New Jersey State Animal

Horse

(E. f. caballus)

Adopted on August 14, 1977.

Two students, one in the fifth grade and one in the eighth grade, were responsible for making the horse, (Equus caballus,) New Jersey's State animal in 1977. Representing power and strength, the horse is included on the State seal. It was also very important in making New Jersey farming successful. Today, raising and racing horses are very popular in New Jersey. The state animal is the horse, (Equus caballus, )so designated in Chapter 173 of the Laws of 1977. Governor Brendan T. Byrne signed the law August 14, 1977, while attending the farm and horse show at Augusta, Sussex County.

New Jersey State Animal: Horse

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. It is an odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began to domesticate horses around 4000 BC, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BC. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, as this term is used to describe horses that have never been domesticated, such as the endangered Przewalski's horse, a separate subspecies, and the only remaining true wild horse. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

The domestic horse (E. caballus), having a short-haired coat, a long mane, and a long tail, which was domesticated in Egypt and Asia at a very early period. It has six broad molars, on each side of each jaw, with six incisors, and two canine teeth, both above and below. The mares usually have the canine teeth rudimentary or wanting. The horse differs from the true asses, in having a long, flowing mane, and the tail bushy to the base. Unlike the asses it has callosities, or chestnuts, on all its legs. The horse excels in strength, speed, docility, courage, and nobleness of character, and is used for drawing, carrying, bearing a rider, and like purposes. Any of various equine mammals

New Jersdey Act

Chapter 173, Laws of 1977
Approved: 8-14-77

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced December 13, 1976

By Senators GARRAMONE, FELDMAN, DODD, DUMONT, GREENBERG, RUSSO, SKEVIN, SCARDINO, MERLINO, HAGEDORN, WALLWORK, BUEHLER, IMPERIALE, AMMOND, ORECHIO, LIPMAN, MARTINDELL, ERRICHETTI, DUNN, ZANE, DAVENPORT, VREELAND, DWYER and HIRKALA

Referred to Committee on State Government, Federal
and Interstate Relations and Veterans Affairs

An Act designating the horse as the New Jersey State Animal.

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey:

1. The horse (Equus Caballus) is designated as the New Jersey
State Animal.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

The horse is a large stately herbivorous animal. Horses have
been useful to man since prehistoric times. The founding fathers of
this State thought so highly of the horse that they included it in
the State seal.

The horse industry makes a contribution to the preservation of
green acres at a time when great demands are being made for the use
of our land. There are 4,654 horse farms in New Jersey, of which
888 raise racing horses. There are now more than 38,000 horses in
the State, compared to 18,000 in 1961.

The horse is truly deserving of the title - New Jersey State
Animal.

New Jersey Law

The law designating the horse as the official New Jersey state animall is found in the New Jersey Permanent Statutes, Title 52, Section 52:9A-4.

TITLE 52 STATE GOVERNMENT, DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICERS
SECTION 52:9A-4.

52:9A-4. Horse; designation as state animal

The horse (Equus caballus) is designated as the New Jersey State Animal.

Taxonomic Hierarchy: Horse

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus
Species: E. ferus
Subspecies: E. f. caballus