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Domesticated
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- Horses are hoofed mammals that have lived with humans for thousands of years. Almost all of the horses alive today are domesticated and descend from extinct wild horses.
www.livescience.com/50714-horse-facts.html
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May 19, 2021 · Horses are hoofed mammals that have lived with humans for thousands of years. Almost all of the horses alive today are domesticated and descend from extinct wild horses.
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- Overview
- Origin of horse domestication
- Heavy breeds
- Light breeds
- Ponies
Archaeological evidence indicates that the domestication of horses had taken place by approximately 6,000 years ago in the steppelands north of the Black Sea from Ukraine to Kazakhstan. Despite intensive study over a long period of time, many questions remain about the early development of the species as it underwent domestication. One crucial question involves whether domestication was limited to a single location or occurred in multiple areas. Tied to this question of origins is whether domesticated horses spread throughout Eurasia or whether the practice of horse domestication spread to new areas, with local breeders capturing their own wild horses and introducing them to the domestic horse gene pool. Modern genetic techniques have been used to answer these questions, but different regions of the horse genome (that is, the complete nucleic acid sequence of a horse’s genetic code) have yielded different answers.
Results of studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited only from the mother, showed a great deal of diversity among individuals and strongly supported the idea that wild horses from many different geographic areas contributed to the domestic horse. The mtDNA data clearly indicated that there were multiple sites of domestication, with a large number of mares in the first populations, and that genetic input from local wild horses had been introduced into the domestic gene pool as domesticated horses spread. The mtDNA data also showed that the modern horse is a mixture of ancient lineages, all of which can be traced back to an “Ancestral Mare,” which lived 130,000 to 160,000 years ago; thus, there is no clear mtDNA signature for modern horse breeds.
In contrast, studies have revealed that the domestic horse is dominated by a single, paternally inherited Y chromosome lineage, in which there is almost no variation. An exception was a study of horses in southwestern China that found that some southern Chinese populations of male horses possessed a Y chromosome variant that was not present in any other breeds that had been tested. This variant may represent a different paternal lineage that survived in the region, or it may represent a recent mutation. The lack of variation on the Y chromosome would seem to indicate a very narrow origin for the domestic horse. However, the differences in variation between maternal and paternal lineages may reflect the differences in how breeders treated mares and stallions. It is possible that throughout history far more mares contributed to the founding of the domestic horse than stallions, because stallions can be difficult to handle. In addition, most selection is directed toward the males, because at the level of the individual they can produce such a large number of offspring compared with females. (In other words, it is likely that a small number of relatively cooperative stallions may have been used to impregnate large numbers of mares.)
Studies examining other regions of DNA have revealed a high genetic diversity in horses, which is consistent with mtDNA results; however, pinpointing where domestication events have taken place remains elusive. For example, research at the turn of the 21st century indicated that there appeared to have been an independent domestication event in the Iberian Peninsula (the region containing Spain and Portugal), which served as a refuge for many species, including horses, during the Pleistocene and Holocene glaciations. Some two decades later, genetic studies cast doubt on whether such an event took place in Iberia, since those horse lineages became extinct before leaving significant genetic traces in the genomes of modern horses. In addition, genetic studies of other proposed centres of horse domestication, such as Anatolia and the Caucasus (which have long histories of horse utilization), have not turned up proof of single independent domestication events.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the domestication of horses had taken place by approximately 6,000 years ago in the steppelands north of the Black Sea from Ukraine to Kazakhstan. Despite intensive study over a long period of time, many questions remain about the early development of the species as it underwent domestication. One crucial question involves whether domestication was limited to a single location or occurred in multiple areas. Tied to this question of origins is whether domesticated horses spread throughout Eurasia or whether the practice of horse domestication spread to new areas, with local breeders capturing their own wild horses and introducing them to the domestic horse gene pool. Modern genetic techniques have been used to answer these questions, but different regions of the horse genome (that is, the complete nucleic acid sequence of a horse’s genetic code) have yielded different answers.
Results of studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited only from the mother, showed a great deal of diversity among individuals and strongly supported the idea that wild horses from many different geographic areas contributed to the domestic horse. The mtDNA data clearly indicated that there were multiple sites of domestication, with a large number of mares in the first populations, and that genetic input from local wild horses had been introduced into the domestic gene pool as domesticated horses spread. The mtDNA data also showed that the modern horse is a mixture of ancient lineages, all of which can be traced back to an “Ancestral Mare,” which lived 130,000 to 160,000 years ago; thus, there is no clear mtDNA signature for modern horse breeds.
