this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 191 points 10 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 69 points 10 months ago (5 children)

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

[–] PyroVK@lemmy.zip 77 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 37 points 10 months ago (4 children)

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

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 64 points 10 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 54 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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 10 months ago

Don’t tell that to a Mormon

[–] PyroVK@lemmy.zip 21 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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

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

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

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 27 points 10 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 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Large predatory flightless birds probably didn't help either.

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago

Ah, sweet home Caelid

[–] Dutczar@sopuli.xyz 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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 10 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 10 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 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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 10 months ago
[–] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Saber toothed tigers and shit

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 5 points 10 months ago

Saber toothed shit is a serious reason

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 60 points 10 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 49 points 10 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 10 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 10 months ago
[–] klemptor@startrek.website 6 points 10 months ago

Same here haha

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 30 points 10 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 10 months ago

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