Curious About Horses

PODCAST 178: CURIOUS ABOUT HORSES

RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 27TH, 2022

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE GET LOTS OF EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTIONS FROM OUR AMAZING LISTENERS, AND THERE IS ONE THING OUR LISTENERS ARE DEFINITELY MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THAN ANYTHING ELSE… ANIMALS!  WE GET SO MANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ANIMALS, AND GUESS WHAT - WE HAVEN’T LEARNED ABOUT ANY ANIMALS IN 10 WEEKS, SINCE OUR EPISODE ON JELLYFISH IN DECEMBER.  I THINK IT’S TIME TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT ANOTHER SUPER-INTERESTING ANIMAL.  WHAT DO YOU THINK, OLIVIA?

O:  I THINK, DOUBLE MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE MAILBAG!

“HELLO!  WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER BRYNN, WHO IS 7, IS THE MOST CURIOUS PERSON I KNOW!  SHE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU!  WHY DOES SNOW LOOK SPARKLY?  WE LIVE IN ALASKA SO WE SEE LOTS OF SNOW AND IT IS A BIG QUESTION IN OUR MINDS!!  MY OTHER DAUGHTER RYLEIGH IS 15 AND IS CURIOUS ABOUT HORSES.  

THANKS,

LAURIE, RYLEIGH, BRYNN, AND DAD NELSON TOO!”

“HELLO,

OUR NAMES ARE DEVLYN AND MAKIYA FROM VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT AIRPLANES AND HORSES.  STAY CURIOUS.”

O:  THOSE ARE FANTASTIC E-MAILS FROM VERY CURIOUS LISTENERS.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT HORSES THIS WEEK FOR BRYNN, RYLEIGH, DEVLYN, AND MAKIYA.

D:  WE HAVE OTHER GREAT NEWS FOR OUR AMAZING LISTENERS.  WE ALREADY GOT CURIOUS ABOUT AIRPLANES ALL THE WAY BACK IN EPISODE 17 AND WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT SNOW IN EPISODE 110.  OLIVIA EVEN INTERVIEWED A NAVY PILOT FOR THE AIRPLANE EPISODE, SO GO CHECK THOSE EPISODES OUT.  THEY ARE 2 OF MY FAVORITE EPISODES IN THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST CATALOG.  

O:  THESE LISTENERS SENT THEIR E-MAILS ALMOST A YEAR AGO, SO THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT WHILE WE COVERED OTHER TOPICS.  WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT WORTH THE WAIT.

D:  WE SURE ARE.  TO KICK THINGS OFF, WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WE’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE FOR THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  OLIVIA IS ABOUT TO TELL YOU THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT HORSES.  THERE’S A PROBLEM, THOUGH.  TWO OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE TRUE, AND ONE IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY FALSE.  IT’S YOUR JOB TO TRY AND DECIDE WHICH TWO THINGS SHE SAYS ARE THE TRUTH AND WHICH ONE IS A LIE.  HERE WE GO.

O:  NUMBER ONE - A HORSE’S BRAIN IS HEAVIER THAN A HUMAN BRAIN, NUMBER TWO - HORSES CAN’T BREATHE THROUGH THEIR MOUTHS, AND NUMBER THREE - HORSES MAKE ABOUT 10 GALLONS OF SALIVA A DAY.

D:  DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHICH ONE OF THE THINGS OLIVIA JUST SAID IS A LIE?  STICK AROUND FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES TO FIND OUT.  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HORSES TODAY WITH THE HELP OF A VERY SPECIAL GUEST, JULIA, WHO IS GOING TO JOIN US IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.  UNTIL THEN, LET’S START BY LEARNING WHAT HORSES ARE.

O:  HORSES ARE MAMMALS JUST LIKE US.  THAT MEANS THAT, JUST LIKE HUMANS, HORSES ARE WARM-BLOODED AND HAVE HAIR.  THEY ALSO FEED THEIR YOUNG WITH MILK MADE BY THE MOMMY HORSES.  

D:  AND THAT MILK IS MADE BY SPECIAL GLANDS CALLED MAMMARY GLANDS.  IN FACT, THE NAME MAMMAL COMES FROM THE MAMMARY GLANDS THAT MAMMAL MOMMYS USE TO MAKE MILK FOR THEIR YOUNG.

O: HORSES WERE DOMESTICATED MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS AGO.  THAT JUST MEANS THAT HORSES HAVE LIVED ALONGSIDE HUMANS FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND THAT THEY ARE GENTLE AND TAME.  OTHER DOMESTICATED ANIMALS INCLUDE DOGS, SHEEP, AND PIGS. 

