this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 194 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Their genetics have sacrificed nearly every aspect of basic resiliency for maximum speed on the plains. Most of the work caring for horses is keeping them from accidentally killing themselves. Full disclosure: I worked as a stable hand as a child in exchange for riding lessons. Will never ever own a horse.

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 70 points 2 months ago (5 children)

What preditor was so fast horses had to evolve to that extent??

[–] PyroVK@lemmy.zip 79 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Big cat. You're aware of the cheetah? Just picture that but not in Africa

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 38 points 2 months ago (4 children)

You know what really caught me up: where are horses native to?

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 66 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There are wild horses on the Mongolian steppes.

All other horses are domesticated. Even the free horses in USA and Australia are descendants of domesticated horses.

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 55 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

You're right! But also, horses were native to North America but they went extinct 10,000 years ago and weren't introduced until much more recently.

[–] thurmite@lemm.ee 12 points 2 months ago

Don’t tell that to a Mormon

[–] PyroVK@lemmy.zip 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

PBS Eons has a couple good videos on both horse evolution and domestication.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

It’s just a damn good series in general as well

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 28 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Us. They basically tried to beat pursuit predation by outrunning the distance humans will be willing to track over.

It did not work, they went extinct in North America because of how much it did not work.

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Large predatory flightless birds probably didn't help either.

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 11 points 2 months ago

Ah, sweet home Caelid

[–] Dutczar@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

"What are those? I know predatory and flightless birds, but both?"

I have looked it up before posting, I learned something new today.

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

They are known as terror birds. Think of a ten foot tall ostrich with a flesh tearing beak like an eagle.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorusrhacidae

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Human. Not for food, but because they always choose to breed on the Porcshe over the Toyota Hilux for racing.

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The wording here makes it sound like we hunted horses for the specific purpose of having sex on them, and honestly, I'd probably be running as fast as a car if that kept happening to me too!

[–] match@pawb.social 6 points 2 months ago
[–] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Saber toothed tigers and shit

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 5 points 2 months ago

Saber toothed shit is a serious reason

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 63 points 2 months ago

Same for rabbits. The are basically as much lean muscle that can fit on the lighest possible skeleton.

If you pick up a rabbit wrong, they can snap their own back with the momentum from kicking their back legs.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 50 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I did this too and will also never own a horse lmao. This is why horse people are weird.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

Some people love caring for fragile things. Boosts their self-esteem. It can also break them when they fail.

[–] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 11 points 2 months ago
[–] klemptor@startrek.website 7 points 2 months ago

Same here haha

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Basically a 900LB Cocker Spaniel that's afraid of it's own farts and will eventually kill every single tree within reach. I also will never own horses.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 months ago

i mean if i haven't kept the best diet for a couple days i'm afraid of my own farts too