A graphic shared on Facebook in South Africa makes a delightful claim: “If you ever feel sad, just remember that horses can grow moustaches.”
It shows two close-up photos of horses sporting long curling hair below their nostrils – hair that looks a lot like moustaches.
Can horses grow taches? We checked.
We entered the photos into the TinEye reverse image search engine, filtering the results to find the oldest version. This led us to a two-year-old post on Bored Panda.
Bored Panda publishes mostly user-generated content, much of it uplifting and animal-themed. Its stories often go viral on social media.
“Did you know that some ponies can grow a moustache?” the Bored Panda article says.
“This trait is most common in a horse breed called the Gypsy Vanner, which is known for its luxurious long mane, flowy feathers (the hair on lower legs), piebald coat and a friendly and calm demeanour.”
The article adds that it’s a single gene that gives horses of the breed their “moustache” – “no matter the sex, it can be a stallion, a gelding, and even a mare!”
There is no evidence to suggest that there is a specific equine trait responsible for these horsey moustaches. But it is true that the Gypsy Vanner horses can grow what look like moustaches.
“Large amounts of facial hair such as beards, whiskers, and muzzle hair are natural desired traits present in the breed,” says a guide to the Gypsy Vanner breed published by the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.
Moustaches don’t only grow on Gypsy Vanners. They can also be found in other hairy horses, such as Shires and Clydesdales, which share genes with the Gypsy Vanner.
Moustachioed horses do exist, so smile away!
It shows two close-up photos of horses sporting long curling hair below their nostrils – hair that looks a lot like moustaches.
Can horses grow taches? We checked.
First shared on user-generated site
We entered the photos into the TinEye reverse image search engine, filtering the results to find the oldest version. This led us to a two-year-old post on Bored Panda.
Bored Panda publishes mostly user-generated content, much of it uplifting and animal-themed. Its stories often go viral on social media.
Some horse breeds do have ‘moustaches’
“Did you know that some ponies can grow a moustache?” the Bored Panda article says.
“This trait is most common in a horse breed called the Gypsy Vanner, which is known for its luxurious long mane, flowy feathers (the hair on lower legs), piebald coat and a friendly and calm demeanour.”
The article adds that it’s a single gene that gives horses of the breed their “moustache” – “no matter the sex, it can be a stallion, a gelding, and even a mare!”
There is no evidence to suggest that there is a specific equine trait responsible for these horsey moustaches. But it is true that the Gypsy Vanner horses can grow what look like moustaches.
“Large amounts of facial hair such as beards, whiskers, and muzzle hair are natural desired traits present in the breed,” says a guide to the Gypsy Vanner breed published by the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.
Moustaches don’t only grow on Gypsy Vanners. They can also be found in other hairy horses, such as Shires and Clydesdales, which share genes with the Gypsy Vanner.
Moustachioed horses do exist, so smile away!
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