D:  A MALE HORSE IS CALLED A STALLION AND A FEMALE HORSE IS CALLED A MARE.  A YOUNG HORSE IS A FOAL.  TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, A YOUNG MALE HORSE IS A COLT AND A YOUNG FEMALE HORSE IS A FILLY.  THEY ARE CALLED COLTS AND FILLYS UNTIL THEY REACH FOUR YEARS OF AGE.  

O:  HORSES COME IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SIZES.  THEIR HEIGHT IS MEASURED DIFFERENTLY THAN HUMANS.  HORSES ARE MEASURED IN HANDS.  A HAND EQUALS 4 INCHES.

D:  A HORSE’S HEIGHT MIGHT BE DESCRIBED AS 20.1 HANDS.  THE NUMBER AFTER THE POINT REFERS TO ADDITIONAL INCHES.  SO IF YOU DO THE MATH, 20 HANDS WOULD EQUAL 80 INCHES BECAUSE EVERY HAND IS 4 INCHES, AND 20 X 4 EQUALS 80.  SO, IF A HORSE IS 20.1 HANDS, THE HORSE WOULD BE 80 INCHES PLUS ONE ADDITIONAL INCH, OR 81 INCHES TALL.  A HORSE’S HEIGHT IS MEASURED WHERE THE HORSE’S NECK MEETS ITS BACK.  

O:  THE REASON THEY USE THAT SPOT TO MEASURE THE HEIGHT IS BECAUSE IT IS CONSTANT.  IF YOU MEASURE TO THE TOP OF THE HORSE’S HEAD, THE HEIGHT WILL CHANGE WHEN THE HORSE MOVES IT’S HEAD.   

D:  THE LARGEST HORSE IN HISTORY WAS FITTINGLY NAMED MAMMOTH.  HE WAS 21.2 HANDS TALL WHICH EQUALS 86 INCHES.  HE ALSO WEIGHED OVER 3,360 POUNDS.  MY GOODNESS, THAT’S A BIG HORSE.

O:  THE SMALLEST ADULT HORSE WAS THUMBELINA.  SHE WAS ONLY 4.1 HANDS TALL, OR JUST 17 INCHES TALL.  SHE WEIGHED 57 POUNDS.  THAT IS SO TEENY TINY.  

D:  A HORSE’S PREGNANCY LASTS A BIT LONGER THAN A HUMAN PREGNANCY.  A HORSE IS PREGNANT FOR ABOUT 340 DAYS BEFORE HAVING A FOAL.  USUALLY, HORSES ONLY GIVE BIRTH TO ONE FOAL AT A TIME.  TWINS CAN HAPPEN, BUT THEY ARE VERY RARE.

O:  HORSES ARE ABLE TO STAND AND EVEN RUN A FEW HOURS AFTER THEY ARE BORN.  ISN’T THAT CRAZY?  MANY HORSES CAN RUN SUPER FAST, MUCH FASTER THAN ANY HUMAN.

D:  HORSES CAN GALLOP AT AROUND 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.  THE FASTEST RECORDED SPEED OF A HORSE SPRINTING WAS MEASURED AT 55 MILES PER HOUR.  JUST TO COMPARE, THE FASTEST HUMAN EVER RECORDED WAS OLYMPIC SPRINTER USAIN BOLT.  IN 2009, HE WAS CLOCKED IN AT A SPEED OF 27.5 MILES PER HOUR.  THAT’S CRAZY FAST, BUT IT’S ONLY HALF AS FAST AS THE FASTEST HORSE.   

O:  HORSES CAN SLEEP LAYING DOWN, JUST LIKE US, BUT HORSES CAN ALSO SLEEP STANDING UP.  

D:  THAT’S REALLY NEAT.  HORSES ALSO HAVE AMAZING EYESIGHT.  HORSES HAVE HUMUNGOUS EYES.  THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE LARGEST EYES OF ANY LAND MAMMAL.  WITH THOSE LARGE EYES, THEY HAVE A FIELD OF VISION OF ABOUT 350 DEGREES.  THAT MEANS THAT THEY CAN SEE ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND THEM WITHOUT TURNING THEIR HEADS.  THEIR ONLY BLIND SPOTS ARE BELOW THEIR NOSE AND DIRECTLY BEHIND THEM.  BECAUSE THEIR EYES ARE LOCATED ON THE SIDES OF THEIR HEADS, THEY ARE ABLE TO SEE SO MUCH MORE OF WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THEM THAN WE ARE.

O:  HORSES ARE HERBIVORES AND ENJOY EATING MOSTLY GRASS AND HAY.  THEY ALSO ENJOY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.  THEY LIKE MOSTLY SWEET FOODS AND DON’T CARE FOR BITTER OR SOUR FOODS.

