The creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse is a centaur.
Centaurs come from Greek mythology and were traditionally said to inhabit mountainous regions, especially Thessaly. Their hybrid form made them symbols of the boundary between civilized human behavior and untamed nature. Many myths portray them as rowdy, violent, or lustful, particularly during the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths.
Not every centaur is portrayed negatively. Chiron, the best-known exception, was wise, civilized, and skilled in medicine, music, and prophecy. He taught heroes including Achilles, Jason, and Asclepius. This contrast explains why centaurs can represent both disorder and wisdom in later literature and art.
The centaur’s human torso is joined to a horse’s body at the withers, rather than the creature simply being a rider fused with a horse. Early Greek art shows several variations before the familiar form became standard. A centaur is also distinct from a Minotaur, which has a bull’s head and a human body, and from a satyr, usually depicted as a humanlike woodland spirit with animal features.