproportionately short length of the legs in relation to the depth of the body. However, ponies are unusually strong and resilient for their small size. There are many breeds of ponies that are very popular in different parts of the world - in England. America, European countries. The most famous pony breeds that can be found in our country are Shetland and Gotland (Fig. 1.10).

Rice. 1. 10 Shetland pony

Various breeds of horses are bred in special institutions - the so-called stud farms. The formation of horse breeding in Western Europe dates back to the 11th-12th centuries. In medieval Europe, the first special farms for breeding horses appeared, which were called stud farms. Man began to create artificial living conditions for horses. The stables protected them from the scorching heat or winter cold. The horses were not forced to get their own food from under the snow in winter - hay and grain were stored in advance. This is how stud farms arose with stables, arenas, with fenced areas for grazing and watering, with meadows and fields where people themselves prepared hay, straw and grain for animals for the whole winter. The horses were looked after by experienced grooms, their growth and development was closely monitored by knowledgeable veterinarians and trainers who trained the animals in accordance with their purpose. In Rus', the first state stud farm was organized near Moscow at the end of the 15th century.

All colors... horses.

As soon as a foal is born, its color, that is, coloring, is recorded in the horse passport. And after that, all changes are noted annually. Because suit - one of the characteristic signs of a horse, its origin and breed. Color is determined by the color of the horse's skin, hair, mane and tail. Taking into account the various shades, there are more than 50 suits! But there are a few main ones.

BLACK is a completely black horse, with a black mane and tail. And if the ends of a black horse’s hair seem to have faded and turned red, such a horse is called a “tanned crow.”

BAY - A reddish-brown horse with a black mane, tail, muzzle, ears and legs.

IGRENEVAYA is a chocolate-colored horse with a white or smoky tail and mane.

NIGHTINGAL - a golden-red horse with a light or white mane and tail interspersed with black hair

ISABELLA - a horse with milky yellow hair on undyed skin; her mane and tail are white.

MUSHY is a gray horse whose tail and mane are dark gray or black.

BULANAYA is a light sand horse with black legs, mane and tail.

Roan - a red or black color of a horse with an admixture of gray or white hair.

CHUBARAYA is a light-colored horse with small dark spots, or, conversely, a dark-colored horse with small white spots.

Piebald is a horse with large white spots.

What does a HORSE IN APPLES mean? This means that the horse has spots on its body that are a lighter shade than the base color. Apples appear with good care in horses of different colors (usually gray ones), but disappear with age.

TIGER suit - stripes of different sizes scattered throughout the body.

The meaning and use of horses at present

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the horse in the development of human society over the past 5 thousand years. It has played a more important role in human life than any other domesticated animal. Soon after taming, the true capabilities of the horse were revealed - it became an indispensable assistant in the field, during transport, and in war. Previously, horses had to work not only on the ground, but also underground. Usually they were ponies. In England alone, almost 16,000 of these reliable workers worked. The little horse dragged a heavily loaded trolley for about 3,000 hours a year, transporting up to 3,000 tons per year and covering almost 5,000 km. For this work they preferred to use small Shetland Island ponies, because... they could carry cargo 20 times their own weight.

The horse served man a lot on the battlefield. The Assyrians first began to use horsemen in battles at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. In many battles, until very recently (until the 20s of our century), cavalry played a huge and sometimes decisive role: knightly cavalry, lancers, hussars, dragoons, cavalry guards, horse guards, Cossacks - and everyone had their own special style of fighting, and therefore their requirements for the breed, training, and appearance of the main partner - the horse. Draft and pack horses transported cannons, ammunition, food, wounded soldiers, etc.

Rice. 1. 11 Artist horses.

There is such a science as hippotherapy, which is based precisely on the positive effects of horses on human health. Hippotherapy has become popular and its popularity and demand is constantly growing, since with the help of horses such serious and complex diseases as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and many problems of the musculoskeletal system are cured.

The horse affects the muscles of people, relaxing them and at the same time giving a load. Uniform movement when moving in steps in three directions: up - down, left - right and forward - back makes relaxation very unnoticeable and gradual.

During the ride, the leg muscles become tense, they become stronger, and their tone is restored. In addition, while riding a horse, there is a thermal effect on the muscles from the horse's body.

Conclusions for Chapter 1:

More than 60 million years ago, a primitive predecessor of the horse, Barylambda, appeared. She looked almost nothing like a horse. Hyracotherium is the most ancient ancestor of the horse - a small animal whose height at the shoulders did not exceed 20 centimeters. A key event in the evolution of horses is climate change. About 40 million years ago, the genus Mesohippus emerged. The height of these animals at the withers already reached 60 centimeters. The neck, legs and muzzle became longer, and the back was no longer arched. The genus Parahippus appeared about 23 million years ago. Their height at the withers was 1 meter, their teeth became more adapted for chewing food, and their feet had 3 toes with hooves. In addition, these animals had increased brain volume. Modern horses of the genus Equus arose approximately 4 million years ago. One of the “youngest” ancestors of horses are the wild animals tarpans, who lived in the southern Russian steppes.

Currently, the equine family has only seven species. The most famous of them is the domestic horse. The remaining six types are wild horses. These include:

Three species of African zebras (Burchell's zebra, Grévy's zebra and mountain zebra);
- two types of donkeys (African and Asian)
- the last species is the Przewalski's horse, which is sometimes called the Mongolian wild horse (the closest living relative of the domestic horse).

According to their purpose, horse breeds are divided into:

Heavy trucks
- harness
- trotting
- riding

The variety of horse breeds is grouped either according to zonal and climatic characteristics - forest, steppe, mountain, or by purpose - riding, horse-drawn, heavy-drawn, or by origin - cultural, transitional, aboriginal (local), or by development methods - factory, herd, cultural herd, etc.

