Our next stop in our notebooking safari across Asia takes us to Kyrgyzstan. If you’re new to the notebooking safari, visit our first stop here.

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We don’t have to study our next animal from a distance. As a matter of fact, we can walk right up to it. How would you like to go on a horseback ride across the steppe?

Even with all the technology and advancements people have made, there are still plenty of places left that you just can’t reach by vehicle. You have to ride a horse. The Kyrgyz people have been doing this for longer than anyone can remember. God gave the horse everything it needs to survive out here in the mountains. It is strong, able to find its footing on all sorts of ground, and intelligent. It is also especially made for speed. The horse doesn’t have a lot of ways it can defend itself out here. But it can run!

Did you know that the way a horse’s legs are attached to the muscles of its body allows it to make the most efficient use of energy when it runs? That helps it runs longer distances without getting tired like you or I would. Plus, the horse’s body is shaped so that all of its weight is also carried on the very tips of its toes. That allows its legs to stretch out farther when it runs.

It is amazing how precisely God made the horse to do just what it needs to do, and to do what people have needed it to do for thousands of years.

Using the information on this page,* answer the following questions:

True or False:

1. Horses have more than 300 bones in their skeletons.

2. The average domestic horse lives about 25 years.

3. A colt or filly can run very soon after it is born.

*Parents, please note that this page does include a reference to an evolutionary timeline of history. Please review the page before sharing it with your children.

Research challenge: Explain how the way a horse’s eyes are positioned on its head gives the horse an important advantage in dangerous situations.

For a free downloadable copy of the entire Asian animals notebooking safari series (31 units total) plus a notebooking page for each one, sign up below.