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quality food. Nevertheless recently found Tibetan cave paintings in the Ladakh Zansar region of the Himalayans show people riding horses as early as this, 3,000 years ago.

During that 3,000 years the use of horses has had major impacts on many human societies. Here are a few examples:

The stirrup was invented around 400AD, and it's use spread through Europe over the folowing 400 years. This meant that horses could be ridden with a great deal more speed and agility, which had 2 main effects:

1)Mounted armies. Before this knights had ridden to battle, then dismounted. Battle on a horse was far more effective.

2)The imposition of feudalism. In general only the wealthy landowning class could afford to keep a horse. Having mounted men made it easier to keep the peasants in line.

In North America after 1500, the horses which had been brought by the conquistadores thrived, prospered and bred. They became a major part of many native American cultures, actually changing the way some of them lived. Before the horse many tribes were fairly settled and lived by herding and by hunting buffalo in groups on foot. After horses became part of the picture many became more nomadic as they could hunt far more efficiently than before.

The Industrial Revolution would not have been possible but for the horse. Before the invention of steam powered transport and machinery, industry was powered by horses. Horses were used for just about everything which we now use engines for; transport of people and loads, plowing, even turning grindstones. The very first trains to run on rails were pulled by horses. The term 'horse power' which we still use today in engineering was invented by James Watt (1736-1819). It originally referred to the pulling power of a pit pony, which was measurable, with an increase of 50% to estimate the pulling power of ana verage horse. Today it has a strict value is 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute.

Horses have declined over the last 100 years as shapers of culture, having been overtaken by internal combustion. Nevertheless they still thrive. It is a measure of the depth of our relationship with horses that so many people have always found so much pleasure in them.

Did you know?

The first manual of horse care and training was written by the Greek philosopher and playwright Xenophon (430 354BC). It was called 'The Art of Horsemanship'.

A horse can see 350 degrees around itself because of the position of the eyes on the side of the head. The only blindspots are immediately behind the tail and immediately in front of the face. This is why you shouldn't walk straight up behind a horse if you hope not to get kicked!

Horse's ears can rotate so that it can point them in any direction.

Horses see in colour but have difficulty telling the difference between things which are green, brown or grey.

Learn more about this author, Briar Shaw.
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