Various breeds of horses are bred in special institutions - the so-called stud farms.

CHAPTER 2. HORSES IN THE CRIMEA AND Pike perch

Section 2.1 How horses are used in Crimea

Mainly in Crimea there are riding and draft horses. The main breeds here are: Ukrainian Horse Breed, Oryol Trotter, Budennovskaya, Vladimir Heavy Draft, Thoroughbred Horse. There are other breeds too, but they are much smaller.

Horses are mainly used in the tourism business. There are also various hippodromes and equestrian clubs, where people no longer ride through picturesque places, but learn horse riding.

In some cases, horses are used in individual agriculture.

There are 8 stables in Sudak and the Sudak region. Horses are used here mainly for tourism purposes - these are the Grushevka, Perevalovka, Meganom stables, which specialize in horseback riding, but there are stables whose horses are used for sporting purposes: these are the Sosnovy Bor, U Aishe " and "Dachnoe".

Section 2.2. KSK "Sosnovy Bor"

The equestrian club "Sosnovy Bor" is located in Sudak, in the Valley of Roses (long since called the Ai-Sava Valley). At the foot of Mount Perchem, with its rich coniferous vegetation and karst spring - the purest water, with the club located 5 km from the sea. From here you can see an extensive panorama of the Sudak mountains, such as Bakatash (Frog), Taraktash (stone comb), Ai-Georgiy. Picturesque places, unique nature, mild climate. There is no summer bustle of a resort town here. And in winter, the slopes of Mount Perchem, at the foot of which the Sosnovy Bor equestrian center is located, are protected from northern winds.

Infrastructure: Russian bathhouse, billiards, table tennis, equestrian field, horseback riding, mini-zoo, parking.

Horses: descendants of prize-winners and world champions of the Olympic Games of different years. These are thoroughbred horses of the Ukrainian Saddlebred and Tory breeds, and the English Thoroughbred Saddlebred.

The club provides riding lessons from qualified trainers and instructors. Routes: varying degrees of difficulty, for all ages.

Hippotherapy is carried out: a form of rehabilitation that includes joint activity, physical communication, rhythmically ordered physical activity, elements of massage and comprehensive medicine, which contributes to a more functional interaction of all organs and systems.

Unfortunately, by 2014, there were only 4 horses left in the stable, whereas in 2010 there were 14 horses.

Mare. Ukrainian Horse breed, 13 years old, height at withers –166 cm, color - black. behavior: very stubborn, but patient and conscientious in sports (Fig. 2.1).

Rice. 2.1 Mare Cuba

Gelding. Ukrainian riding breed, 12 years old, height at the withers - 162 cm, color - bay. Behavior: calm, loves children.

Gelding. Ukrainian riding breed, 11 years old, height at the withers – 165 cm, color – bay. Behavior: Very playful and timid. He starred in the film "Taras Bulba".

4. Crystal.

Gelding. Ukrainian riding breed, 12 years old, height at the withers - 163 cm, color - bay. Behavior: very kind and affectionate, loves children.

Horse nutrition. Walking. Content.

The horses are fed 3-4 times a day (not counting the fact that they are taken to the levadas and released into the fields). They are most often fed hay, but it happens that horses eat salty licks and a selection of vegetables (apples, carrots, cabbage). Horses are watered 5-6 times a day, depending on the season and weather. In summer - 5-8 times, in winter much less. In winter, if conditions are favorable, horses are released into the field (located on the territory) for half a day, and sometimes for the whole day. In the summer, horses are released into the levada.

The size of the stall in the stable is 2 x 2. The floor is covered with either hay or sawdust. The stable itself is not big. It has: stalls, a trainer's room and a training room. As night approaches, the stable doors close. Horses are brushed every day (this includes: cleaning hooves, brushing hair, combing mane and tail). Once a week the horses have a bath - they are taken outside, where the horses are watered with a hose (but again, if conditions are favorable).

CONCLUSIONS: There are 8 stables in Sudak and the Sudak region. Horses are used here mainly for tourism purposes - these are the Grushevka, Perevalovka, Meganom stables, which specialize in horseback riding, but there are stables whose horses are used for sporting purposes: these are the Sosnovy Bor, U Aishe " and "Dachnoe". The Sosnovy Bor equestrian club is located in Sudak, in the Rose Valley. In 2010, there were 14 horses kept here, but today there are only 4 horses left. The club provides horse riding training and hippotherapy.

CONCLUSION

1. More than 60 million years ago, a primitive predecessor of the horse appeared - barylambda. She looked almost nothing like a horse. Hyracotherium is the most ancient ancestor of the horse - a small animal whose height at the shoulders did not exceed 20 centimeters. A key event in the evolution of horses is climate change. About 40 million years ago, the genus Mesohippus emerged. The height of these animals at the withers already reached 60 centimeters. The neck, legs and muzzle became longer, and the back was no longer arched. The genus Parahippus appeared about 23 million years ago. Their height at the withers was 1 meter, their teeth became more adapted for chewing food, and their feet had 3 toes with hooves. In addition, these animals had increased brain volume. Modern horses of the genus Equus arose approximately 4 million years ago. One of the “youngest” ancestors of horses are the wild animals tarpans, who lived in the southern Russian steppes.

2. Currently, the equine family has only seven species. The most famous of them is the domestic horse. The remaining six types are wild horses. These include:

All representatives of the equine family are vegetarians and are adapted to high-speed running. Horses live on average up to thirty years, some live up to forty. The female bears the offspring for 11 months. At the age of three years, the horse can already reproduce.

3. According to their purpose, horse breeds are divided into:

Heavy trucks
- harness
- trotting
- riding

The horse returns to us along with man’s ever-increasing desire to be as close as possible to nature, to nature. Now the horse is the most popular companion for outdoor activities.

