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History of The Use Of The Horse
Domestication of the horse. Though there is
controversy over the exact date horses were domesticated and when
they were first ridden; the best estimate is that horses first
were ridden approximately 4500 BC. Indirect evidence suggests
that horses were ridden long before they were driven. There is
some evidence that about 6,000 years ago, near the Dneiper River
and the Don River, people were using bits on horses, as a
stallion that was buried there shows teeth wear consistent with
using a bit. However, the most unequivocal early archaeological
evidence of equines put to working use was of horses being
driven. Chariot burials about 2500 BC present the most direct
hard evidence of horses used as working animals. In ancient times
chariot warfare was followed by the use of war horses as light
and heavy cavalry. The horse played an important role throughout
human history all over the world, both in warfare and in peaceful
pursuits such as transportation, trade and agriculture. Horses
lived in North America, but died out at the end of the Ice Age.
Horses were brought back to North America by European explorers,
beginning with the second voyage of Columbus in 1493.
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