The Impact of the Horse When the domestication of animals originated, the main purpose was food production. With an ever changing world environment, having a herd could be the difference between life and death. As time passed, however, the human species began to realize the folly in their ways. Not only could animals be raised for food, they could be raised for other useful byproducts: milk, clothes, and many other products necessary to life. Inevitably, the need for animals that were more considerable in size was recognized (Fagan, 2011). Bred eventually for specialized tasks, the horse has been idolized ever since. Although many animals had been domesticated before the horse, it marked a significant turning point for mankind.
Domestication …show more content…
Before they were of any use, however, they had to be bred larger. Originally, during the Eocene period, the horse was quite small, being about the size of a fox. The hooves weren’t really hooves at all, but multiple toes; three in the back and four on the front feet. As the environment became wetter, the size of the horse and its hooves began to change. Grass began to grow better, giving them more food and better footing (Amherst College, 2014). These horses had originated in North America and spread over the Bering Strait land bridge into the grasslands of Europe and Asia. Eventually, the horses in North America died out, leaving the only surviving lines in the steepes of Europe. Here, native peoples captured and domesticated them, sharing the knowledge of taming and using horses (PD,
Domestication …show more content…
Before they were of any use, however, they had to be bred larger. Originally, during the Eocene period, the horse was quite small, being about the size of a fox. The hooves weren’t really hooves at all, but multiple toes; three in the back and four on the front feet. As the environment became wetter, the size of the horse and its hooves began to change. Grass began to grow better, giving them more food and better footing (Amherst College, 2014). These horses had originated in North America and spread over the Bering Strait land bridge into the grasslands of Europe and Asia. Eventually, the horses in North America died out, leaving the only surviving lines in the steepes of Europe. Here, native peoples captured and domesticated them, sharing the knowledge of taming and using horses (PD,