A robust horse stands inside a stable, followed by still images of donkeys, mules, and zebras.
An equine is a single-toed hooved animal. In the United States, the most common equine is the horse, followed by donkeys, mules, and zebras.
Next, a woman is seen riding a horse, succeeded by horse racing scenes, police officers on horseback, and a horse rider performing stunts.
The majority of horses in the United States are kept by private owners for recreational use, but many horses are used for other purposes. For example, horses are used for showing and racing. They are also employed by police and forestry departments, used in rodeos for entertainment and in tourism for guided experiences in which novices enjoy riding on trails and along beaches.
Horse showing is typically performance based and designed to demonstrate the ability of horse and rider to work together. A riding and showing event is exclusively English or Western riding.
Two women stand near a horse; the younger one saddles the horse. The scene shifts to a woman riding a horse using an English saddle, then switching to a Western saddle. Next, a man rides his horse with a Western saddle on a ranch while leading another horse alongside.
In English riding, horses are ridden with an English saddle. Riders use a posting trot, an action which requires them to rise up and down in rhythm with the two-beat gait of the trot.
In Western riding, horses are ridden with a western saddle. The saddle is designed so the rider can hold the reins in one hand and use the other to perform ranch work, such as roping steer.
Numerous jockeys intensely participate in horse racing, followed by a man interacting with a pony, light horses grazing, and a woman near a draft horse.
In the sport of horseracing, jockeys use a racing saddle that is a simplified version of an English saddle. Horseracing is a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States.
Horses are categorized by size. Ponies are horses under 14.2 hands and weighing up to 900 pounds. Light horses are 14 to 16 hands and weigh 900 to 1400 pounds. Draft horses are 16 to 18 hands and weigh upward of 2000 pounds. Each category of horse has different uses and appearances.
A sequence of images displays animal medicines, vaccines, and high-quality feed.
To ensure animal health, equine producers keep immunizations current, monitor animals for internal parasites, and provide high-quality feeds that are free of mold and dust.
Two horses are seen near a water tank in a field, transitioning to a man cleaning a horse's hooves and showcasing a clean horse stall.
Equines must also be provided a clean, constant supply of fresh water.
A farrier tends to a horses's hooves. Clean horse stalls are shown.
Equine producers also provide quality hoof care because a horse must have sound legs and hooves to live. Hooves are trimmed and cleaned regularly, and metal shoes are applied when needed. Stalls must also be kept clean and dry to prevent hoof cracking, fungal growth, and ammonia exposure.
A series of images feature horse herds, transitioning to a woman walking a horse inside a stable.
Equines are herd animals and are best kept with another horse or a companion animal to prevent depression or bad behavior. They are also instinctively prey animals, which makes them naturally distrustful of humans and other animals. They are often hyper vigilant of noises and other perceived threats.
A figure illustrates horse blind spots—one in the front and one at the back.
Because of these natural instincts, you should always approach a horse with a slow and consistent speed and avoid its blind spots to prevent spooking the animal.
This transitions to a sequence of images depicting a local stable.
If you are interested in working with equines, consider working at a local stable to gain some experience. Stable owners are often willing to trade training or riding opportunities for hard work cleaning stalls and other areas of a stable.