Horses

I've never ridden a horse.  They make me kind of nervous, because they're so big!  Elephants are bigger, but their size is so great that they're like a different order of magnitude.  Horses, on the other hand, are big on a human scale so they make a bigger impression.

I do admire people who can ride.  I've long found horsewomen attractive.  Maybe it's because for some women, mannish riding clothes can actually make them look more feminine!  Sort of like Marlene Dietrich in a top hat and a tuxedo.

Having a pet is always a responsibility. (I've never had one.) But imagine what a responsibility a horse is!  Its combining the responsibility of pets with the responsibility of driving a car. (I've never learned to drive either.) I once saw this movie serial where someone jumped a horse through a big glass window.  It wasn't real glass, of course, but the horse didn't know it!  He just trusted his rider not to put him in harm's way.  That's impressed on me a rider's responsibility.