The earliest evidence of the domestication of the horse comes from Central Asia and dates to approximately 4,500 BC. Today, there are still feral horses that had domesticated ancestors but were born and live in the wild. There are several populations of feral horse including those in the western United States and Canada called mustangs, in Australia called brumbies and New Zealand call Kaimanawa horses. Isolated feral populations are often named for their geographic location Namibia has its Namib Desert Horses, the Sorria lives in Portugal and so on. Other members of the horse family include Zebras, Donkeys and Onagers. There are many hybrids of these varieties.

Horses have a well developed fight or flight instinct and their first response to danger is too flee, but they will stand their ground and fight if corners or to protect their young. Through breeding some breeds have been bred to be extremely docile such as the large draft horse. Horses that are used for riding, speed and agility still have much of the natural instinct of their ancestors.

Horses are herd animals and not only are they close to members of their herd but also form close bonds humans.

Horses are used for sport in two ways as competitors and as mounts for humans. Horses compete in events such as barrel racing, dressage and show jumping. Sports like horse ball and polo use horses as mounts. The most common use for a horse in sport is horse racing. Whether it be harness racing, steeple chasing or flat racing, nearing every nation on earth races horses.

The are jobs that horses can do even in this technological age. Horses are used by the police for the “mounted police” for crowd control. Cattle ranches still use horses and riders for round ups. In rugged terrain horses are especially useful for search and rescue and in the logging industry horses are used as opposed to vehicles to avoid soil disruption. In many third world countries horses are still used for pulling plows and for transport.

Horses are also used for therapeutic purposes People with both physical and mental disabilities have benefited medically from horseback riding. The movement of the horse stimulates and strengthens muscles in the riders’ body thus promoting better overall health. Horses are also being used as companions for people with mental disabilities, children with emotional problems and have been used in experimental programs in prisons.

Since recorded history horses have been used in warfare. Today they are used in a limited capacity such as ceremonies etc.

Horse meat has been used as pet food in the past but this practise is now being prohibited in many parts of the world. Premarin is a mixture of female hormones extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. It is widely used as a drug for hormone replacement therapy. The hair from the tail of a horse is used for making bows for stringed instruments such as violin, cello and double bass. Horsehide leather is used for boots, baseballs and baseball gloves. Horsehide can also be used to make glue.