History of the Horse

1. History of the Horse Lecture 1

2. Objectives: • Name several members of the genus Equus • List the taxonomy of the modern horse • Describe the 2 schools of thought on the first domestication of the horse • Describe the evolution of the horse • Describe several uses that the horse served over time and presently • Name the explorer that brought the first horses to the United States

3. Objectives: • Describe the history of horses in the United States • Describe the present status of the industry in the United States

4. What is “horse” • Derived from Anglo-Saxon hors, meaning swiftness • Word “horsemen” comes from the Hebrew root “to prick” or “spur”

5. Phylum: Chordata Species: caballus Class: Mammalia Genus: Equus Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Evolution: Where does the horse fit in the zoological scheme? Kingdom: Animalia

6. Eohippus • 4-toed ancestor • “Dawn Horse” • No more than a foot high • 4 toes on front feet, 3 toes on back feet. • Well adapted to traveling in and feeding on the herbage of swamplands • Gradually grew in size and changed in form…evolving into…

7. Mesohippus • About 24 in • Horse got taller • Teeth got longer/stronger • Cannon bones lengthened and formed a hoof, • Three toes on the front feet better suited for out running enemies • These changes occurred that the animal out of the swamp lands and able to survive in forests and prairies

8. Pliohippus • First single toed evolutionary in history- Single toe continued from the over development of the middle toe. • Closest to present day horse • 8000 years ago Equus became extinct in Western Hemisphere until the Spanish brought horses to the New World in the 1400’s

9. Evolution of Horse Hoof

10. Evolution of Horse

11. Origin/Domestication • 2 current schools of thought on domestication: • 1991: report based on archeological evidence, placing earliest domestication and use of horses at 4000 BC in the Ukrainian steppes (treeless, level prairie)

12. Origin/Domestication • 2 current schools of thought on domestication: • Crediting the Scythian nomads of central Asia as being the first to domesticate and use horses in the 7th century, BC.

13. Oriental Light Legged • Sometimes referred to as Oriental Light Legged Horses. • Were of Asiatic origin…tracing to a wild horse of the Asiatic deserts that is now extinct • Gave rise to the most swift and slenderly built breeds of modern times…the Arabian, the Barb, and the Turk are all descendents

14. Wild Horses of Europe • Sometimes referred to as the European forest type • One of the pagan practices of the German tribes was the sacrifice of horses and the eating of their meat at religious feasts (worship the horse) • Was the wild black horse of Flanders – stocky, more size/scale than the oriental type. More of a draft type… • Also Shetland pony ancestors…so variety in size!

15. Tarpan

16. Przewalski Horse

17. Early Uses of the Horse

18. Source of Food • First role of horses • During Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) horses were hunted (prior to domestication) • Mares milked for human food • Horse meat still consumed in many cultures

19. Military Uses

20. Sport Uses As early as 1450 BC, Greeks introduced horses into Olympics, chariot and horse racing Modern times…many sport uses

21. Agrarian Uses Use as draft animals fairly recent when compared to previous uses… No evidence to indicate that the horse was used in Europe to plow prior to the 10th century. Oxen remained the common plow animal until the end of the 18th century

22. Agrarian Uses

23. Agrarian Uses

24. Presence in North America • Fossils remains indicate that members of the horse family roamed the plains of America during Tertiary period… • No horses were present when Columbus discovered America in 1492 • Disappearance still great mystery that is unexplained. Many theories including: Contagious disease or fatal parasite Climatic changes, competition, or failure to adapt • Conditions were favorable for reestablishment by the Spanish

25. History of Horses and Mules in the United States • Columbus first to bring horses to the West Indies on his second voyage in 1493 • Cortez brought Spanish horses in 1519 (Mexico – 16 hd at first…then about 1,000 were brought in over the next 2 yrs)

26. History of Horses and Mules in the United States • Horses brought to the “United States” by de Soto in 1539…had 237 horses on his vessels that traveled from the Everglades to the Ozarks • Following his death, followers returned via boat, abandoning many of the their horses.

27. History of Horses and Mules in the United States About 1600 – Spanish missions from Rio Grande to Pacific coast Evolution of vaquero horsemanship

28. Californio Tradition • Spanish Style for breaking horses • Hackamore, two-rein, spade bit or up-in the bridle • Ranching lifestyle, way of life • Pride in improving horse and horsemanship • Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFuC_g6ZQ2M&feature=related

29. History of Horses and Mules in the United States • New England: horses became valuable for export to West Indies…led to lucrative horse stealing business! • Plantations – need for easy riding saddle horses, racing became common • By 1730, importation of English racehorses began

30. History of Horses and Mules in the United States

31. History of Horses and Mules in the United States

32. Past uses to Present Day • Recreation/Show • Rodeo • Ranching • Racing • Can you think of any ???

33. Disciplines • English • Western • Rodeo • Cow Horses • Jumpers/Eventers • Pleasure

40. Summary: • Taxonomy • Evolution • World history • US history • Present day use