What Are The Horse Latitudes?

The horizontal lines on any map show the lines of latitude.  The latitudes are measured in degrees.  The area which is thirty degrees north and south of the equator is referred to as the horse latitudes.
Generally the weather in this area is very sunny and warm and the winds are very calm and light.  The winds are often unpredictable and may not blow for days on end.
In the days of sailing ships, these winds could pose serious problems for ships which depended on the winds to catch the sails and allow movement.
If the ships were delayed for a long time in this region, the horses on board would be thrown overboard, to make the ship lighter and therefore easier to sail in poor winds and also to save water ie they no longer needed to be given water.  It is thought that this is why they are referred to as the horse latitudes.