Well. I had to read the entire article to see if I was missing something, but my answer is no.
The answer to the question as presented in the headline is more or less obvious for everyone who spent significant time around horses and cows: it keeps insects away. (It might also tell you something about the mood of a horse, less so with cows IMO. Small calves and lambs however will wiggle their tail when drinking milk, either because of some kind of enthusiasm or I've also heard to make sure their mother can smell that they are hers. Sidenote: IIRC lambs who try to steal milk will typically position themselves with the tail away from the head of the eve they are stealing from while lambs that are with their own mother will typically stand parallel to their mother, possibly so she can verify them.)
Then there is the question about the pendulum speed, why do horses swing their tails so much faster.
Well a simpler explanation might be because: 1. Tails arent ideal pendulums and 2.) To get enough speed to cover the top of their backs.
I'm no lawyer or startup founder or cryptographer so often I cannot point out if an article is wrong but I did grow up an a farm and I've earned my first money as a farm hand until I was about 20 and I also have some months in farming school so today it feels like I had something to share :-P
My opinion: long mammals like cows, horses, camels, etc can't reach their behinds with their limbs. They can use their head (especially when the tail doesn't reach the fronter part of the behind), but it's not efficient because their head is heavy (and they're heavy animals in general) and has more inertia. Therefore, a tail is their swift efficient defense for the behind.
By contrast, smaller mammals like cats, dogs, rats, etc, don't use their tails to deter insect, because they can easily jump, move quickly, or smash their head into their body, because they are much lighter.
Now, this makes me wonder, why do cats and dogs have tails. Maybe im the case of cats it is for equilibrium, but dogs? I think dogs use tails to show people when they're excited :)
Look at what the cat's tail does when it leaps through the air, or the dogs tail when turning a corner at high speed, and it will become clear. It's for balance and agility.
Greyhounds and Cheetahs naturally have fairly long tails.
It the case of labrador retrievers, those without a tail have an extremely difficult time swimming, whereas those with a tail used them to provide propulsion and steering.
This is another reason why cutting the tail is wrong - besides the fact that it's cruel (it's almost incredible now, but it was common a few years ago, and it is still practiced in some countries).
Showing someone (or another dog) that you're excited or scared ("tail between his legs") is a very potent social mechanism I think. I don't think it adds much to the motor skills of the dog, besides maybe giving it a tool to keep flies and insects away from the ol' pooper.
To put it more bluntly, the obvious difference is that cats and dogs can lick their private parts. Cows and horses can't perform the same level of personal hygiene while also providing more surface area for insects to invade.
I wonder whether this is not really more about infestations than bites.
With the prevalence of trails, my guess is there is just some cost to removing the trails, genetically. Some evolutions paid the cost, some didn't. Even among animals that don't really need the tail for anything.
String players probably have a strong opinion on this ;)
Seriously, AFAIK there is no artificial solution for bow strings. The only good material for them is carefully selected tail hair from horses in places with cold climates, like Mongolia.
Synthetic bow hair does exist, but it's rather controversial. My experience with it as a luthier and conservatory trained violist is limited..but it looks/feels/acts like very thin gauge high-tension fishing line.
I don't know how exactly the strings are produced, but I would imagine that cutting off some tail hair is something different than amputating half of the tail.
> The only good material for them is carefully selected tail hair from horses in places with cold climates, like Mongolia.
Do string players usually try drinking horse blood mixed with fermented horse milk? I only played trumpet, so no idea what’s normal for orchestra culture.
[+] [-] reitanqild|7 years ago|reply
The answer to the question as presented in the headline is more or less obvious for everyone who spent significant time around horses and cows: it keeps insects away. (It might also tell you something about the mood of a horse, less so with cows IMO. Small calves and lambs however will wiggle their tail when drinking milk, either because of some kind of enthusiasm or I've also heard to make sure their mother can smell that they are hers. Sidenote: IIRC lambs who try to steal milk will typically position themselves with the tail away from the head of the eve they are stealing from while lambs that are with their own mother will typically stand parallel to their mother, possibly so she can verify them.)
Then there is the question about the pendulum speed, why do horses swing their tails so much faster.
Well a simpler explanation might be because: 1. Tails arent ideal pendulums and 2.) To get enough speed to cover the top of their backs.
I'm no lawyer or startup founder or cryptographer so often I cannot point out if an article is wrong but I did grow up an a farm and I've earned my first money as a farm hand until I was about 20 and I also have some months in farming school so today it feels like I had something to share :-P
[+] [-] dragosmocrii|7 years ago|reply
By contrast, smaller mammals like cats, dogs, rats, etc, don't use their tails to deter insect, because they can easily jump, move quickly, or smash their head into their body, because they are much lighter.
Now, this makes me wonder, why do cats and dogs have tails. Maybe im the case of cats it is for equilibrium, but dogs? I think dogs use tails to show people when they're excited :)
[+] [-] krona|7 years ago|reply
Greyhounds and Cheetahs naturally have fairly long tails.
[+] [-] GlennS|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] blantonl|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] panta|7 years ago|reply
This is another reason why cutting the tail is wrong - besides the fact that it's cruel (it's almost incredible now, but it was common a few years ago, and it is still practiced in some countries).
[+] [-] MIKarlsen|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pluma|7 years ago|reply
I wonder whether this is not really more about infestations than bites.
[+] [-] toomanybeersies|7 years ago|reply
According to a quick internet search, dogs have tails for the same reason as cats, to help with balance and inertia when running.
[+] [-] taeric|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tomcam|7 years ago|reply
Seriously, AFAIK there is no artificial solution for bow strings. The only good material for them is carefully selected tail hair from horses in places with cold climates, like Mongolia.
[+] [-] Meerax|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] KineticLensman|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xg15|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Alex3917|7 years ago|reply
Do string players usually try drinking horse blood mixed with fermented horse milk? I only played trumpet, so no idea what’s normal for orchestra culture.
[+] [-] PhantomGremlin|7 years ago|reply
Because of cow patties, there are always lots of flies in cow pastures.
Anyone who has been in a cow pasture in summer would easily notice that cows use their tails the same way as horses do: to chase away flies.
[+] [-] then|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TrueGeek|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hanniabu|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] barronli|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] qrbLPHiKpiux|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chocknog|7 years ago|reply