Hagerman Horse Colouring

The Hagerman horse, Equus simplicidens, is an early member of the same genus as modern horses, donkeys and zebras. It ranged through the western United States and Mexico, but its most famous fossils come from Hagerman, Idaho. More than 200 individuals of different ages were found there, including complete skeletons. The animals lived about four to three million years ago on a Pliocene landscape of river channels, wetlands and grassland. Adults stood roughly 1.2 to 1.4 metres high at the shoulder. Each foot had one main hoof, a major step in horse evolution. Its skull and body suggest a zebra-like grazer, and some reconstructions give it subtle stripes. The huge fossil herd is its special scientific character. Because foals, adults, males and females occur together, researchers can study a whole population rather than a single bone. The site may record animals that died near a shrinking water source or during a flood, but the exact event is still debated. Equus simplicidens eventually disappeared, and no last individual or exact extinction year is known. The Hagerman population is much older than the end-Ice-Age horse extinctions. Changing climate, rivers and grasslands over hundreds of thousands of years probably reshaped where early Equus could live. The Hagerman horse is now Idaho's state fossil. Colour the adult and foal tan, chestnut, grey, cream or a zebra-inspired pale brown. Darken the short upright manes and tail tips, and add gentle darker bands to the lower legs if you wish. Keep the bands sparse so the horses remain easy to colour. Use black-brown for hooves and soft pink-brown inside the ears. The river can be light blue, reeds green, bluffs gold and rust, and the willow olive. Long strokes suit the legs and neck, while shorter strokes add texture to the mane. Leave a white highlight down each back. Make the foal a slightly lighter shade than the adult. This peaceful family scene helps children see the single hooves, social herd life and zebra-like build that make the Hagerman fossils so important.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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