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Since the domestication of the horse few civilizations in history have existed without some sort of dependence on horses. The earliest evidence of human contact with horses comes from cave paintings from around 15,000 BCE. To these early humans horses were a source of food, a prey animal rather than a method of transport.

The First Riders

Evidence exists that show that horses on the Ukrainian steppes may have been tamed enough to be ridden about 6,000 years ago. There is also evidence of a primitive bridle with antler pieces for the bit. The peoples who lived in this area were nomadic and they left no material records.

Chariot Pulling

The first chariots were probably used more for transportation than for warfare because they were too heavy for warfare. The chariot and the horse were both introduced into Egypt around 1600 BCE by a nomadic people from Central Asia. The chariot quickly became important the peoples of Egypt as indicated by tomb paintings and left behind chariots.

The Hittites were also great charioteers. They became one of Egypt's greatest enemies. Fighting between the two was very intense resulting in many battles. The Babylonians and Assyrians who came to power after the Hittites also used the chariot in both hunting and warfare.

The First Book on Training Horses

The Kikkuli text, the first known book on horse training, was written around 1345 BCE. It was written by the horse master to the Hittite King Suppiluliuma on clay tablets. Before the reign of king Suppiluliuma horses had not played a very big role. The king recognized the value of using horses for war and purchased a large amount of Arabian horses to be trained by his horse master. The resulting text contains a seven month training schedule that was designed to achieve the best fitness for the horse. The text advised interval training including quick bursts of intense training followed by slow easy activities. The training book also contains information on the feeding and care of horses.

Horses in Ancient Greece

The Greeks used horses in warfare and in sport. The chariot was used effectively in warfare and chariot racing was introduced at the 25th Olympics in 680 BCE. Another famous text, The Art of Horsemanship, was written by the Greek Xenophon. He wrote large volumes about horses and their role in Greek life. Xenophon advised a relationship of mutual trust be built up between the horse and the rider. He felt that riders should be non-abusive toward horses.

Horses continued to be used in warfare and for transportation until the mid 20th century. Today they are used mostly for pleasure and in competition and the art of horsemanship continues to advance and evolve.

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