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The Influence of Horses on Our Society
IMS #8890-A
Objectives
• Explain the early history of the horse
• Describe the origin of the horse and its arrival into the United States
Objectives
• Discuss the growth and decline of horses in the United States
• Explain the current status of the horse industry
• Discuss the future of the horse industry
Overview
• Humans - relationships with horses for thousands of years
• Originally used as food source
• Eventually used for military, agriculture, commerce, recreation, & sport
Overview
• United States - extremely influential in development of country
• During the settlement of the West, horses pulled families in wagons
• People used horses for transportation, handling livestock, & carrying mail
Overview
• Utilization of horses as power source declined after onset of mechanization
• People still employ them as source of power
• Draft horses or mules appropriate for small farms & selective cutting of forests
Overview
• More economical
• Do less harm to the environment than tractors & other mechanical equipment
• Mule - cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey (jack)
Early History of the Horse
• Ancestors first appeared in North America 55 million years ago
• Spread to Asia & Europe
• First horse was Hyracotherium– More commonly known as eohippus– “Dawn horse”
Early History of the Horse
• Size of large dog & had four toes on front feet & three toes on rear feet
• Legs were thin, neck short, & teeth could chew tender leaves
Early History of the Horse
• Modern humans first appeared in Africa approximately 130,000 years ago
• Horses had evolved to current form of genus Equus
– Evolved - having moved through process of a continuous change from simpler state to higher, more complex state
Early History of the Horse
• Humans first domesticated horses in Asia 5,000 years ago – Domesticated - tamed or gentled for any
use by man
• Historians believe Chinese were first to use horses productively– Rather than keeping herds for food
Early History of the Horse
• Humans began to successfully exploit horses for war– Led to first serious scholarship of equitation
• Greek horseman, general, & scholar, Xenephon wrote book about training & riding horses– Advice written is as good today as it was
when written in fourth century B.C.
Horses in the United States
• 8,000 years ago - horses disappeared from North America
• Reason unknown
• Some think they died out because of some sort of contagious disease or parasite
Horses in the United States
• Others believe combination of climatic change, competition from other species, & failure to adapt may have contributed to the mysterious disappearance of the species from the continent
Horses in the United States
• 1493 - Columbus brought horses back to New World second voyage
– West Indies in the Caribbean Ocean
• Conquistadors conveyed them to mainland of South America & Mexico
Horses in the United States
• Cortez conquered Mexico in 1519, with aid of Spanish horses
• First horses to enter U.S. came with de Soto
– Explored terrain extending from Florida Everglades to Missouri Ozark Mountains
Horses in the United States
• In 1540, Coronado guided expedition of soldiers from Mexico into Great Plains
• Some horses in North America originated from Spanish missions
Horses in the United States
• Catholic missions stretched from eastern coast of Mexico to Pacific coast
• Missionaries brought other farm animals such as:– Cows– Sheep– Goats
Horses in the United States
• Possible these were foundation stock of first horses of American Indians & wild horses that exist in the American West
– Foundation stock - original animals of a breed
• Also possible they originated from stray & abandoned horses of de Soto & Coronado
Horses in the United States
• Horses changed lives of Indians– Could track & hunt buffalo over greater
territory
• European colonists transported powerful workhorses to New England– Pulling plows– Riding– Pulled stagecoaches in teams
Horses in the United States
• Colonists established plantations in southeastern United States in 1700s
• Plantation owners bred horses with smooth, comfortable gaits in order to survey large properties
Horses in the United States
• Horse racing arose as pastime
• 1730 - plantation owners started importing English racehorses
• 1750-1850 - large, heavy horses lugged Conestoga wagons between Pittsburgh & Philadelphia – Major type of freight transportation
Horses in the United States
• During latter part of nineteenth century, freight trains replaced wagons
• As West became settled & cattle ranches established, horses used to:– Herd– Move– Work cattle
Horses in the United States
• Tradition continues today
• Huge cattle drives of late nineteenth & early twentieth centuries now nonexistent
• Nonexistent due to advent of fencing & extensive transportation networks
Horses in the United States
• Pony Express began in 1861 as mail service
• Only operated for 18 months before telegraph communication caused it to be outmoded
Horses in the United States
• Riders would gallop horse hard for 10-15 miles before passing mail pouch to another rider on a different mount
• Mount - means of conveyance, such as a horse, on which to ride.
