Things to consider when buying a horse: Breed of horse, Temperament of horse, Styles of riding, Experience of rider, Age of horse, Horse's level of training, Horse's overall health, and Any previous injury to horse

Water: Your horse must have plenty of clean, fresh water available at ALL times. A horse will drink 10 to 12 gallons of water each day, depending on temperature, humidity levels, ration content and work load. In the winter months, stock tank heaters will help stop ice build-up so that water is ALWAYS accessible to the horse.

Hay: Legume (alfalfa and clover) hay is higher in protein than grass hay so you need to feed less (weight) legume hay than grass hay. Grass hay will keep the horse busy eating longer and prevent boredom. In some states, alfalfa is cut up to six times per year. Later cuttings may have higher protein content. Do not switch diets abruptly between grass and alfalfa. Hays in your region will vary in type and cost. Consult your veterinarian as to what is best for your horse.

Hay for horses must be mold and dust free. Weeds have limited nutritional value. Weed seeds can be passed through the manure and infest your pasture. Buy hay that is free of weeds as some weeds are poisonous to horses.

Horses have five highly developed senses: taste, touch, hearing, smell, and sight. They also have an enigmatic sixth sense, heightened perception, which is very rare in humans

The eyes of a horse are larger than most other animals', and they can move independently, giving the horse a shallow panoramic vision. Because its lenses are inflexible, a horse will focus on an image by moving its head to direct light rays to the central part of the retina. Horses can also see in color.

A horse has an acute sense of smell that allows it to detect nervousness in a handler, and old-time horsemen would smear aromatic fluid on their hands when dealing with a difficult horse. Horses also become nervous around the smell of blood.

Some horses are able to figure out how to undo the doors of other horses and let them out

Horses experience two kinds of sleep, SWS (short wave sleep) and REM (rapid eye movement), and they most likely dream. They need about four hours of sleep out of every 24 and can sleep standing up by a special arrangement of locking joints.("Stay Apparatus")

Horses can differentiate between emotions in the human voice

Horses like music but are selective in their taste. They prefer calming or cheerful instrumental music, but are agitated by loud music such as rock

A horse’s hoof is extremely complex and sensitive. When a horse puts pressure on its hoof, the blood is squeezed up the leg into the veins, thus acting as a type of pump

While the mare primarily cares for her newborn, occasionally a sibling, the sire, or other mares will shelter and protect youngsters

In a herd, one gender is not always dominant of another; for example, a female may rank higher than a male in some cases, and a male may rank higher than a female in other cases

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