Horse Talk

Want to sound smart on World Cup Day? Brush up on these horsey conversation starters...

It's not just humans who can earn big bucks in the movies! The palomino stallion ridden by Roy Rogers in Under the Western Stars (1939) made such an impact on the actor that when studio boss threatened to take "Trigger" away, Roy bought the horse for $2,500. Trigger appeared in all of Roy's movies and TV shows until he died in 1965, living to an impressive age of 33.

It's estimated that there are more than 750 million horses in the world, and more than 335,000 Arabians registered in the USA.

Draft horses are the strongest animals in the world, next to the elephant!

Many leg problems (limps) in horses are mis-diagnosed. They are usually back or hip problems.

Horses are actually colour blind. They see black and white and some forms of shadowed outlines and react to colour as being simply light or dark.

The practice of mounting a horse from the left side began in ancient Greece. Warriors always carried their weapons on their left side, which made mounting on the right side impossible.

Most wild foals are born at night, when the herd is least likely to be on the move. This is also true of domestic foals (nature's instinct never dies!).

Most horses are right or left handed, just like people. They have a good side and a bad side, so matching your own good side with that of your horse could make a massive difference!

Got any more interesting horse facts to share? How about funny stories from previous World Cups? Let us know!