There is such a science as hippotherapy, which is based on the positive effects of horses on human health.

4. There are 8 stables in Sudak and the Sudak region. Horses are used here mainly for tourism purposes - these are the Grushevka, Perevalovka, Meganom stables, which specialize in horseback riding, but there are stables whose horses are used for sporting purposes: these are the Sosnovy Bor, U Aishe " and "Dachnoe". The Sosnovy Bor equestrian club is located in Sudak, in the Rose Valley. In 2010, there were 14 horses kept here, but today there are only 4 horses left. The club provides horse riding training and hippotherapy.

Literature

1. Anatomy of domestic animals. Textbook / Ed. V.N. Saitanidi. M.: Kolos, 1997.

2. Biology. Large encyclopedic dictionary / Ed. M.S. Gilyarov. M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1998.

3. Boyarsky P.V. Saddle up your horses. M.: Children's literature, 1994

4. Veterinary medicine. Large encyclopedic dictionary / Ed. A.M. Prokhorov. M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1998.

5. All about the horse / Ed. A.I. Zhigacheva. St. Petersburg: Lenizdat, 1996.

6. Gladenko V.K. A book about a horse. M.: MGAVMiB im. K.I. Skryabina, 1999.

7. Gurevich D.Ya. Handbook on equestrian sport and horse breeding. M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2000.

8. Draper J. Horses and their care. Encyclopedic edition. Minsk: Belfax, 1997.

9. Horse. Eyewitness series, about everything in the world. Per. from English lang., London: Dorling Kindersley, 1997.

10. Lunkenbein M. Horses. Series Everything about everything. Per. from English lang., M.: Astrel, 2001.

11. Beginnings of physiology. Textbook for universities / Ed. HELL. Nozdracheva. St. Petersburg: Lan, 2002.

12. Parfenov V.A. Horses. M.: Folk Art, 2000.

13. Practical horse breeding. Directory. V.V. Kalashnikov, Yu.A. Sokolov et al. M.: Kolos, 2000.

14. Physiological indicators of animal norms. Directory. Cons. A. Pozdnyakov. M.: Aquarium, 2001.

15. Physiology of farm animals. Textbook. A.I. Golikov, N.U. Bazanova et al. M.: Kolos, 1991.

Previously, horses had to work not only on the ground, but also underground. Usually they were ponies. In England alone, almost 16,000 of these reliable workers worked. The little horse dragged a heavily loaded trolley about 3,000 hours a year, transporting up to 3,000 tons a year and covering almost 5,000 km. For this work they preferred to use small Shetland Island ponies, because... they could carry cargo 20 times their own weight.

Currently, due to the rapid development of technology, the role of the horse in human life has become much less noticeable - cars and tractors have replaced horses behind the plow, in harness and on the battlefield. However, even now people cannot do without their trusted friend and assistant. Horses are especially actively used in sports. Horse racing and trotting trials at racecourses are extremely popular. More sporting are dressage competitions, as well as show jumping and eventing. Dressage is the ability to control a horse at different gaits. Show jumping is a competition to overcome obstacles. Eventing is a complex competition that includes dressage, show jumping and field trials (cross country), and in all types the participant performs on the same horse. In addition to sports competitions, the equestrian circus is extremely popular in many countries around the world.

The horse also helps a lot in various areas of protecting and restoring human health. For example, stables and arenas have been created at children's medical institutions in Poland and other countries, where sick children are taught horse riding. Equestrian sport has excellent healing properties, especially for damage to the spine, limbs and disorders of the vestibular system.

In Russia, tuberculosis, dystrophy and some other diseases have long been treated with Bashkir kumiss. This horse milk drink has now been preserved and is sold in stores. Natural mare's milk is a biologically more complete product for humans than cow's milk. In France, for example, most orphanages have an agreement to supply horse milk for feeding children (it does not cause allergies). Horse milk yield per day ranges from 7.5 to 19.6 liters. However, a horse has to be milked more often than a cow, since the horse's udder is smaller: horses are milked every 2 - 2.5 hours, 8 -10 times a day.

In addition, horses save people in the literal sense. Often a patient who has never seen a living horse owes his life and restored health to it. There is an Institute of Vaccines and Serums in our country. There, in special stables, there are donor horses. These are the best animals, healthy in all respects. Doctors inject into their blood pathogens of such terrible diseases as tetanus, gangrene, diphtheria, botulism and many others. And when protective antibodies are produced in the horses’ blood, immunity against these diseases, their blood is taken to prepare serum. One horse gives 16 - 20 thousand doses of serum during its life.

And how many happy moments horses bring to people with their graceful appearance, rapid galloping, and breathtaking circus tricks under the guidance of experienced riders and trainers, thanks to good training and mutual understanding! However, competent witnesses talk about such cases of manifestation of horse intelligence, which are not easy to explain. The famous scientist Bernhard Grzimek, for example, wrote about the horse of a Berlin coal merchant: when sacks were loaded onto the cart, it turned its head and carefully watched how many of them were put. And if they laid even one more than the usual norm, then neither beatings nor a kind word could move her.

There are many examples of what an amazing animal the horse is. Here are just a few of them:

The largest is the Belgian stallion Brooklyn Supreme (1928-1948); height - 1.98 m; weight - 1.44 t; chest circumference - 259 cm.

The tallest is the Shire Sampson heavy truck: height - 2.19 m; weight - 1524 kg.

The smallest is the stallion Little Pumpkin: height - 35.5 cm; weight - 9.07 kg.

The fastest is the stallion Siglevi Slave I: he ran a distance of 804 m (standing start without a rider) in 41.8 seconds with an average speed of 69.3 km/h.

The oldest is the stallion Old Billy - 62 years old.

The strongest is the heavy-duty truck of the Shire breed Vulcan: it pulled off with a weight of 29.47 tons.

