24. June 2012 · Comments Off on Early Domestication of Horses · Categories: Tips, Tricks and Tid Bits

cave paintingIn our modern world, horses make their name in the realms of equestrian sports and thoroughbred racing. In the nineteenth century, they were vital means of transportation, agriculture, warfare, and power generation. However, early horses were nothing like Barbaro or those of little girlsÂ’ dreams. These truly wild horses were much more aggressive than modern Przewalski horses (the closest modern examples of prehistoric horses), which are already difficult to manage and nearly impossible to train as mounts. Instead, early horses were seen as a food item: large game to be hunted. Why did humans first decide to domesticate these wild creatures? When and where did this happen? How did the process of equine domestication develop?

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