horses

December 19, 2006 3:49pm CST
i love horses. i have my own 14.3hh chestnut mare. just wondering if anyone else does like horses/rides/has their own or on loan? it would be reallyt nice to know any details!
1 response
• United States
19 Dec 06
I don't sadly but I wish I did! The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. Horses have long been among the most economically important domesticated animals; although their importance has declined with mechanization, they are still found worldwide, fitting into human lives in various ways. The horse is prominent in religion, mythology, and art; it has played an important role in transportation, agriculture, and war; it has additionally served as a source of food, fuel, and clothing. Horses first evolved in the Americas, but went extinct there until reintroduced by Europeans. While isolated domestication may have occurred as early as 10,000 years ago, the first clear evidence dates to c. 5000 BC, and becomes widespread only after 2000 BC. Selective breeding since that time has produced numerous breeds. Some can be ridden, usually with a saddle, while other breeds can be harnessed to pull objects such as carriages or plows. In some societies, horses are a source of food, both meat and milk; in others it is taboo to consume them. In industrialized countries horses are predominantly kept for leisure and sporting pursuits, while they are still used as working animals in many other parts of the world.