Jumping records: the horse Huazo jumped 2.47 m; stallion Samting - jumped over a ditch with water 8.4 m wide.

The longest horse ride was Henry G. Perry, a shepherd, who rode 22,565 km in 157 days.

There are probably few animals on the planet that can compete with horses in grace, beauty, stature and nobility. Not to mention the invaluable importance they play in the life of society. These are beautiful, intelligent and hardy creatures.

Archaeologists and historians have established that horses were domesticated before the advent of our era. Initially, ancient people hunted them, thus obtaining skins and meat. They soon realized that the role of a horse could be much more multifaceted if they made it a pet. The horses acquired shelter and harnesses, and they began to be used for transporting goods and moving around the area. Horses have made people's lives much easier by taking on some of the worries and hard work. Thus began the mutually beneficial cooperation between wild animals and homo sapiens.

Horses are far from stupid creatures; their intelligence is quite high by the standards of the animal world. Not everyone manages to find an approach to a horse, especially if the person is afraid of it and is insincere. A horse can be as loyal to its owner as a dog, if the owner treats his pet with respect; these animals have a very developed sense of smell, both literally and figuratively.

People mastered horse riding, learned to build carts, began to travel, go on business, develop trade relations, their way of life changed dramatically. These hardy animals took an active part in plowing the land, developing the agricultural industry, and did the most difficult work. They adapted to any conditions, were submissive and diligent. From time to time, fighting broke out in different parts of the planet. And again, the horses did not stand aside, helping the riders make the necessary maneuvers, taking out the wounded, delivering shells and weapons.

Many military victories cost them the price of their own lives. Horse breeders enthusiastically began breeding new breeds, each of which became more and more perfect. Later, they organized a horse-drawn courier service that delivered mail and parcels; the royals also could not do without the services of horses, traveling on gilded carriages over long distances. Secular society has always loved gambling events, so they embodied the idea of equestrian competitions and races, the owners measured the abilities of their students.

They built hippodromes, which were in high demand, and also held illegal competitions. Prices for elite specimens of horses reached unimaginable heights. However, this situation has not changed even now. Some countries have organized mounted police, which can quickly and efficiently respond to emerging incidents.

To this day, horses are kept in remote areas for transport and traction, and they are used for hunting. They are able to get where no vehicle can go. On top of that, horses support the environment, which is important in our time.

Graceful and proud animals can be seen in equestrian sports; they easily cope with assigned tasks. Horses perform in parades, in the circus, and give rides to children and adults in parks. They are kept as companions, go on walks together, and enjoy communication. People suffering from certain diseases of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system attend special hippotherapy classes, where horses are healers.

In addition to physical and aesthetic benefits, horses are also used in the food industry. Horse meat has a nutritious and valuable taste. Horse hair and skins are also used. Horses have every right to be considered universal and irreplaceable animals, both in turbulent and peaceful times.

Since ancient times, the horse has accompanied man wherever he was. The importance of horse breeding cannot be exaggerated. One of the first animals domesticated by man was the horse. The appearance of the horse in human life played a huge role in the history of its development. There is no doubt that horse breeding was one of the most important factors in the progressive development of human civilization.

Horse breeding is an important branch of animal husbandry that has not lost its importance in the specific conditions of ongoing technological progress. However, it should be noted that the growth of agricultural mechanization has significantly affected the number of horses throughout the post-Soviet space.

In terms of its importance, horse breeding has always occupied a special position among other branches of animal husbandry. The role of the horse has changed over thousands of years depending on the development of the productive forces and technology of mankind, but the history of civilization has always remained directly or indirectly connected with the improvement of horse breeding. The horse not only accompanied, but also expanded both the creative and destructive possibilities of human activity. Many civilizations appeared and developed only thanks to horse breeding: otherwise, how could it be possible to overcome vast spaces to achieve any goals. The horse is distinguished by versatile economically useful traits. For example, crop production acquired significant scope only after horses were involved in agricultural work, i.e. the use of horses significantly facilitated, accelerated and rationalized the work of the farmer. Only on horseback could a person travel thousands of kilometers in search of better places to live. In all wars until the beginning of the 20th century, the force that decided the outcome of battles was cavalry, against which neither infantry, nor war elephants, nor any other types of troops could resist.

Under the primitive communal system, and using stone tools, people hunted horses, ate their meat for food and gradually made them domestic animals.

Nomadic tribes and peoples raised and bred horses in conditions similar to those in which they lived in the wild. This did not have a significant effect on the type and constitution of steppe domestic horses. Nomads used horses in many ways: under saddle and pack, in carts and chariots, as well as for slaughter for meat and the production of kumis; They also served as a means of accumulating wealth. With a sedentary lifestyle in the forest-steppe and northern forests, people initially also did not create improved conditions for keeping and raising horses. Therefore, as in the steppes, domestic horses here have retained many of the features of their wild ancestors.

The nomadic peoples who came from Central Asia in the first millennium BC conquered the states of the Middle East exclusively with the help of cavalry. At that time, breeds of beautiful light, dry, fast-gaited riding horses were bred in Khorezm, Bactria, Parthia, Media, and Iran. It was from these countries that many peoples of the world drew breeding material for riding horses for thousands of years. In the ancient slave states - Ancient Greece and Rome - horses were not yet used for agricultural work, but were already used under saddle and in chariots during sports competitions and in military battles. Under the feudal system, horses in Europe and Asia played a particularly large role in military affairs. Due to the demand for horses for heavily armed knights, the process of enlarging and making horses heavier began in Western Europe. Horses began to be used for agricultural work and transport in Europe only in the 11th and 12th centuries. After the invention of gunpowder and the clash of European warriors with the light, mobile cavalry of the eastern peoples, a demand arose in Europe for a light, fast riding horse with a good gallop. Already during the Crusades, oriental horses began to be imported here. As a result of the use of eastern stallions, a thoroughbred riding horse was bred in England, and many half-bred breeds of horses were created in Europe.

