When was the horse domesticated?

The horse has undergone many evolutionary changes since it emerged about 55 million years ago. All domestic horses are members of an animal breed called "Equus Caballus". Distinct horse-like species arose from wild horses that once roamed Central Asia, the only surviving example of these horses being the Mongolion wild horses, also called Przewalski. These horses were thought to be extinct, but it was discovered that these horses lived in the Gobi Desert in 1881 by a Russian explorer named Colonel Nikolai Przewalski. Today, these animals are found in well-organized nature parks. These horses are thought to no longer live in the wild. Przewalski has 2 chromosomes missing from domestic horse chromosomes and is a separate horse breed. There are 5 more horse families living today. Plain Zebra, Mountain Zebra, Grevy Zebra, African Donkey and Asian Wild Donkey. Some species became extinct very recently. The "Guagga", a zebra-like animal living in South Africa, was destroyed by hunters in the 1870s. All 6 species can mate with each other. However, since the cells of each species have different numbers of chromosomes, the offspring born as a result of some matings are sterile. As an example, we can give the mule formed by the mating of a male donkey and a mare.


However, the offspring of Przewalski horses and domestic horses are fertile. Przewalski horse or Mongolian horse BC. They are the first horses domesticated in the Russian steppes around 3000 BC. The first Equus became the ancestor of today's horses, after about 60 million years of evolution. Goat, sheep and cattle are the first animals to be domesticated before the horse. The idea of ​​benefiting from the meat, milk, leather and wool of these animals has also caused significant changes in human life. However, their role in the development of civilizations has not been as much as that of the horse. Horse BC It is accepted that it was domesticated in Central Asia around 3000 BC. There has been domestication from both Tarpan and Prezelwalski wild specimens in the vast region of Asia stretching from the Caucasus to China. Later, there were types of horses domesticated in Northern Europe. It has been determined that people used to hunt horses as a meat animal and even benefit from its milk. Because historical documents prove that the use of the horse as a working animal and a war vehicle coincided with much later times. The domestication of animals is an important turning point in human history. Among these, the function of the horse is much more prominent and it is one of the elements that play a decisive role in the development of civilization. The domestication of the horse has also enabled it to take root and develop in agriculture-related animal husbandry. Its use as a riding animal has led to an important cultural stage in the history of humanity..      
               🐎  Man Meets Horse 🐎

 It is the conclusions drawn from the anthropological and archaeological data that the horse was first domesticated by the Turks and the Turks were the first people to use it as a riding animal. This point has been accepted by some western researchers. After domestication, horses mixed with each other and spread all over the world with human migrations. Many horse breeds have been formed with the effects of artificial and natural selections made by people in terms of their own needs and tastes. After the horse was domesticated as a riding animal, it provided people with freedom of movement, became an occasion for human communities living unaware of each other to establish relationships, and thus took its place in history as an entity that influenced the spread of cultural exchanges and the development of civilizations. 

    From Wild Horses to Domestic Horses 

 After being domesticated, horses have spread all over the world with the migration of people, and many horse breeds have emerged with the effects of different environmental conditions, artificial and natural selections made by people for their own needs and tastes. With the effect of the choices made by people for different purposes, horse breeds that differ significantly in terms of body size and body structure have emerged in a very long time. There are about 350 horse breeds in the world today. Scientists have expressed various opinions in order to define horse breeds. The first of these is to divide all horse breeds into two groups as Eastern Horses and Western Horses. Eastern Horses can be used as riding and harness animals, as well as in heavy agriculture and as load pulling animals. Western Horses are suitable for use as race horses. The second is; It is the view that divides horses into three groups as Cold-blooded Horses, Warm-blooded Horses and Warm-blooded Horses. Accordingly, the terms hot, cold or warm-blooded indicate their behavioral characteristics. Cold-blooded horses are relatively calm and suitable for hauling heavy loads and for agricultural work. Hot-Blooded Horses are agile, fast and exciting horses used for racing and speeding. Warm-blooded horses, on the other hand, are suitable breeds for equestrian sports, competitions and shows.

Cold-blooded horse breeds include Fresian, Haflinger, Shire, Noriker; friendly horse breeds include Arabian, Akhal-Teke, English, Pintabian; Andolusian, Lipizzaner, Camargue and Palomino horses can be given as examples of temperate horse breeds.