History of the Horse

55 million years ago

Earliest known horses were found

Browsers

Early horses were this instead of grazers

Reduction in number of toes, increase in size of cheek teeth, lengthening of face, increase in body size

Four trends in the evolution of the horse

Eohippus

Earliest ancestor of the horse; size ranged from small horse to fox; four functional toes on each front foot, three on each hind; browser; North America

Mesohippus

35 million years ago; a bit larger than Eohippus; browse and graze; three toes on front foot to better outrun predators; lateral supporting toes decrease in size; Europe and North America; went extinct 7 million years ago

Merychippus

20 million years ago; North America; grazers; herd animals; lateral toes shrank and no longer touched the ground; the main toe hardened for swift travel, weight was carried solely on central toe

Pliohippus

5 million years ago; crossed into Asia; first monodactyl toe; teeth and limbs closest to present day horse; South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa

Equus

Last 2 million years, brought to the New World by the Spanish in 1400s

Przewalski’s Horse

Oldest species still in existence; valleys of Mongolia 1879; 12-14 hands; Dun coloring, dark streak down the back, dark legs; found in numerous zoos, never effectively domesticated

Source of food

horses purpose for people of the Plains of Europe and Asia early on

Carry goods of nomads, workers

horses purpose early on other than food

3000-2000 BCE

Horses first appeared as a domesticated draft animal

Yoke

developed for oxen, not well suited for equine anatomy early on

Plain bar snaffle and jointed

early bits

Military

horses were used for ______ when people first began to ride

Scythians

first nomadic horsemen

Roman Army

cavalry led force

China

horse-drawn war chariots, the first complete horsemen (use of saddle)

Europe after romans

battle and hunting in dark ages, used to traverse dangerous roads

Anatomy of horse studies, training as an art, carriage design, transportation

the Renaissance encouraged these

Mass transportation, cargo, fire protection, pleasure wagons, transportation to town

horses were used for these in the US

Agriculture

horses were very popular for this purpose in the 18th and 19th century of America

Morrill Land Grant Act

Act that created State Agricultural Colleges, opened Cornell as the first veterinary college, and improved the care, feeding, and breeding of horses

1883

1st national horse show (team jumping, hunters and jumpers, saddle seat equitation, harness)

1886

1st rodeo (wagon races, bull riding, steer wrestling)

May 17th, 1875

1st KY Derby

Interest in public health, rising real estate values, electric and gasoline-powered alternatives

why we started to see a decline in horse significance

Motorized taxis, electric streetcars, subways

horse was replaced by these public transportations

Revolutionary war

war that had mounted riflement

1930s

when cavalry began to transition from horses to armored vehicles

1950s

when no horse-mounted cavalry units existed in US army

Ceremonial functions, crowd control, specialized duties

mounted police uses

entertainment

modern horses are used for this non-serious topic

58.8 million

amount of horses worldwide

western hemisphere

over half of all horses are in the

9.5 million

number of horse in US

Texas, California, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky

Top 5 states by horse numbers (horses owned)

1.4 million full time jobs, $101.5 billion industry

economic impact of horses in US

direct revenue

sale of horses, races, shows, rodeos, entertainment

indirect revenue

feed, training, vet services, farrier services, transportation, labor, equipment