Thus, currently in the world there are about 250 different breeds of horses used in a wide variety of areas and areas of human development.

Horse and man.

It took a lot of time for this animal to become what it is now used to seeing. The evolution of the equine family lasted for millions of years. Scientists were able to find out about the origin of the horse thanks to numerous evidence from that distant era - the finds of paleontologists. They told about how the animal evolved. It began in the Tertiary period, that is, about 60 million years ago. The Tertiary period is the oldest in the Cenozoic era (the era of mammals). The formation of the horse was influenced by changing environmental conditions and natural selection.

Many scientists from different countries have studied the origins of the horse. The greatest contribution to this matter was made by the outstanding Russian researcher V. O. Kovalevsky (1842 - 1882), the founder of modern evolutionary paleontology. His work played an important role in the development of evolutionary theory and refuted idealistic views on the immutability of species.

In 1873, V. O. Kovalevsky formulated the basic laws of horse evolution and proved the existence of transitional fossil forms of modern single-hoofed animals. V. O. Kovalevsky not only found out the direction and main stages of the evolution of the ancestors of ungulates, but also showed that evolution proceeded in accordance with the changing conditions of their existence along the path of adaptation to fast running and feeding on tough plant foods.

The origin and development of the most ancient ancestors of the horse took place simultaneously on both the Eurasian and American continents. At that distant time, among the countless inhabitants of the tropical forests was the distant ancestor of the modern horse - the five-toed Eohippus.

At the beginning of the Miocene - the last epoch of the Tertiary period - anchitherium appears. It was a fairly large animal, about the size of a modern pony. Its limbs are already three-fingered, the middle finger is much larger than the rest. In the middle of the Miocene, cooling began on our planet. The conditions in which the horse's ancestor evolved over millions of years have changed dramatically. The climate became much drier and the vegetation coarser. Tropical forests with soft, humid air gradually gave way to endless plains with a sharply continental climate.

To survive, animals had to adapt to new living conditions in the steppes. In this regard, the ancestors of the horse changed the structure of the skeleton, especially the limbs, and the structure of the digestive system, especially the oral apparatus. Life in the steppes required the horse's ancestor to move quickly over long distances.

On hard ground, support on one middle finger was quite enough, so the side ones began to disappear - to be reduced. At this time, the ancestral horse began to develop long and slender legs. Professor V.O. Kovalevsky wrote about it this way: “When the three-toed anchiteria, adapting to changing environmental conditions, moved to the huge dry meadows of the ancient Miocene, the legs only needed support on dry, hard, loose soil; the horse began to develop towards the predominance of one toe and the adaptation of the teeth to tougher herbivorous food...”

The transition from the soft, lush vegetation of humid forests to the tougher and drier steppe vegetation led to a change in the oral apparatus: the strength of the teeth increased significantly, the jaws became more massive.

As a result, the facial part of the skull elongated, and the eye sockets and skull moved back. This is how nature “sculpted” the horse.

At the turn of the Quaternary period, in the Upper Pliocene, ancient one-toed animals, which looked significantly similar to the modern horse, became widespread on all continents. These were its direct ancestors, called by scientists “Stenon’s horses”

And by the middle of the Quaternary period, the horse was basically formed, then its improvement began.

During the Quaternary period, cooling occurred four times on our planet, accompanied by glaciations. They were strongest in Eastern Europe and North America. The penultimate, so-called “Ris” glaciation turned out to be the most severe.

After each glaciation, warm periods occurred. Changing environmental conditions forced animals to evolve quickly. Researchers believe that the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods, which caused a sharp change in physical and geographical conditions, not only accelerated the evolution of the horse itself, but also created a number of its branches. Ancient one-toed animals, outwardly significantly similar to

Based on their findings, scientists concluded that during periods of cold weather, horses became larger, and during periods of warming, they became smaller. During this period, several independent forms of the ancestors of the modern horse emerged. For example, large, rough-boned horses lived in what is now Europe. On the mountain plateaus of Central Asia there were herds of thin-boned, broad-fronted horses.

As a result of changing living conditions, four subgenera of equids were formed. The first is a subgenus of horses. This includes all modern types of domestic horses, as well as the wild Przewalski's horse, and the tarpan, now extinct from barbarian extermination. The second subgenus is zebras with the species they have. The third subgenus is donkeys with modern species of African donkeys living in

Africa, Asia and other continents. And finally, the fourth subgenus, into which scientists distinguish Asian half-donkeys: kulans, onagers, kiangs.

And here's what's interesting. The branching (divergence) of the horse genus provided each subgenus with further development “in purity.” That is, although crossing individuals of different subgenera is possible, such “marriages” produce animals that are not capable of producing offspring. So, from the mating of a horse, or rather a mare with a donkey, a mule is obtained and, conversely, if a donkey is impregnated by a stallion, then a hinny is obtained. Crossing horses with zebras produces zebroids, etc. In this case, the crossbreeds develop normally, they are viable, but they can no longer reproduce. Nature puts an end to this and strictly guards the boundaries between subgenera, and does not allow the consolidation of any intermediate forms.

Scientists managed to understand the reason for this property of hybrids. It turned out that animals of different subgenera have different numbers of chromosomes in their cell nuclei, and hybrids do not accumulate the required number of chromosomes to form a full-fledged reproductive cell - a gamete.

In the process of evolution, the horse acquired such valuable qualities as strength, speed of movement, and endurance. These qualities attracted the ancient man to her, who decided to tame her.

By that time, he had already managed to domesticate a dog, a sheep, and a goat. At the end of the Neolithic - New Stone Age, that is, in the fourth - third millennium BC, man began to domesticate the horse. First of all, this happened where centers of livestock farming had already arisen and developed - on vast fertile plains.