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Golden age from 1890s until agriculture became mechanized
• Everyone loved horses during this era
• Every town had livery stable, watering trough, & hitching posts
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Livery stable - boarding stable for horses or other animals
• Hitching posts - rails to which horses are tied
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Several industries associated with horses were fundamental parts of national economy
• Kids revered village blacksmith
• Blacksmith - person who trims & puts shoes on horse’s hooves
Growth and Decline of the Horse• Breed called bobtailed hackney owned the
streets– Bobtailed hackney - large horse used to pull
carriages
• Around 1900, only wealthy owned cars
• Only 8,000 cars
• Most people disliked cars & complained about noise
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• 1908 - everything changed when Henry Ford invented assembly line
• Produced car that sold for only $825
• Trucks, tractors, & better roads followed
• Days of working horse numbered
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• As automobile, truck, & tractor numbers increased, number of horses declined
• Highest number: – 1915 – 21,431,000 horses
• Lowest number – 1960 - 3,089,000 horses
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Manufacturing & commerce greatly affected rise & fall of horses
• During early growth phase of industry, numbers increased in order to transport:– Raw materials
– Manufactured commodities
– Agricultural products
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Eventually, trucks, tractors, & automobiles replaced them
• Resurgence of use of draft horses for:– Logging
– Carriage horses
– Small-scale & organic farming
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Horse numbers have increased in areas of recreation and sport
• Currently there are 6,931,000 horses in the United States
Growth and Decline of the Horse
Number of Horses & Participants By Activity
Activity # of Horses & Participants by
Activity
# of Participants
Racing 725,000 941,400
Showing 1,974,000 3,607,900
Recreation 2,970,000 4,346,100
Other 1,262,000 1,607,900
TOTAL 6,931,000 7,062,500
Growth and Decline of the Horse
• Largest number of horses:– Texas
– California
– Kentucky
• Breeds with the highest number:– Quarter Horse
– Thoroughbred
– Standardbred
Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
• Horse industry expanding
• Produces direct goods & services totaling $25.3 billion
• Impact of $112.1 billion on gross domestic product (GDP)
Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
• Racing, showing, & recreation contribute more than 25% of entire value of goods & services created by the industry
• Attendance at racetracks declined in recent years due to off-track betting & other types of gambling
– Attempting to draw crowds by combining racetracks & casinos
Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
• Many children and young adults participate in horse activities
• 4-H horse projects lead the way in the 4-H plant & animal project category
Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
• Forest Service employs horses as pack animals– Can travel into remote areas that no
vehicle can access
• Commonly seen in movies & parades
• Police use them to control crowds
Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
• Therapists put people with physical or mental challenges on horses to improve their:– Balance
– Coordination
– Thought processes
Future of the Horse Industry
• People often choose to spend leisure time on a horse or just around them
• Human interest in physical fitness & mental well-being also attract people to horses
Future of the Horse Industry
• Riding horses is a challenging physical activity
• Number of horses will hold steady or increase
• Periodic economic downturns tend to discourage breeders
Future of the Horse Industry
• Horse owners will continue to have problems with access to property & trails
• Urban & suburban expansion
• Development of rural “suburbs”
Summary
• Humans have had relationships with horses for thousands of years
• In the United States, horses were extremely influential in development of the country
Summary
• Ancestors first appeared in North America about 55 million years ago
• Spread to Europe & Asia where
• Historians believe Chinese were first to truly use horses productively
Summary
• 1493 - Columbus brought horses back to New World on his second voyage.
• Horses changed lives of the Indians as they could track & hunt buffalo over a greater territory
Summary
• Horses had golden age in United States from the 1890s until agriculture became mechanized
• As automobile, truck, & tractor numbers increased, number of horses declined
Summary
• Manufacturing & commerce greatly affected rise & fall of horses
• Horse industry is expanding
• Contributes significant amount to country’s GDP
ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDReproduction or redistribution of all, or part, of this
presentation without written permission is prohibited.
Instructional Materials Service
Texas A&M University
2588 TAMUS
College Station, Texas 77843-2588
http://www-ims.tamu.edu
2009