A Brief History of the Horse

Before we begin a brief account of the "History of the Horse," here are a few facts I thought you would find interesting.

No kidding! Approximately seventy-five million horses inhabit our world today. Can you pack yours too?

head for so many horses? Don't worry, I'm finding it really, really hard.

The height of a horse can be measured with the hands one hand equals four inches.

Horses have a great sense of hearing, orientation and smell. The skin is very sensitive and reacts quickly to a light touch, neck straps, etc.

Popular breeds include Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarter Horses, American Paints, Appaloosas, Clydesdales, Palominos, Rocky Mountain Horses, Morgans, etc. There are many more breeds, just too many to list here.

There are several markings on the animal's body such as a star, white face, stripe, white muzzle, blaze, etc.

Facts are not useful without the historical information. Horses, like any other living creature, became useful a long time ago. During Solomon's time and the divided kingdom, Israel also made extensive use of chariots and horses. Solomon had forty thousand stables with chariot horses and twelve thousand chariot soldiers (1 Kings 4:26). A horse and chariot could easily cover thirty miles

in one day; and up to 45 miles per day if needed. Great!

Horse drawings existed around 3000 BC. Drawings of chariots drawn by horses can be seen in caves during the Bronze Age.

A tomb in Egypt showed horseback riding in 1600 BC. This is the earliest record that can be traced back to Egypt.

It was in the year 1400 BC. BC, when a first written text about horses was created. The text indicates the training of horses for chariots. Xenophon wrote The Art of Riding around 360 BC. and discussed riding, psychology and care of the horse. Information about the book is still relevant and used today.

horses roamed every continent except Antarctica During the Ice Age. They mysteriously disappeared during this era; One theory holds that the disappearance was due to the westward migration of these animals through land bridges in Siberia.

Horses with stirrups and saddles were very visible after Charlemagne, around the 4th century. This is an Asian invention; It was believed that Asians were the first to tame and ride horses. It paved the way for the development of cavalry. Around AD 1519, these animals reappeared in North America and were brought to Mexico by Spanish conquerors

Even with these historical reviews, other historical facts are presented by other countries. It is known that Persians, Chinese and Assyrians lived as early as 3000 BC. were skilful riders.

Brahmins from India claimed to be the first horsemen. Chinese were considered the true horsemen; Already 4000 BC they began to harness their horses. Already around 1000 BC. The Chinese were also concerned with the selective conformation and breeding of horses.

The Hittites of the Mediterranean used around 1,600 BC. BC Horses for war.

Assyrians were the first race among the eastern Mediterranean people to use horses with a load; this resembles the saddle of today.

The Egyptians used chariot horses to expand their empire; this goes back to 1650 BC. back. The types of horses used in Egypt are very different from the Arabian horses.

Greek mythology depicted horses as sea creatures ruled by their god Posiedon. Posiedon's winged horse named Pegasus is also written in mythology.

Long ago horses who ventured into Kenya sadly died from a disease known as trypanosomiasis. The pony that survives and makes it to a clean, disease-free area of Kenya will be the first horse in East Africa.

Although horses were domesticated a long time ago, many misconceptions about their history arise. He quotes B. MacFadden of the University of Florida and presents some notes from his journal Science:

About twenty million years ago, horses changed in size. Some became larger and others minimized to the size of dogs. These animals didn't just get bigger.

Prehistoric horses were not leaf eaters. They just got used to eating both leafy materials and grasses.

The fossils of the horse in North America became extinct about 55 to 10,000 million years ago. These were the first horses and not those brought to America by settlers from Europe.

MacFadden went on to explain that a clear knowledge of the horse fossil record is crucial to illustrate their evolution.

Horses have been visible throughout history and have been used for a variety of purposes. An important purpose of these animals is a means of transport. They were also used in agriculture and in wars. Today the grace, agility, speed and power of horses are used for pleasure and competition. Much like other animals, horses have an extremely rich history worth studying and enjoying.

A quick guide to different breeds

I've listed just a few breeds here to give you an idea. There are hundreds of

different races in today's world and I am sure there will be many more to come.

ARABIAN - One of the oldest and arguably most beautiful breeds in the world, Arabian horses are bred primarily by the Bedouins, a roaming Arab tribe, and are used primarily for competitive and recreational riding. Expect high costs if you want to buy an Arabian horse. It was this breed that led to the emergence of the pure breed.

QUARTER HORSE - The United States is the proud and original breeder of Quarter Horses, and they can be used for riding, racing, and working purposes. Most of the photos you will see featuring cowboys are mounted on Quarter Horses.

ANDALUSIAN - Also referred to as the Spanish horse, the Andalusian breed hails from the Iberian Peninsula and has had a significant influence on nearly all other horse breeds with the exception of the .

BELGIAN HEAVY DRAFT HORSE - This breed is one of the most popular choices for draft horses.

MUSTANG OR BRONCO - A mustang is a free-roaming wild horse native to North American West. It originally descended from horses brought to the Mustang.” is also popular for high performance products and sports mascots.

Note: In 1971, the United States Congress recognized Mustangs as "living symbols of the historic and pioneering spirit of the West that continue to contribute to the diversity of lifestyles within the nation and enrich the lives of the American people." Today Mustang herds vary in the degree to which they can be traced back to original Iberian horses. Some contain a larger genetic mix of ranch stock and newer breed releases, others are relatively unaltered from the original Iberian stock and are most prevalent in the most isolated populations.

clydesdale horse height
#History #Horse

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