Many researchers, studying archaeological finds and monuments of ancient cultures, came to the conclusion that even in the Neolithic period, huge herds of wild horses existed in Europe and Asia, and that then there were several fairly large ancient cultures with developed horse breeding. Having appeared in many places, it began to develop rapidly. People used the horse as a productive animal and a means of fast transportation.

Among the peoples of Central Asia, this type of animal husbandry has reached a high level of development. The horses of Khorezm, Davan argamaks, Nisean, ancient Persian and others were especially famous. From there, domesticated horses came to Syria and Asia Minor.

According to researchers, horses began to be tamed in Mesopotamia at the beginning of the second millennium BC. Domesticated horses later appeared in Ancient Egypt, in Palestine in the first millennium, and much later in Arabia.

Monuments of ancient Assyrian culture dating back to 668 BC contain images of catching wild horses.

On the territory of present-day Ukraine there existed the most ancient, so-called Trypillian culture. There, in tribal communities where matriarchy still reigned, horses were domesticated two and a half thousand years BC.

Based on archaeological finds, scientists have established that in a vast area north of the Caucasus, the horse was domesticated in the third millennium BC. In addition, in the vast territory from the Azov to the Barents Sea, livestock farming, including horse breeding, was developed already one and a half thousand years BC. And the center of horse domestication was in the Don steppes.

Many remains of domestic horses were found in the Urals, Kyrgyzstan, and the foothills of the Altai, in burial grounds dating back to the second millennium BC.

On the Ulagan River in Altai, frozen corpses of horses in harness with numerous pieces of equipment were discovered in a layer of permafrost. They were so well preserved that scientists were able to see how their owners cared for them.

Back in the fifth century BC, ancient historians, and in particular Herodotus, reported a high level of development of horse breeding among the Scythians. This is evidenced by numerous Scythian monuments. It was not for nothing that the father of Alexander the Great, Philip, ordered 20 thousand mares to be brought from the Don to improve the local horses.

The Scythians had wonderful cavalry - their warriors on fast horses, like a whirlwind, flew at the enemy.

As the chronicles say, in 513 BC, Scythian horsemen defeated the army of the ancient Persian king who invaded their lands, and 183 years later the same fate befell the Thracian governor Alexander the Great.

Looking ahead, we note that some researchers have argued that almost all breeds of domestic horses bred among the peoples who inhabited the territory of our country in the past originate from Mongolian horses. They motivated this by the fact that during the period of the Mongol-Tatar invasion, almost the entire horse population of the conquered territories consisted of Mongol horses. But this point of view does not stand up to criticism, because numerous archaeological finds prove that by the time the horde invaded the territory of our country, in particular in southeastern Europe, northern Central Asia and southern Siberia, horse breeding had already reached its peak. Therefore, it was not the Mongolian horse that influenced the local horses, but rather the turnover.

The history of horse breeding in America is interesting. Despite the fact that many of the fossil ancestors of the horse have been found in North and South America, the wild form of horses has not been preserved there. This happened because during the period of continuous glaciation in North America, they probably all died. And only several thousand years later, after the discovery of America by Columbus, European colonists brought domestic horses there. This happened for the first time in 1493. Since that time, the massive import of horses of various breeds into America began: Arabian, English thoroughbred riding, Percheron, Hackney and many others. Subsequently, based on the imported horses, their own horse breeds were created there, such as the American trotter, pacer, quarter horse, appaloosa and others.

And since we’re talking about America, that is, about American horses, then perhaps it’s worth remembering mustangs. Almost all people read or heard about them in childhood. And, naturally, we wondered what these horses were like, and where did they come from? Scientists have different points of view on the origin of mustangs, but most of them believe that in the early period of colonization of the American continent, there were many imported horses that went to the prairies for many reasons: At that time there was a continuous war with the indigenous peoples inhabiting the territories , fell under colonization, so many horse owners were killed, or they died from diseases, there were a lot of other reasons why horses ran wild. These horses ran wild for centuries, bred in the wild and developed lands that even humans had not yet reached. This is how herds of wild horses, nicknamed mustangs, appeared on the prairies. Until the nineteenth century, the mustang population was numerous. But then they were gradually exterminated or domesticated.

The penetration of horses into the Australian continent is somewhat reminiscent of the appearance of horses in America. There were also no wild horses in Australia, and only in the seventeenth century did colonialists bring domesticated representatives of a wide variety of breeds there. Then, for a long time, their spontaneous, disorderly crossing took place there. Just as at one time on the American continent, numerous herds of feral horses, like American mustangs, appeared in Australia. But here they are called "brabies". Subsequently, Brabies suffered the same fate as American Mustangs.

Scientists believe that the African continent also did not have its own wild forms of horses. There were zebras, but no horses. There were already domesticated horses. Subsequently, in Africa such breeds as the Dongolian, the Barbarian and later on the basis of the light type breeds - the Basuto - were created.

Man, having domesticated the horse in the middle of the Neolithic, began to purposefully develop in this animal those qualities that he considered economically useful. As a result of the long work of ancient breeders, even before the advent of the new era, horses from different areas, regions, and continents were noticeably different from each other. By that time, many secrets of growing and training these animals had accumulated.

Horses even then had a clear specialization: riding, drafting, for war chariots, and so on.

In a word, having taken the baton from nature, man conscientiously worked on the further evolution of the horse. (Moiseenko, A good horse serves people, 1988)

The meaning of a horse in Kazakhstan.

On the territory of Modern Kazakhstan, the horse appeared 6 thousand years ago, together with the first nomadic tribes that arose on this land, that is, with the first cultural civilizations involved in horse breeding, in the middle of the Neolithic - this was the Andronovo culture.

