[2] It was very similar to Miohippus, but slightly larger, at around 1 metre (10 hands) tall, at the withers.

Their fossils have been found in North America, primarily in the Great Plains region and Florida.

The bones in the legs were fused and this, along with muscle development, allowed Parahippus to move with forward-and-back strides.

Most importantly, Parahippus was able to stand on its middle toe, instead of walking on pads, which gave it the ability to run faster; its weight was supported by ligaments under the fetlock to the big central toe.

Since leafy food had become scarce, these animals were forced to subsist on the newly evolved grasses that were by now taking over the plains, and their teeth adapted accordingly.