D:  STRANGE FACT.  HORSES ARE NOT ABLE TO BURP OR VOMIT.  THEY ALSO TAKE ABOUT HALF AS MANY BREATHS AS HUMANS DO.  THE AVERAGE ADULT HORSE TAKES ABOUT 8 BREATHS PER MINUTE, WHEREAS THE AVERAGE ADULT HUMAN TAKES ABOUT 16 BREATHS PER MINUTE AT REST. 

O:  A HORSE’S HEART IS GIGANTIC.  IT’S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL.  IT’S ALSO VERY HEAVY.  IT WEIGHS ABOUT 9 OR 10 POUNDS.  THAT’S ABOUT 16 TIMES HEAVIER THAN A HUMAN HEART WHICH WEIGHS ONLY 10 TO 12 OUNCES. 

Jacob:  I FEEL LIKE WE’VE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT HORSES ALREADY, BUT WE’RE JUST GETTING TO THE BEST PART OF THE EPISODE.  WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL GUEST WHO KNOWS A TON ABOUT HORSES AND SHE’S GOING TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS FOR US.  HER NAME IS JULIA.  LIKE US, JULIA LIVES IN BEAUTIFUL NEW JERSEY, BUT UNLIKE US, SHE HAS BEEN RIDING HORSES SINCE SHE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.  THE FIRST TIME SHE RODE A HORSE WAS AT SUMMER CAMP.  SHE ENJOYED IT SO MUCH THAT SHE STARTED TAKING LESSONS AT HOME.  OVER THE YEARS, JULIA’S BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO RIDE LOTS OF PONIES AND HORSES.  RIGHT NOW, SHE OWN’S HER OWN LARGE PONY NAMED “LUNA”.  IT MUST BE SO AMAZING TO HAVE YOUR OWN PONY.  LET’S LEARN MORE ABOUT HORSES FROM JULIA.  TAKE IT AWAY, OLIVIA.

Olivia:  JULIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A GUEST ON CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  YOU’VE COMPETED IN LOTS OF COMPETITIONS WITH YOUR HORSE, LUNA.  WHAT KIND OF SKILLS DO YOU PERFORM AT THE COMPETITIONS AND HOW MUCH DO YOU PRACTICE TO PREPARE FOR THE COMPETITIONS?

Julia:  ——————————————————————————————.

Olivia:  WHAT KIND OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT DO YOU AND LUNA USE WHEN YOU PERFORM IN A HORSE SHOW?

Julia:  ——————————————————————————————.

Olivia:  HOW DO YOU BOND WITH LUNA WHEN YOU AREN’T TRAINING OR COMPETING?

Julia:  ——————————————————————————————.

Olivia:  HERE’S SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT.  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HORSE AND A PONY?

Julia:  ——————————————————————————————.          

D:  WOW, THAT WAS AMAZING.  A BIG, BIG THANKS TO JULIA FOR JOINING US FOR THIS EPISODE AND HELPING US LEARN SO MUCH MORE ABOUT HORSES.  LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A LIE?  NUMBER ONE - A HORSE BRAIN IS HEAVIER THAN A HUMAN BRAIN, NUMBER TWO - HORSES CAN’T BREATHE THROUGH THEIR MOUTHS, AND NUMBER THREE - HORSES MAKE ABOUT 10 GALLONS OF SALIVA A DAY.

O:  THE LIE IS THAT A HORSE’S BRAIN IS HEAVIER THAN A HUMAN BRAIN.  IT’S ACTUALLY A LOT SMALLER AND ABOUT HALF AS HEAVY AS A HUMAN BRAIN.  A HORSE’S TEETH ACTUALLY TAKE UP MORE SPACE IN THEIR HEADS THAN THEIR BRAIN.

D:  ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT.  MALE HORSES HAVE MORE TEETH THAN FEMALE HORSES.  MALE HORSES HAVE 40 TEETH AND FEMALE HORSES HAVE 36.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  178 - HORSES.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB TO BRYNN, RYLEIGH, DEVLYN, AND MAKIYA FOR GIVING US A TERRIFIC TOPIC TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT, AND I’M NOT HORSING AROUND WHEN I SAY THAT.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A FEW AMAZING LISTENERS TO THANK.

O:  THANK YOU TO FEDOR AND MISHA FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  THE REVIEW SAYS “WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  A GREAT WAY TO LEARN NEW THINGS!  GREAT JOB!”

O:  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTER, PAULA.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO PAULA FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON.  YOUR SUPPORT MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT NERVES FOR LISTENERS IN MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.