The horse has a simple stomach, and fermentation of fibrous food takes place in a blind pocket, or cecum, analogous to the appendix in humans. It is located at the juncture of the small and large intestines. Both male and female horses are sexually mature by the age of two. They are seldom used for breeding purposes, however, before they are three years old. The gestation period is about 11 months, and single births are the rule.
Twins are a genuine rarity, and only a few births of three or more foals have ever been recorded.
Familiar symmetrical gaits, in order of increasing speed, include the walk, pace, and trot. A horse walks by swinging its legs in the order of left front, right rear, right front, and left rear. It paces winging the left and then the right legs nearly in on, and trots by swinging the diagonally opposite nearly in unison. Artificial symmetrical gaits ude the slow gait, or stepping pace, and the er rack, or single-foot, both of which are done legs lifted high and no more than two legs on the nd at the same time. The animals were brought into Egypt by Hyksos from northeastern Syria.