History
The exact origins of the Yonaguni Horse are not clear, however the horse has preserved its original and distinct form due to no cross-breeding occurring. In ancient times, the Yonaguni Horse was used in farming, agriculture and for the transportation of timber, but since the invention of modern machinery, this use was lost and thus the horse was no longer bred. This led to their numbers dropping to just 59 head in 1975. In this same year, a committee was formed for the preservation of the Yonaguni Horse. This encouraged people to begin breeding them again in the northern and Western regions of the island and thus they have increased in numbers to approximately 100-120 head. In the present day since they are not used for agriculture their main attraction is related tourism and the horses have become an emblem of the island.
Read more about this topic: Yonaguni Horse
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records between the material and the moral nature.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I saw the Arab map.
It resembled a mare shuffling on,
dragging its history like saddlebags,
nearing its tomb and the pitch of hell.”
—Adonis [Ali Ahmed Said] (b. 1930)
“It’s nice to be a part of history but people should get it right. I may not be perfect, but I’m bloody close.”
—John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten)