Post by AUTOMATIC on Aug 8, 2011 16:14:04 GMT -8
here is a quick-start guide to horses, for those with a less-than-equestrian lifestyle. here we go!
HORSES AND PONIES
The Difference
Horses and ponies are measured in "hands" - increments of four inches. If a horse is sixteen hands, for example, they are 64" high at the withers, or shoulders - or just over five feet. If a horse is not quite a full hand, you measure in inches. For example, a horse that is fifteen and a half hands is fifteen hands and two, or simply fifteen-two (shorthand: 15-2).
The line between horses and ponies falls at fourteen-three. Anything below 14-3 is a pony; 14-3 and above is a horse.
Coloration
There are a lot of different colors, so we'll just give you some of the most common:
Chestnut covers a range of orange colors, from a deep, dark copper color to a bright sunshine-y color. Color distribution is uniform; mane and tail match the coat.
Bay horses are a rich brown color, with black legs, mane, and tail. The brown can be anywhere from almost tan to a deep, dark chocolate color.
Gray horses are commonly confused with white. Gray is far more common, with a light gray or white coat, and pale gray mane and tail. The only way a horse is white is if its skin is pink, instead of black like most horses.
- A light gray horse with lots and lots of dense brown or dark gray flecks is called fleabitten gray.
- A horse with dappled light and dark gray is called, for obvious reasons, dapple gray.
Palomino is a pale tan-gold color with a white mane and tail. The same shade of tan coat, but with black mane and tail, is called buckskin or dun.
Pinto horses are white with large black or brown patches.
Horses also come in black, roan, liver chestnut, appaloosa, and a variety of other colors that I'm too lazy to list. If you really want to know, consult google.
UNICORNS
Our unicorns can be any breed, size, and color of horse. There are two categories of unicorns: Shorthorn and Longhorn. Longhorns have longer