what is horse

A horse is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal that belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. Horses have evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses are used for a variety of purposes, including as a beast of burden, a draft animal, or for riding. They are also frequently used in television, films, and literature. Horses are herd animals, with a clear hierarchy of rank, led by a dominant individual, usually a mare. They are also social creatures that are able to form companionship attachments to their own species and to other animals, including humans. Horses communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering or whinnying, mutual grooming, and body language. There is only one species of domestic horse, but around 400 different breeds that specialize in everything from pulling wagons to racing.