Horse Question: Does anybody know what makes the Arabian horse apprear to have large nostrils?
Arabian Addict asked:
Arabian horses are known for large nostrils. Aside from the teacup arabian, why are they so big? Is it just that they have small noses which makes them appear to have large nostrils, or is it big with big nostrils? Anything that you know about conformation of the nose of an Arabian horse is helpful. Thank you!
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Arabian horses are known for large nostrils. Aside from the teacup arabian, why are they so big? Is it just that they have small noses which makes them appear to have large nostrils, or is it big with big nostrils? Anything that you know about conformation of the nose of an Arabian horse is helpful. Thank you!
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3 Responses to “Horse Question: Does anybody know what makes the Arabian horse apprear to have large nostrils?”
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Well if you look at an Arabian’s head, it’s rather slim and narrow compared to other horses, giving it the appearance of even larger nostrils. Also, they were built for running in the heat and they need as much oxygen as possible. Big nostrils suck in a lot more air. If you look at a cheetah’s nose, you will see that it too has big nostrils for sucking in massive amounts of air to keep the oxygen flowing to their muscles.
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Where the breed originated, the desert is dry and conditions harsh. They needed to have large nostrils and sinus cavities for stamina.
They Excel at endurance racing because of: shorter, stronger back that allows it to carry substantial weight in comfort; large nostrils and trachea for greater lung capacity; dense, compact bone; and lighter muscling which dissipates heat and lactic acid more readily. Top racers complete 100-mile races in less than 10 hours. The American Endurance Ride Conference, the official governing body for the sport in North America, estimates that well over 70 percent of their members ride Arabian horses exclusively.
For thousands of years, Arabians lived among the desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula, bred by the Bedouins as war mounts for long treks and quick forays into enemy camps. In these harsh desert conditions evolved the Arabian with its large lung capacity and incredible endurance.
Many Arabians also have a slight forehead bulge between their eyes, called the “jibbah” by the Bedouin, that adds additional sinus capacity, believed to have helped the Arabian horse in its native dry desert climate.
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they do have large nostrils because they are built for running for very long at very high speeds, and need lots of air. they also have small, slim heads, so it makes the nostrils look a lot larger.
hope i helped!