An adult male horse is called a stallion or gelding. A female is called a mare. Young horses are called foals. A boy foal is called a colt and a girl foal is called a filly. Horses have keen senses. They see, smell, and hear well. They also are good at perceiving movement. Horses can recognize people they know in the same way that they recognize each other... by sight, voice and smell. Horses have ways of communicating with each other that speak as clearly as words. Sniffing nose to nose is a way of saying hello. Horses will often become friends, grooming each other by nibbling at the other’s neck. The neigh or whinny made through nostrils and mouth is primarily a call sign. If feeling threatened, a horse will lower its head, pin back its ears, and bare its teeth. It may also turn its hind legs towards, or lash out with its heels at the aggressor. Horse coats come in a wide variety of colours. The colour does not in itself identify a breed, but in some breeds the colour is an important and necessary feature. Ponies, donkeys, zebras and mules are all members of the same family as horses. They are all known as Equines. Ponies are small horses measuring below 14.2 hands in height. The height of a horse is measured from the highest part of the withers (the shoulder), down to the ground. Height is given in ‘hands’ and inches. A hand is 4 inches. Mules are the offspring of a horse and a donkey. A female horse and a male donkey will produce a mule, a male horse and a female donkey will produce a hinny. All members of the horse family have hoofs, teeth specially adapted for grazing on grass, and long tails of whip-like hair which are used to flick away irritating and harmful types of flies. Horse hoofs are made of the same material as your fingernails. Hoofs can be cut, just like your fingernails, and shoes can be nailed on without hurting the horse. Horses can live long lives. The oldest recorded so far being 50 years. Horses will often roll over in the corral or on grass. This is their way of keeping their skin healthy. Young horses will often roll just for the fun of it. Manoeuvrability, agility, and speed are the horse’s natural means of defence. A horse can see nearly straight back and straight ahead at the same time.