The Andronovo people had very large horses, noticeably superior to all subsequent later breeds.

All subsequent tribes that inhabited the territory of Kazakhstan - the Saki, Kangly, Kangyui, Huns, Huns and many others were inextricably linked with horse breeding, since their very existence on lands of enormous proportions without horses would have been simply impossible. Their whole life completely depended on the presence or absence of horses. The movement of people over thousands of kilometers and wars of conquest are simply not feasible without a good cavalry army. The very name “nomadic tribes” implies mobility, speed, lightning-fast migration during an attack, etc.

The horse in Kazakhstan can be called a national animal, since it played a huge role in the fate of the Kazakh people. The horse was literally a friend and comrade for the Kazakhs, because they, one might say, never parted.

The horse was not only the only means of transportation and a source of adequate nutrition for a person, the horse was and is a symbol of Kazakh life, not only nomadic life, but also life in general, since for a sedentary person the symbol of life is the house, for the Kazakhs the horse was the home, because the only she was a reliable creature who could help in a difficult nomadic life. Only in the possessions of the Kazakhs were huge territories, nomadic spaces through which they needed to migrate every season from summer pasture to autumn pasture, etc.

It can be said without exaggeration that it was only thanks to the horse that the Kazakhs survived as a nation. Without this four-legged friend, they would have died out long ago or been assimilated into the peoples who tried to conquer the Kazakh tribes. The horse helped the Kazakhs preserve their national and cultural identity and originality. (Kazakh horse, A.I. Imangaliev, 1976)

“The horse is much more generously endowed with instincts and physiological feelings than humans. A horse hears better than a cat, smells more finely than a dog, it is more sensitive to the passage of time and changes in weather... There is no animal equal to it on earth,” this is how the wonderful Russian writer A. Kuprin spoke about the horse.

Nature, when creating the horse, truly endowed it with amazing properties. If we compare, for example, its sense organs with the senses of other creatures, it is unlikely that one can find any other species of animal in which all of them would be as well developed as in the horse. Her vision is very sharp, the horse sees everything perfectly, at a distance of up to 500 meters, and even then, after domestication, the horse lost the main power of vision. In addition, due to the position of the eyes, the horse has a very wide field of vision and sees almost equally well during the day and at night.

And what a fine hearing a horse has! It is much more developed than vision. The horse picks up even the slightest rustles that a person does not perceive, even if they are amplified several times. She distinguishes well the sound of her master's steps and recognizes him even before he enters the stable. The structure of her ears is such that they not only capture sound waves, but also amplifies them. Movable ears always, like locators, turn towards the sound source. When a horse finds itself in an unfamiliar place, they say that it “plays” or “twists” its ears, that is, it carefully listens to this place. The horse is able to distinguish subtle nuances of sound. For example, if you distort her nickname even a little, she will not respond. It has also been noted, for example, that as soon as its trainer raises his voice a little, the horse’s pulse quickens.

In addition to hearing, this animal has a highly developed sense of touch. But his lips and hooves are the most sensitive. Therefore, horse experts often say that a horse sees the road with its feet.

No animal, perhaps except a dog, can compare with a horse in the subtlety of its sense of smell. She has a good memory and is well oriented in any area.

Many people probably know stories of horses returning home on their own, overcoming various obstacles. It is not without reason that in winter, during a strong blizzard and blizzard, a lost rider or driver lets go of the reins and relies on the horse’s keen sense of smell, on its instinct - at night, in a blizzard, it can find its own way to housing, carefully avoiding gaps, snow-covered cliffs. It has long been noted that a horse is excellent at finding a ford in a river, and in waterless places it finds the shortest path to water.

Many people, especially city dwellers, are afraid of horses; they believe that they will hit them for no reason or attack them. These fears are not unfounded, the horse is a very cautious animal and has enormous strength; if a stranger approaches it without calling out to it, it could end badly for him. Moreover, in the literature, they often write quite the opposite, they say, the horse is a good-natured animal, just don’t be afraid of it and it won’t hurt you. Meanwhile, a horse is just an animal, and a very timid animal; only a very experienced person can predict exactly what it will do and how it will behave; horses are different, like humans and all other creatures, therefore, in its behavior there is some kind of a share of unpredictability.

It is reliably known that horses differ from each other in “intelligence”, i.e. What one can understand, another cannot understand. Therefore, you should not neglect caution when communicating with a horse. In medicine, and in popular rumor, there are a lot of facts of injuries, of varying degrees of severity, up to and including death, received from a horse. Of course, all these facts occurred due to a self-defense reaction, and the first reaction is a kick or kicks. Have you ever heard of a person being fatally injured by a sheep or a dairy cow? Surely not, but there are many examples of death from being hit by a horse.

Of course, all this does not mean that you need to be afraid of the horse like fire, shy away from it and put it on the list of dangerous animals. A horse by nature is not a very aggressive animal, and is no more dangerous than other large farm animals, but it is timid, and the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar object or person causes fear in it, and the first reaction to fear is to kick. You just need to be more careful when communicating with her.

The horse very quickly gets used to the person next to it, and can calmly obey his will. The horse is very distrustful of everything unfamiliar, and before approaching an unknown object, it carefully studies it. The horse is the smartest of all farm animals.

The horse's body has unique properties that allow it to exhibit amazing endurance, strength and performance. Thus, a well-trained horse, as experts say, with open breathing, is capable of increasing lung capacity by 3–3.5 times during work, and pulmonary ventilation by 12–13 times. These are the reserves nature has provided her with!

Over a long period of interaction with these animals, people have studied many features of its behavior and habits. It has been noticed, for example, that after long and hard work, horses like to roll around in the sand or loose soil. While lying around, they massage and knead the most tired areas of the body. After a long rest, horses do a kind of warm-up - stretch, quiver their skin, take deep breaths.

