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                        HORSES OF TODAY                                      
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     The horses of today are better animals than their ancestors.  Today's   
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work horses are stronger and more powerful than those of a hundred years     
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ago.  Race horses are faster.  Yet, the modern horse is very much the same   
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as the horse of more than five thousand years ago.                           
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     The horse we know can run at great speeds.  The horse's long neck and   
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head let him eat while standing, so he is always ready to run if he sees     
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any danger.  Also, his eyes are high enough in his head for him to see even  
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when eating.  A horse can see almost straight back and straight ahead at     
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the same time.  The horse's hoofs are just like our nails.  Hoofs can be     
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cut, just as you can cut your nails, or shoes can be put on them.            
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     Horses live longer than dogs and cats, but not as long as people.       
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Very few live more than thirty years.  An expert can always make a good      
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guess about a horse's age by looking at his teeth.  Certain teeth begin to   
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appear at certain times.  Then, when all the teeth are in, they begin to     
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wear down at a regular rate.                                                 
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     By the time horses are three years old, they are fully grown though     
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most horses are not really mature until they are about six years old.        
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