In contrast, studies have revealed that the domestic horse is dominated by a single, paternally inherited Y chromosome lineage, in which there is almost no variation. An exception was a study of horses in southwestern China that found that some southern Chinese populations of male horses possessed a Y chromosome variant that was not present in any other breeds that had been tested. This variant may represent a different paternal lineage that survived in the region, or it may represent a recent mutation. The lack of variation on the Y chromosome would seem to indicate a very narrow origin for the domestic horse. However, the differences in variation between maternal and paternal lineages may reflect the differences in how breeders treated mares and stallions. It is possible that throughout history far more mares contributed to the founding of the domestic horse than stallions, because stallions can be difficult to handle. In addition, most selection is directed toward the males, because at the level of the individual they can produce such a large number of offspring compared with females. (In other words, it is likely that a small number of relatively cooperative stallions may have been used to impregnate large numbers of mares.)
Studies examining other regions of DNA have revealed a high genetic diversity in horses, which is consistent with mtDNA results; however, pinpointing where domestication events have taken place remains elusive. For example, research at the turn of the 21st century indicated that there appeared to have been an independent domestication event in the Iberian Peninsula (the region containing Spain and Portugal), which served as a refuge for many species, including horses, during the Pleistocene and Holocene glaciations. Some two decades later, genetic studies cast doubt on whether such an event took place in Iberia, since those horse lineages became extinct before leaving significant genetic traces in the genomes of modern horses. In addition, genetic studies of other proposed centres of horse domestication, such as Anatolia and the Caucasus (which have long histories of horse utilization), have not turned up proof of single independent domestication events.
Selected breeds of heavy horses are listed in the table.
Selected breeds of heavy horses name origin height (hands)* aptitude characteristics comments
*1 hand = 4 inches (10.16 cm).
Belgian, also called Brabant Belgium 15.3–17 heavy draft, farm work broad and powerful; small, square head; short, heavy neck with sloping shoulders; short back with well-rounded, massive hindquarters; the American Belgian being typically chestnut and sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail ancient breed; matures quickly; long-lived
Clydesdale Scotland 16.1–18 heavy draft, farm work lighter build than most heavy breeds; fine head with long, well-arched neck; withers higher than croup; lower legs are heavily feathered noted for the soundness of its legs and feet; noted for high-stepping gait
Percheron France 16 draft, farm work typically gray or black in colour; fine head with broad forehead; wide chest with prominent breastbone; no feathering on legs ancient breed; heavily influenced by Arabian breed; long and low action distinguishing it from other heavy breeds
Selected breeds of light horses are listed in the table.
Selected breeds of light horses name origin height (hands)* aptitude characteristics comments
*1 hand = 4 inches (10.16 cm).
Akhal-Teke Turkmenistan 14.2–16 riding, racing long neck carried almost perpendicular to body; long, slender legs; metallic golden-dun colour is unique to the breed ancient breed; noted for its endurance and speed
American Paint Horse U.S. 15–16 riding two colour patterns—overo and tobiano—determined by location of white markings developed from Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Paint breeds; versatile riding horse
American Quarter Horse U.S. 14.2–16 riding, racing, herding short, fine head with a straight profile; short back; long, powerful croup and shoulders; well-muscled thighs, gaskins, and forearms one of the most popular breeds; noted for its agility and quick bursts of speed; adapts easily to any riding discipline
Selected breeds of ponies are listed in the table.
Selected breeds of ponies name origin height (hands)* aptitude characteristics comments
*1 hand = 4 inches (10.16 cm).
Connemara Ireland 13–14.2 riding; light draft well-formed hindquarters with high-set tail; long neck with full mane; well-muscled legs Ireland's only indigenous breed; extremely hardy; known for its exceptional jumping ability and the ease of its gait
Pony of the Americas U.S. 11.2–13.2 riding Appaloosa colouring; well-pricked ears; large, prominent eyes cross between a Shetland pony stallion and an Appaloosa mare; developed as a versatile child's mount
Shetland Shetland Islands, Scotland 10 riding, light draft thick mane and tail; small head with pronounced jaw; short, muscular neck thought to have existed since the Bronze Age; very powerful; used as a pit pony in mines of Great Britain in the 19th century; a popular child's mount
Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses , which are horses that never have been domesticated and historically linked to the megafauna category of species.
Sep 17, 2023 · Domestic horses are descendants of wild horses, but there are significant differences between the two. While wild horses are free-roaming and independent, domestic horses have been selectively bred for specific traits and are dependent on humans for care and maintenance.
May 19, 2022 · The bones of E. caballus all look pretty much the same, whether wild or domestic, so they couldn’t answer a longstanding question: Where and when did humans first domesticate horses, linking...
Domestication of the horse - Wikipedia. A Heck Horse, bred to resemble the now-extinct Tarpan. How and when horses became domesticated has been disputed. Although horses appeared in Paleolithic cave art as early as 30,000 BC, these were wild horses and were probably hunted for meat.
All horses are grazers. While most horses are domestic, others remain wild. Feral horses are the descendents of once-tame animals that have run free for generations.
