Horse vs. Elephant — What's the Difference?

A large domesticated animal with a flowing mane and tail, used for riding, racing, or pulling loads.

The largest living land mammal, known for its massive body, large ears, and long trunk.

A unit of measurement for engine power in vehicles, known as horsepower.

A symbol of wisdom in cultures and often associated with memory.

A colloquial term for heroin, used mainly in slang.

A political symbol for the Republican Party in the United States.

To engage in horseplay; rough or boisterous playing.

Used metaphorically to describe an obvious problem that is being ignored.

A pivotal support beam or frame in gymnastics equipment.

An object or structure that is unusually large and unwieldy.

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is a domesticated one-toed hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus.

Elephants are a select group of proboscideans belonging to the family Elephantidae. They are the largest existing land animals.

A large plant-eating domesticated mammal with solid hoofs and a flowing mane and tail, used for riding, racing, and to carry and pull loads.

Any of several very large herbivorous mammals of the family Elephantidae native to Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and, in the African species, large fan-shaped ears.

A frame or structure on which something is mounted or supported, especially a sawhorse.

Any of various extinct animals of the family Elephantidae.

A unit of horsepower

A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.

Heroin.

(in particular) Any member of the subfamily Elephantinae not also of the genera Mammuthus and Primelephas.

An obstruction in a vein.

(figuratively) Anything huge and ponderous.

Provide (a person or vehicle) with a horse or horses

Synonym of elephant paper

A large hoofed mammal (Equus caballus) having a short coat, a long mane, and a long tail, domesticated since ancient times and used for riding and for drawing or carrying loads.

Used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second

An adult male horse; a stallion.

Ivory.

Any of various equine mammals, such as the wild Asian species Przewalski's horse or certain extinct forms related ancestrally to the modern horse.

(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece, that is moved two points diagonally, may not jump over intervening pieces and may not cross the river.

A frame or device, usually with four legs, used for supporting or holding.

A mammal of the order Proboscidia and family Elephantidae, of which two living species, Elephas maximus (formerly Elephas Indicus) and Loxodonta Africana (formerly E. Africanus), and several fossil species, are known. They have five toes, a long proboscis or trunk, and two large ivory tusks proceeding from the extremity of the upper jaw, and curving upwards. The molar teeth are large and have transverse folds. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing. The elephant is classed as a pachyderm.

(Sports) A vaulting horse.

Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.

(Slang) Heroin.

Five-toed pachyderm

Often horses Horsepower

The symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

Mounted soldiers; cavalry

A block of rock interrupting a vein and containing no minerals.

A large block of displaced rock that is caught along a fault.

To provide with a horse.

To haul or hoist energetically

To be in heat. Used of a mare.

Of or relating to a horse

Mounted on horses

Drawn or operated by a horse.

Larger or cruder than others in the same category

A hoofed mammal, Equus ferus caballus, often used throughout history for riding and draft work.

Any member of the species Equus ferus, including the Przewalski's horse and the extinct Equus ferus ferus.

(zoology) Any current or extinct animal of the family Equidae, including zebras and asses.

Cavalry soldiers (sometimes capitalized when referring to an official category).

A component of certain games.

(slang) A large and sturdy person.

(historical) A timber frame shaped like a horse, which soldiers were made to ride for punishment.

Equipment with legs.

In gymnastics, a piece of equipment with a body on two or four legs, approximately four feet high, sometimes (pommel horse) with two handles on top.

A frame with legs, used to support something.

(nautical) Type of equipment.

A rope stretching along a yard, upon which men stand when reefing or furling the sails; footrope.

A breastband for a leadsman.

An iron bar for a sheet traveller to slide upon.

A jackstay.

(mining) A mass of earthy matter, or rock of the same character as the wall rock, occurring in the course of a vein, as of coal or ore; hence, to take horse (said of a vein) is to divide into branches for a distance.

(US) An informal variant of basketball in which players match shots made by their opponent(s), each miss adding a letter to the word "horse", with 5 misses spelling the whole word and eliminating a player, until only the winner is left. Also HORSE, H-O-R-S-E or H.O.R.S.E. (see H-O-R-S-E).

(uncountable) The flesh of a horse as an item of cuisine.

(prison slang) A prison guard who smuggles contraband in or out for prisoners.

A translation or other illegitimate aid in study or examination.

Horseplay; tomfoolery.

