Page 32 - The World of Animals

part remaining in the jawbone begins to emerge. In fact, the roots of
the teeth of very old horses appear on the surface of the gum. Each

tooth may wear out about two and a half to five centimetres (one to

two inches) before it loses its ability to chew. Think for a moment: had
our Lord not given this feature to horses, these animals would quickly
lose their teeth and die of starvation.

Our Lord has also given another important ability to the hair of

horses. Horsehair serves as a thermostat–a device used to regulate
body temperature –for the animal. Their body must always remain
at a constant body temperature of 38 degrees Centigrade (100.4 F).

To maintain this temperature, the hair of the horse becomes longer

in winter. In hot seasons, horses shed their hair, thereby maintaining
this body temperature.
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Here is another interesting feature of horses: Horses sleep on their

feet! Do you know how they manage not to fall down? Because their

leg bones have the ability to lock themselves while asleep. Thanks to
this ability our Lord has given horses, they can sleep on their feet and
also carry very heavy loads. The heads of human beings, however,

fall down even when they fall asleep in an armchair.

Horses' legs are specially created not only to make
them carry heavy loads but also to make them run
very fast. Unlike other animals, horses do not have

collarbones, a feature that enables them to take

bigger steps. Besides, there is a bone-muscle
mechanism in their limbs that, as they gain speed,
decreases the amount of energy they spend and

increases their ability to move. The functioning