Bizarre Horse Facts That Will Make You LOL

While horses are majestic and noble, they are also weird, quirky creatures with characteristics many people don’t know about. Below are my favorite weird horse facts that you’ve probably never heard of!

Horses can sleep standing up

 Horses are able to lock their tendons and ligaments (this ability is called the “stay-apparatus”) in order to fall asleep while standing fully upright. This allowed wild horses to always be able to quickly outrun any predator that found their herd during the night. However, to achieve REM sleep, horses must lie down, which is why many wild horses take turns with each other sleeping both upright and lying down to look out for each other.

Horses cannot vomit

When most of us have a stomachache, vomiting is usually a quick fix. Unfortunately, horses cannot vomit; their long palate and the angle at which their esophagus meets their stomach makes it physically impossible. Because of this, when horses get stomachaches, it can quickly turn into a quite serious disease known as colic, which can cause intestinal blockages, twisting, and even death.  

Horses love beer

Just like us, many horses love beer! This is because beer contains ingredients such as barley, hops, and other wheat components that are similar to the ingredients in the grain that domesticated horses eat. And lucky for horses, their size prevents them from getting drunk!  

Horses can be cloned

The first horse was successfully cloned in 2003. Since then, multiple companies now offer services that allow horse owners to clone their equine. But buyer beware; these services cost upwards of $250,000, and owners are not guaranteed a successful clone before payment. Fun fact - I have actually met a horse that was a clone of the owner’s previous horse!

Baby horse hooves are soft

Horse hooves are made of keratin, just like our hair and nails. However, when foals first come out of the womb, their hooves are covered in a soft outer layer (called the eponychium) to protect the mother during birth. This outer layer is soft, rubbery, and kinda looks like octopus tentacles! 

So, are you surprised? Head over to Instagram and comment your favorite fact! Also be sure to check out all of the blog posts while you’re here, and make sure ti hit up our contact page if you have any questions! And for more zany horse facts, check out https://www.doubledtrailers.com/45-random-amazing-bizarre-horse-facts/