(slang) Heroin drug.

(intransitive) To frolic, to act mischievously. (Usually followed by "around".)

(transitive) To play mischievous pranks on.

(transitive) To provide with a horse; supply horses for.

(obsolete) To get on horseback.

To sit astride of; to bestride.

(of a male horse) To copulate with (a mare).

To take or carry on the back.

To place (someone) on the back of another person, or on a wooden horse, chair, etc., to be flogged or punished.

(by extension) To flog.

(transitive) To pull, haul, or move (something) with great effort, like a horse would.

(informal) To cram (food) quickly, indiscriminately or in great volume.

To urge at work tyrannically.

To charge for work before it is finished.

A hoofed quadruped of the genus Equus; especially, the domestic horse (Equus caballus), 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.

The male of the genus Equus, in distinction from the female or male; usually, a castrated male.

Mounted soldiery; cavalry; - used without the plural termination; as, a regiment of horse; - distinguished from foot.

A frame with legs, used to support something; as, a clotheshorse, a sawhorse, etc.

A frame of timber, shaped like a horse, on which soldiers were made to ride for punishment.

Anything, actual or figurative, on which one rides as on a horse; a hobby.

A mass of earthy matter, or rock of the same character as the wall rock, occurring in the course of a vein, as of coal or ore; hence, to take horse - said of a vein - is to divide into branches for a distance.

A translation or other illegitimate aid in study or examination; - called also trot, pony, Dobbin.

Heroin.

Horsepower.

To provide with a horse, or with horses; to mount on, or as on, a horse.

To sit astride of; to bestride.

To mate with (a mare); - said of the male.

To take or carry on the back; as, the keeper, horsing a deer.

To place on the back of another, or on a wooden horse, etc., to be flogged; to subject to such punishment.

To get on horseback.

Solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

A padded gymnastic apparatus on legs

Troops trained to fight on horseback;

A framework for holding wood that is being sawed

A chessman in the shape of a horse's head; can move two squares horizontally and one vertically (or vice versa)

Provide with a horse or horses

Horses can be kept as pets or for professional purposes; elephants, due to their size and needs, are not typically suitable as pets.

Horses help maintain vegetation levels and seed dispersal through grazing. Elephants shape their environment by uprooting trees and creating water holes used by other wildlife.

A horse typically lives for about 25 to 30 years, while elephants can live up to 60-70 years in the wild.

Horses have significant roles in many cultures' histories and myths, symbolizing freedom and power. Elephants are revered in many Asian cultures, symbolizing wisdom and royal power.

Training horses often involves conditioning for riding, pulling, and obedience, using techniques that build trust and responsiveness. Elephant training, particularly in places where they are used for labor or entertainment, can sometimes involve more controversial methods due to the animal's size and strength.

Horses are integral to many forms of tourism, including trail rides, shows, and races. Elephants attract tourists in wildlife safaris and in regions where elephant rides or shows are offered, though these practices are becoming less popular due to animal welfare concerns.

Horses are primarily used for riding, racing, and as work animals. Elephants are used for labor, especially in logging and historically in warfare.

Horses communicate through vocal sounds like neighing and whinnying, body language, and facial expressions. Elephants are known for their deep rumbling vocalizations which can travel over long distances, and they also use body language and touch.

Horses are highly social animals that often form herds and have a clear hierarchy. Elephants are also extremely social, known for their complex family groups led by a matriarch, and they exhibit sophisticated communication behaviors.

Horses face threats primarily from habitat loss and human exploitation. Wild elephants are critically endangered by poaching for ivory and tusks, habitat destruction, and human-elephant conflicts.

Horses are primarily grazers that feed on grasses and require a balanced intake of hay, grains, and sometimes supplements. Elephants are browsers as well as grazers, consuming a wide variety of vegetation, which they need in large quantities due to their size.

Horses are known for their slender, muscular build and are much smaller than elephants, which have bulky frames and distinctive features such as tusks and a trunk.

Conservation efforts for horses generally focus on preserving wild breeds and preventing cruelty in sports and work. Elephant conservation is critical and focuses on anti-poaching measures, habitat preservation, and reducing human-elephant conflicts.

Horses are often depicted as noble, graceful animals in art and literature, symbolizing speed, beauty, and strength. Elephants are typically portrayed as wise, powerful creatures, often with a spiritual or royal significance, especially in Asian and African cultures.