This is one of the many sayings that most people can’t really relate the source or how they came to be. I did my research and I thought you should know.
So where does the saying healthy as a horse come from? It has everything to do with biological makeup of the animals. Horses have 4 times number of white blood cells as compared to human beings. A pint of horse blood and a pint of human blood can easily depict the rich protection in horses. Also, horses are strong. Typically, strength is associated with good health hence the saying.
England history is the best if you want to learn about horses. Most sayings came from natives in different parts of England. You need to understand why horses can work the whole day without taking breaks. Maybe you should read more about early days with regards to property ownership and locomotives.
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How horses keep healthy
The saying is based on a fact, horses are healthy. The lifestyle of a horse can barely be compared to human beings. The food and daily activity of this domestic animal surpass human standards by far. Horses are not so choosy with their feeds; while different breeds and environment can influence type of food, horses feed on a wide variety of grass.
Food
First, horses feed a lot, this may not apply to human beings, but a horse can be in the field for 10 hours eating grass. They like the wild because of variety. The wild provides various nutrients that help in stabilizing the health of a horse. Horses are naturally healthy; feeding on different kinds of pasture enhances the nutritional content.
Water
Besides, horses take a lot of water. While they might not do it frequently as you do, horses don’t use glasses. A small percentage of people can get to 8 water glass mark every day, horses are far beyond this. Every horse owner knows about this; sometimes you have to regulate the water consumption because the horse won’t stop drinking.
Exercise
Despite the strong muscles and bones, horses are flexible. They are always on the move. While the owner is on a hunting trip, the horse is exercising its muscles. They are able to sustain long hours of rigorous activity because of the proper diet and lots of water. Exercising is crucial for health; while it may not have anything to do with white blood cells, it is an important aspect for the body. Sometimes horses exercise on their own; they are not meant to stick to one location. Of course, owners know the limits but horses never really get tired after working all day on a farm.
Checkup
Horse owners are passionate and in love with their big pets. They are partners in farming and adventures. While horses barely get affected with environmental changes like human beings, most horse owners have scheduled regular visits to a veterinary for checkup. The point here is checkup and not treatment. If there is anything going wrong with the animal, it will be managed earlier and easily.
After all the hard work and drinking, horses also have fun. They might have their stress elements but they have their share of relief. Just like human beings, horses have their anxious times but the difference is how they quickly manage to alleviate the stress. Stress affects running of body systems.
Evidently, horses outweigh human beings by far in terms of health. In fact, the basics to healthy human bodies can be derived from a horse’s lifestyle. It is no wonder they are used as a standard for health.
Are horses that strong?
Health is related to strength. The capability to pull heavy objects consistently without strain is for sure good health. It is the same in the human world; individuals that exhibit more power are said to be healthy. It is true to some extent and it is one of the reasons horses are described as healthy.
While there is no definite way of measuring strength of a horse, horses pull weight up to 3 times their weight!
Horsepower
You must be familiar with the term “horse power.” It came up several decades ago in a coal mining setup where horses were used to lift coal. The engineer on site was intrigued by the efficiency of horses and decided to measure how much energy the horses used in raising coal. From the engineer’s observations, a horse was able to lift 33,000 pounds of coal in a minute, which was one foot higher.
Yes, this was based on estimations and it is obviously not accurate, but it is a universal unit of measurement to date. Most engines reference their power to horsepower.
So yes, horses are strong hence the unit of measurement. Anything that can’t match up to this natural strength is obviously less healthy.
Do Horses have a specific nutrition?
Yes. You cannot feed a horse on anything you think is pasture. While they are universal feeders, they know what to feed even in the wild. Some wild plants cause irritation to horses both physically and physiologically.
Does health differ with breed?
Horse breeds can go over 300; however, these can be categorized into five. While each breed is different, the health standards are similar.
Conclusion
So when somebody says how do you feel and you say “As Healthy As A Horse” it will have a whole new meaning. Keep yourself healthy and use some of these other similar sayins to keep with the horse trend.
Other Horse Sayings:
Eat like a horse
Could eat a horse
Horse trading
Charley horse
Stalking horse
Horse of a different color
From the horse’s mouth
Dark horse
On your high horse
Beating a dead horse
Flogging a dead horse
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Short horse soon curried
Back the wrong horse
Putting the cart before the horse
Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
Close the stable door after the horse has bolted
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
