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The horse dates back some fifty million years. It looked very much like the animal we know today, but it was only eleven inches high then, with four toes on its front feet and three toes on its hind feet. Scientists call it eohippus or "Dawn Horse." It first appears almost at the same time in Europe and America, developing speed, as it grew gradually in size and weight. It spread to Asia across a land bridge that used to connect the continents of America and Asia at Alaska.The first record of the horse as a domesticated animal is about 2,500 years ago. The first training of the horse began in Asia and as time went by, it was found to be useful in many respects, such as in warfare by hitching it to a war chariot. It contributed, in great measure, to many conquests that are recorded in ancient history such as those of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, as it facilitated traveling to remote areas on land. With the passing of centuries, horses were put to other kinds of work, such as farming, transportation and sport. American Indians used swift horses over a hundred years prior to the arrival of the British.

Horses were bred for many purposes. The work horse is the largest of all horses. In England, there is a breed known as the Shire horse. It is large with a height of 68 inches. In the United States there are a couple of work horses, namely, the Clydesdale and the Percheron, both of which weight about 2,000 pounds. The Percheron was used for stagecoach travel as well
as for delivery wagons and fire engines. It is also widely used in circuses. The Arabian horse is very strong and exceedingly speedy. Thoroughbred horses were imported to America and continues to be used in racing and polo, as well as pleasure riding which is a particularly popular sport for centuries. Several large parks in the United States are equipped with "bridal paths" for horseback riding.

The lifespan of a horse is 25 years. It needs special care and must be fed with a special kind of food, as well as exercised regularly. Its coat must be brushed or curry-combed daily. To watch a speedy horse run is like witnessing poetry in motion. Care must be taken to maintain the normal health of a horse. A common cold might develop into pneumonia that could kill a horse. The weakest part of a horse is its legs. It is very thin in relation to the rest of its body, in spite of its speed and stamina.

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