A century ago horses were common in work and sport throughout urban and rural America. In transportation and myriad occupations, they filled streets, linked farms and towns and extended human labor. Moreover, an infrastructure of trading, care and shelter formed part of human settlement, as it has for millennia. Yet, within decades, the automobile turned the horse into a rarer animal of leisure. Although the horse figures prominently in Hollywood and television through the popularity of the western and historical pieces, it has disappeared from everyday life. The Amish maintain it as a primary work/ transport animal. Mounted police, carriage tours and similar roles remain in some cities. Yet, even on ranches, the ease of a pick-up truck means a horse is sometimes carried rather than carrier. Meanwhile, maintaining a horse has become an expensive, specialized occupation, especially in urban areas.

Riding is still popular among many Americans, especially those who live in open areas and the West. Stables and trails are also maintained in great city parks like Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. Ranches may maintain horses for recreation and work; dude ranches specialize in this union of man and nature.

Horse shows showcase precision horsemanship in equitation and more complex riding skills in dressage, jumping, reining and related events. Major official shows, sanctioned by the American Horse Show Association, include the National in New York City, the Devon Horse Show, near Philadelphia, PA and the American Quarter Horse Congress in Oklahoma. Specialized breeding groups and riding associations appear in pageants like the Rose Bowl parade.

Racing also remains a primary area in which humans meet the contemporary horse.

Both harness and flat racing are popular in the US, the latter having been established since the seventeenth century. In some states, only on-track betting is permitted; New York and other areas allow people to bet at state centers as well. Racing usually takes place on a one-mile oval dirt track, although races themselves vary in distance and prizes.

Among the most important horse races in the US are those of the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs, Louisville), the Preakness (Pimlico, Baltimore) and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, New York. Other race-tracks in Florida and California take advantage of warm winter weather. Famous horses of the postwar period include Man o’ War, Secretariat and Northern Dancer, while Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker became well-known jockeys.

Winning horses prove profitable after their racing careers through breeding fees.

Thoroughbred sales occur annually in Kentucky and at Saratoga Springs (New York); breeding is controlled through the Jockey Club and the American Stud Book. Breeding and training require knowledge, investments and commitment.

American horse breeding has contributed to the development of several important strains of horses, including the American Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, Standardbred, American Saddlebred, Morgan and Mustang. Wild horses are found still on western ranges and on islands off the Atlantic coast.

There are also problems associated with horses. Policies regarding over-breeding of horses for sport, over-use of public lands by wild horses and horses used in the pharmaceutical industry (i.e. for production of the drug Premarin) continue to be controversial. Americans have strong prejudices against eating horseflesh, although it is used in dog food. Some horses live out their days on retirement farms, but many also face industrial disposal.