This noble animal is found in almost every part of the world. In Arabia
and Africa are wild horses, which wander about in herds; and in South
America many thousands are seen in one drove.
The horse is used for riding, and is then guided by the rein. He is used
for drawing carriages, carts, and waggons, for ploughing, and also for
war. Hunting seems to be enjoyed as much by the horse as by his rider:
and in the race he shows great eagerness to be the foremost.
[Illustration:
THE HORSE.
]
When kindly used, the horse is very fond both of his feeder and of his
rider. He has a very good memory. A gentleman once rode a young horse
thirty miles from his home to see his friend. The horse had never been
in that part of the country before, and the road was hard to find: after
asking the way of many persons whom he met, the gentleman at last got to
his friend’s house. Two years afterwards he had again to go the same
journey, and it became quite dark, long before he could get to the
place. “Well,” said he, “here I am, far from any house, and I know not
an inch of the road, and I can hardly see my horse’s head. I have heard
much of the memory of the horse; it is my only hope now, go on;” so
saying, he threw the reins on his horse’s neck, and in half an hour he
was safe at his friend’s gate.
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