The horse as we know it today has not always looked like this. The animal has been able to adapt over time and has changed both physically and behaviorally. Humans have also contributed to this. But before it appeared on the scene, the horse had already written a whole history …
Human vs. Horse
Man and the horse have become linked through the ages. The relationship between these two creatures has not always been the same and humans have used the horse for many purposes. At first, the animal was food for him and his family. They faced each other as hunter and prey. It was not until later that man began to domesticate the horse, because it could be of use to him in other ways. The strong animal could transport and relieve him while working in the field. Thanks to the horse, large quantities of goods could also be transported. This powerful animal also came in handy during the many wars. It was about 6,000 years ago when humans domesticated the first horse and gave it a place in his world. However, the horse had already undergone an enormous evolution before humans came into the picture …
Small forest dweller
The history of the current horse goes back about 60 million years. At that time, a small creature lived in the woods that is considered its ancestor. The animal was very small and could easily hide in the dense forests from its many enemies. It didn’t have hooves, but cushioned toes. Four on the front feet, three on the back feet. The animal walked on the ball of his foot. Its food at that time was still soft foliage. Eohippus is named after the Greek goddess of the dawn; Eos. Hence its nickname ‘horse of the dawn’.
Growing grazer
The climate changed and with it the country. The forests gave way to drier and harder terrain, forcing the little creature to adapt. Mesohippus only used three toes. This also made it faster and could easily escape its enemies. The land offered only shrubs and twigs for food, which caused the incisors to develop. The climate became favorable to grassland and so came Merychippus, the first grazer. The animal now had to keep lifting its head to scan its surroundings, looking for enemies. This made the neck longer. Because the steppe hardly offered any hiding places anymore, the animal started to organize itself into groups. This way they could quickly spot danger and flee. They were fast riders and although they still had three toes, they only used the middle one.
Grandparent
The direct ancestor of the horse we now know is Pliohippus. This horse had only one toe left: the hoof. Appeared about one million years ago Equus Caballus on the scene. This is the grandparent of today’s horse. The animal became extinct in the Americas, but evolved further in Asia, Africa and Europe.
During and after the Ice Age, different climates prevailed, creating different horse species, each one able to adapt to the prevailing conditions. Today we still distinguish three different primitive horses: Equus Caballus Prezwalskii, Equus Caballus Gmenili and Equus Caballus Sylvaticus. These three, in turn, resulted in four different types of horses and ponies. These are the forerunners of all races that exist today.
The current horse
When humans began to domesticate the horse and use it for all kinds of purposes, a new purpose also came into the life of the animal: recreation. Today most horses live in an environment created by humans. However, this does not mean that it no longer needs its basic needs. The horse is still a grazer and must be able to move freely. It is a herd animal with a flight instinct, which it has not lost to this day. No matter how much trust in humans is, the hunter versus prey relationship is still hidden somewhere deep inside …