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Weather and Climate - Why Are The Horse Latitudes Called By That Name?

Why are the horse latitudes called by that name?

The horse latitudes are two high-pressure belts characterized by low winds, at about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Dreaded by early sailors, these areas have undependable winds with long periods of calm. In the Northern Hemisphere, particularly near Bermuda, sailing ships carrying horses from Spain to the New World (the Americas) were often stalled. When water supplies ran low, these animals were the first to go without water. Dying from thirst or tossed overboard, the animals were sacrificed to conserve water for the men. Explorers and sailors reported that the seas were "strewn with bodies of horses." This is one explanation of how these areas came to be called the horse latitudes.

The term might also be rooted in complaints by sailors who were paid in advance and received no overtime when the ships slowly proceeded through the windless...

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