My parents are taking me to buy a horse, whose name is Beauty, this coming weekend, and I'm trying to learn more about horses.
well first thing is that it is an odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to the taxonomic family equidae
That'll be handy in my biology class I guess, but what should I know about the actual horse? What's the best way to shelter and feed one?
I dont know about that however, horses anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escape predators and they have a well-developed sense of balance and a strong fight or flight response.
What sort of predators would they realistically need to escape from on my parents' ranch?
Well in the wold, horses are prey animals that live in herds, which affects their reactions to other horses and to the world around them
The horse isn't going to be in the wild though, it's going to be domesticated. I'm starting to think maybe I should just ask my parents.
that is a good idea as they need to flee from predators in the world is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horse tending to sleep significantly more than adults.
Thanks for the information. I think I've learned that when you need help, sometimes a book can be better than a person! :)
you got that right! feral populations are not true wild horses, as this term is used to describe  horses that have never been domesticated.