Introduction to Equine Science & History of the Horse
What is Equine Science?
- Equine science: field of study that focuses on the scientific aspects of horses, including their:
Biology
Behavior
Nutrition
Health
Management
Performance
- Encompasses various disciplines such as equine nutrition, equine anatomy and physiology, equine genetics, equine behavior, and equine exercise physiology.
Why study the horse?
Several reasons-
- Horses care and welfare
care and management
- Performance and athletic ability
optimize training methods
- Breeding and genetics
Improvement of breeding programs
- Industry and economic impact
Significant importance
- Conservation and prevention
Rich cultural heritage and historical significance
Endangered or at risk of extension
Evolution of the horse
- Did not occur in a straight line
- Many horses-like animals branched off
- Now one genus is the only surviving branch of a once large evolutionary bush (Equus)
Evolution of the horse
Eohippus
- Earliest known ancestor of the horse
also known as the Dawn horse
small, primitive horse; size of fox
four functional toes on the front feet
three toes on hind feet
- Teeth structure suggest
browser
- Earliest remains found in North America
- Though to have lived -54 million years ago
Mesohippus
- AKA “middle horse”
- Larger than Eohippus
- Only 3 toes on front
- Lateral supporting toes decreased size
middle toe strengthening
- Became extinct in Europe and North America 7 million years ago
Merychippus
- Lived 20 million years ago
- Completely new type of horse
- Evolved in North America
adapted to hard grasses of plains
teeth similar to present day horses
- Beginning of grazing horse of today
- Increasingly gregarious
- Lateral toes diminished
no longer touch the ground
- Main toe thickened and hardened
Pliohippus
- First true monodactyl
- Used speed to flee from predators
- Further evolution of teeth and limbs
Four Trends of Equus Evolution
• Reduction in number of toes
• Increase in size of cheek teeth
• Lengthening of the face
• Increase in body size
History and Evolution
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Perissodactyla
• Family: Equidae
• Genus: Equus
• Species: several
Species
• Equus burchelli- the Plains zebra of Africa; includes several subspecies
• Equus grevyi- Grevy’s zebra, the most horse-like zebra
• Equus zebra- Mountain zebra of South Africa
•Equus asinus
- The true asses and donkeys of northern Africa
•Equus hemionus
- Several Sub-species:
▪ Desert-adapted Onagers of Asia and the Mideast
Equus przewalski
• Oldest living species of horse
• Not discovered until 1879
- Discovered in Mongolia
• Ancestor of modern horse
• Cannot be domesticated
Equus caballus
• Modern day ‘true’ horse
• Became extinct in N. America
- ~11,000 years ago
• Was not to return until 1400’s
Return of horses to the Americas
• Spanish horses
- 1492 on ships under command of
Christopher Columbus
- Andalusians - only in the sense that
they came from Andalusia, the
southernmost region of Spain
Spread of horses in Americas
• Escaped free-ranging
stock
• ~8000 by 1787
Domestication and Early Use
• First domesticated ~3500 B.C.
- Kept for meat and possibly milk
• Work
- More docile and easier to
domesticate than the Ox
Use of the Horses
• Various uses over time:
- Food
- Military
- Sports
- Transportation
- Agriculture
- Recreation
Today’s Horse
• Recreation
- Companion
- Therapy
- Leisure
• Professionally
- Professional makes living off recreation of another
• Food
- Asia, Germany, China, Japan, South America, Mexico, France, Italy
- Illegal to commercially slaughter or sell horse meat for human
consumption in USA (not illegal to eat it)
Equine Economic Impact 2017 vs 2023
Results from 2023 study:
• U.S. horse industry impact:
$177 billion
• Provides employment for
~2.2 million people
• U.S. population of 6.6
million horses
Results from 2017 study:
• U.S. horse industry impact:
$122 billion
• Provides employment for
~1.74 million people
• U.S. population of 7.2
million horses
The Future of the Horse
• Horse populations are rebounding
- Popular for recreational riding
- More time and $$ for leisure activities
• The need for horses for recreation and sport will be the
dominant factor in the future of the horse industry