Drawing on archaeology, biology, and ethnography, this singular case study illuminates the relationship between horse and human throughout history. From the Ice Age to the post-industrial ages, horses have provided sustenance, transportation, status, companionship, and the ability to establish and expand empires. Included are stories of horses at work, at war, at play, and in art, film, and books, starting with the first equestrian encounters in which early humans in Asia and Europe hunted native horses for food. At the same time, though, these peoples celebrated horses in cave art and rituals, which foreshadows other dualities in the relationship: humans raise and care for but also slaughter horses, and the travel benefits horses provide have also enabled devastating warfare. Training and breeding practices are examined from a cross-cultural viewpoint, discussing cultures from the Persians to the Nez Perce and looking at breeding stock from Lippizaners to quarter horses. Written in lucid prose full of wisdom and wonder, this far-reaching story explores a vital shaping force in the history of the world.