A Horse Live With An Old Man

  Today, I am going to write about a story about a horse. I heard this story from my grand father when I was a child. Since I was impressed by it, I remember the story today.

The horse was raised by my great-grand father in time of the Second World War. I heard that my great-grand father was quiet but self-possessed person and had a tender heart. My great-grand father was a farmer. He cultivated farms to raise crops. He sold woods to earn money for the help of family budget, too. He went to neighboring towns with his horse everyday to sell the woods. Way to the town was not short, so it took a lot of time.

In that time my family was poor and my great-grand father worked very hard. After he finished the working on the farm, my great-grand father and the horse started out to neighboring towns. Because they left their house at sunset, after the work of farm was over, they came home late at night. When great-grand father was so tired from working all day, he sometimes fell into sleep on the wagon during coming home. But he could reach his home! The horse was very wise, my grand father said. The horse memorized all the way from house to next town. Although the way was very long, the horse could walk along all by himself! It is hard for human to memorize the long way, too. But the horse never forget, stopped, ran away, and being lazy. How reliable the horse is! I feel happy when I imagine the walking horse with an elderly man under the stars in the sky. It should be nice a wise horse take us by himself at night. And I can feel how my great-grand father loved his horse. There was very marvelous friendship. Horse was our family then.

But such peaceful life was broken. In that time, Japan began the Second World War. Many boys are went to foreign country and never returned. Many agricultural horses were also taken by war for carry weapons. My great-grand father’s horse was too. My family had only one horse, it was so sad to lose the great lovely horse, I think. The horse should feel so sad too. When the war is over, humans can return their home as long as they live. But, horses cannot return their home because horses can become foods for humans. There was no food for beaten people in foreign country. I feel very sad when I think about the horse was eaten. If there was no war the horse could surely live more.

  Today, my family has no horse. Also has no room for horse in our house. There is truck instead of horse. My great-grand father died but he lived a long life. I regret that I could not hear about the horse from him. However, I can feel full of warms when I think about them. At the same time, I wish the world to be peace.  

My Favorite Animal "Horse"

I am going to write about my favorite animal. The animal is horse.
 This picture was taken when I went to Hidaka area in Hokkaido. I touched these horses and spent happy time.

I think horse is very attractive and lovely. At the same time, horse is friend of human. Many people live with horses and we are given many good things from horse. Today, I want to write about characteristics and history of horse.

 

・Body of Horse

 Horse can run fast. As you know, horse’s leg is long and slender.  Race horse’s leg is especially slender. Compare with other animals, horse have a very characteristic point. Each leg of horse has only one hoof (a nail). For example, cow has two hoofs in each leg. Many other animals have some hoofs. We have five nails in a hand too. Few hoof and long leg make horse possible to run fast.

 Horses have hair on neck and tail. Hair of neck is short and hair of tail is long. Kind of horses have hair on their legs. I think moving hair with wind is charm.

Horses eat plants so they have many flat teeth. Those flat teeth can crush plants. Because horses have many teeth, their heads are long. Horse eats plants so is called herbivorous animal. Such animals should escape from hunter. Because of it, horse has very good eyes to find hunter.

In addition, horses have wide back, strong muscle and tough born. These things make speed and power of horse. Horse which cultivates soil has thick born. Contrary, a race horse has light and shin born. It is so poor that  race horses sometimes break their legs.  Horse’s body shows great fascinating points.

・History of Horse

 Do you know horse was as big as rabbit? In 54 million years ago, there was no horse which like today’s horse. Ancient horse lived in forest. In the forest they ate leaf and they were very small. First species of horse had 4 fingers and 4 hoofs. Next species had 3 fingers and became little big. 3 finger-horses began to live in grassy plains 20 million years ago. From the time, horses had become bigger and been able to run faster. In 2 million years ago horses was as big as present horse and had same number of hoof. During this process, many species came into existence. Donkey and zebra is this. In 4 thousand years ago, first wild horses were raised by human in east Europe. Since then horses had lived with human. Of course there are wild horses today, but the number is very few.

・Live with Horse

 Horses live with humans all over the world. They are not only pets. They work with humans and they are good partner of us. There are many works of horse. First, horses pull heavy things. When in farm, they pull big shovel to cultivate the soil. When in road, they pull a cart and a horse-drawn carriage. Horses can carry humans. We can go some place faster and can cut the time when horses pull us. We can go more far place too. But, there are mamy cars today, it is a pity I can not get chanses to ride horses. Second, horse can run fast. When in a race, horse can impress people. However, it is sad that we used horse in war. Finally, I think it is important role of horse that to cheer up   and heal us. Horse’s tender eyes always make us cheerful.

                                                                                             (To be continued.)