this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 194 points 1 month 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 1 month ago (5 children)

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

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

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

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 38 points 1 month ago (4 children)

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

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 66 points 1 month 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 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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 1 month ago

Don’t tell that to a Mormon

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

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

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

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

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 28 points 1 month 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 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Large predatory flightless birds probably didn't help either.

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 11 points 1 month ago

Ah, sweet home Caelid

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

Saber toothed tigers and shit

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 5 points 1 month ago

Saber toothed shit is a serious reason

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 63 points 1 month 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 1 month 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 1 month 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 1 month ago
[–] klemptor@startrek.website 7 points 1 month ago

Same here haha

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 month 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 1 month ago

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