[Taxacom] A Fundamental Question for All of You Taxacomers

[k kat]

Glad to know I was not the only one to wonder about this.  (Course it was about 5 decades ago when I was a kid)Here is the response I got at the time from a Vermont farmer who used the horses to mow the hayfields to feed the cows (and horses) through the winter. Cows face the wind because they use their horns to defend themselves whereas horses use their massive and deadly hind hooves to defend themselves.  
May not be scientific but it makes some sort of sense.    


> From: releech at telus.net
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:11:50 -0600
> Subject: [Taxacom] A Fundamental Question for All of You Taxacomers
> 
> Hi Taxacomers,
> 
> Many years ago, I noticed that in severe storms with snow or 
> rain and wind, horses will rear-end into the storm.
> 
> About the same time, I noticed under similar storm conditions 
> that cattle head-end into the storm.
> 
> For over 10 years now, I have been asking vets, cattlemen, 
> and horse people, "Why?"  No one has given me a satisfactory 
> answer.
> 
> One vet volunteered that the mass of muscle and body on a 
> horse's rear end is larger and can take more weather abuse. 
> He further added that cattle have all sorts of bony projections 
> at their rear end that might conduct cold into the body more 
> quickly.
> 
> One former Jasper National Park warden said it is because 
> horeses are smarter.
> 
> Now, does anyone know?  Can anyone offer me reasons 
> that seem plausible?
> 
> Robin
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