In the summer, during the hottest time of the day, the horses, while on pasture, are divided into pairs. Moreover, the animal in each pair positions itself so that with its tail it drives away blood-sucking insects, gadflies, horse flies from the head and neck of the other. In addition, they scratch each other's skin areas that they cannot reach themselves.

When wolves attack a herd, the horses immediately gather in a circle. Sucking foals and dams find themselves in the center of this circle, and it is almost impossible for wolves to get them out of there. An old, experienced herd stallion and several adult stallions and mares constantly guard their herd.

People have long noticed that horses are sensitive to weather changes. They, like a kind of barometer, can warn in advance about its changes. If horses snore, they are expecting a blizzard or inclement weather. In the old days, peasants believed that if horses snorted in the summer, it meant rain, and in winter it meant a snowstorm. And one more thing: when it rains, the horse shakes its head and throws it up or hits the ground with its hooves. If in winter it lies on the floor of the stable, then it means warming.

Watching herds of horses, people noticed: if horses go to high places, then this means good weather, warming, and vice versa, if they gather in schools and go to the lowlands, then this means bad weather. It was believed that if a horse does not graze in bad weather and runs across the field, then the weather will definitely change for the better, and if the horse is in a playful mood in winter, then this will lead to a blizzard and blizzard.

The “reasonableness” of horses’ behavior is sometimes so inexplicable that it confuses people. Once, in the Amur taiga, geologists, in order to transport rock samples from the hills to the camp, rented several horses in the village, including a mare with a small foal. The suckling dog relentlessly followed his mother's heels, overcoming steep climbs and dense thickets.

Having gone down to the camp one Saturday, one of the geologists did not find anyone there - everyone had gone to the village. He decided not to leave the camp until one of his employees arrived and began analyzing stone samples. Suddenly the silence was broken by the alarming neighing of a foal. Seeing him approaching the tent, the geologist came out to meet him. The foal turned and headed in the opposite direction, looking back from time to time and raising his voice, as if inviting the geologist to follow him. He followed the foal, which led him to the spring, the geologist saw that the mare, the foal’s mother, was lying helplessly in the cold water, unable to get up because her reins were caught on a snag and bushes. The geologist untangled the reins and helped the horse to stand. Having saved the mare from suffering and, possibly, from death, he led her to the camp. The foal ran merrily after them.

Honored livestock specialist of the RSFSR V. Murinova wrote about an equally interesting case, the hero of which was also a horse.

Yankul – that was the horse’s name – was an amazing herd stallion; he himself led the herd to pasture and watering, and he followed the daily routine better than an experienced herd-keeper. And how he guarded his joint! I didn’t offend anyone. You could always rely on him. And then one day, it was in the twenties, centuries later, such an incident occurred. One gloomy autumn evening, a school of horses along with a herd of bull calves were in the foothill pastures far from the village. Evening was approaching, fog fell, and it began to get dark quickly. It was time to return to the village, but the horses and bulls grazed so well that the shepherds decided to wait a little longer. Suddenly Yankul raised his head, became alert and ran around the school, then jumped up to the shepherds, moving his ears excitedly, as if he wanted to warn about something. The shepherds immediately realized that something was wrong and began to peer into the gathering dusk. In those days, things were not calm in the North Caucasus and especially in the foothill pastures: Large gangs of armed bandits often stole livestock.

Peering into the twilight, the shepherds saw the silhouettes of horsemen in the distance. Then they lay down in a small ditch and began to watch the unknown people. And they, approaching, began to beat off the bunch of bulls. The shepherds started shooting. The robbers immediately dismounted, lay down, and opened return rifle fire on the shepherds. But the forces turned out to be unequal, and the shepherds, firing back, began to retreat, believing that everything was lost - the bandits would steal both the horses and the bulls. But then Yankul, taking advantage of the firefight, quickly drove the school towards the village.

Having driven the horses a long distance, he suddenly left the school and rushed back for the bulls. He ran around the herd and, like an enraged beast, biting and pushing the stupid, disobedient bulls, drove them after the school. So fast that after a few minutes the horses and steers disappeared from sight. The bandits, realizing that the prey had escaped and they could no longer catch it, jumped on their horses and disappeared into the mountains.

When the shepherds returned to the village, the bulls were already going to bed, and the mares were feeding their foals. And only Yankul stood excited. He was still listening and peering into the distance, to where the shots had recently thundered.

The role of a good stallion in a herd cannot be overestimated. He is like the father of a large family, keeps order in the community, protects weak individuals from stronger and more aggressive ones, and teaches the young.

Recent research by scientists has shaken the outdated opinion about the reckless activity of the animal brain. Monkeys, dogs, dolphins and horses, among them, are increasingly making themselves known as intelligent creatures. In 1939, a man traveled around Europe and demonstrated his “intelligent” horses, they really surprised people with their capabilities: They could write the simplest words (!), with the help of a person naturally. They could calculate examples, recognize objects and determine their meaning, they could do many other things that are not usually characteristic of animals. Little is known about this man; the war soon began, so no one cared about him; one thing is certain: the scientists of that time assembled an investigative, experimental commission, which did not discover (!) any elements of fraud and trickery. True, it neither confirmed nor denied the rationality of these horses; the commission was closed for lack of clear explanations of what was happening, until better times, and the unique horses, along with their owner, lost in the chaos of the war, sank into oblivion. The facts of these events are revealed only by small newspaper articles, yellowed with time, and by the old report of that commission, which was unable to explain anything. Therefore, who knows, maybe a horse lives with a person and is waiting for its turn to greatly surprise the person with its humanity. (E.V. Kozhevnikov, Domestic horse breeding 1988)

Research work "horse in human life." What role do horses play in human life? The economic importance of horses for humans

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