Of all of the animals on Earth, the horse may be the one that has most closely shared in man’s adventures and has been most intimately allied with his progress. The horse has been a participant in the pleasures, the dangers and the hard work that have been a part of man’s life for thousands of years. Perhaps, because of this relationship, the horse holds a special place in man’s affection. It is not clear when exactly man and the horse first became companions. Some historians are of the belief that man probably hunted the early horse, just as he did other game animals. There are drawings, engravings and sculptures that date back many thousands of years that were most likely made by hunters and medicine men as offerings to the gods in exchange for the blessing of a good hunt. Eventually, perhaps man recognized the advantage of the horse’s fleetness and began to tame the horse and began using them in his pursuit for other animals that he needed for food. When food would become scarce in one area, man could utilize the horse to move and settle in other areas that were more productive. Gradually, man was able to find more and more uses for the horse, and therefore, became increasingly dependent on it, and as this dependency grew, the horse became a partner in man’s life. It shared the dangers of war, the satisfactions pf peace, the splendors of knighthood, as well as the sufferings and privations of exploring and settling new lands and earning a living from the soil. The horse has also made possible some of man’s favorite pastimes, as it has carried him through hunting fields, in polo matches and in races. It drew the wagons for circuses and traveling players, and then often appeared as a performer in the acts that they presented. Man has been prompted to show off his pride in this magnificent animal in horse shows, and his admiration for this animal’s grace and beauty has inspired him to portray it in art as well as in literature. The horse was in integral part of man’s everyday life until around the early 1900’s, when machines began to perform many of the jobs that horses had done. Then, the population of horses – especially in the areas of Europe and North America – dropped drastically. For example, in 1915, there were more than 21 million horses in the United States, but by 1955, their number had droppe
Of all of the animals
on Earth, the horse may
be the one that has
most closely shared in man’s
adventures and has been most
intimately allied with his progress.
The horse has been a
participant in the pleasures, the
dangers and the hard work
that have been a part
of man’s life for thousands
of years. Perhaps, because of
this relationship, the horse holds
a special place in man’s
affection. It is not clear
when exactly man and the
horse first became companions. Some
historians are of the belief
that man probably hunted the
early horse, just as he
did other game animals. There
are drawings, engravings and sculptures
that date back many thousands
of years that were most
likely made by hunters and
medicine men as offerings to
the gods in exchange for
the blessing of a good
hunt. Eventually, perhaps man recognized
the advantage of the horse’s
fleetness and began to tame
the horse and began using
them in his pursuit for
other animals that he needed
for food. When food would
become scarce in one area,
man could utilize the horse
to move and settle in
other areas that were more
productive. Gradually, man was able
to find more and more
uses for the horse, and
therefore, became increasingly dependent on
it, and as this dependency
grew, the horse became a
partner in man’s life. It
shared the dangers of war,
the satisfactions pf peace, the
splendors of knighthood, as well
as the sufferings and privations
of exploring and settling new
lands and earning a living
from the soil. The horse
has also made possible some
of man’s favorite pastimes, as
it has carried him through
hunting fields, in polo matches
and in races. It drew
the wagons for circuses and
traveling players, and then often
appeared as a performer in
the acts that they presented.
Man has been prompted to
show off his pride in
this magnificent animal in horse
shows, and his admiration for
this animal’s grace and beauty
has inspired him to portray
it in art as well
as in literature. The horse
was in integral part of
man’s everyday life until around
the early 1900’s, when machines
began to perform many of
the jobs that horses had
done. Then, the population of
horses – especially in the
areas of Europe and North
America – dropped drastically. For
example, in 1915, there were
more than 21 million horses
in the United States, but
by 1955, their number had
droppe