Early horse ancestors were originally specialized for tropical forests, while modern horses are now adapted to life on drier land. Successive fossils show the evolution of teeth shapes and foot and leg anatomy to a grazing habit with adaptations for escaping predators. Why is the fossil evidence of the evolution Read more…
Foods fed to horses in the 19th century consisted of turnips, potatoes, parsnips, sugar beet, mangel-wurzel (beets), carrots and yams. These root vegetables were all boiled or steamed before feeding with the exception of the carrot, and mostly fed in the winter months. What did people feed horses in the Read more…
“The horse is a powerful spiritual entity in Cree culture,” writes Chief Dwayne of One Arrow First Nation, “The horse gives us strength and symbolizes freedom.” The horse, or mistatim which literally translates as ‘Big Dog’ in the Cree language, has a special place of honor in the cultural heritage Read more…
Horses remained the primary source of power for agriculture, mining, transport and warfare, until the arrival of the steam engine. What were horses used for in the 1900s? By 1900, most farmers used draft horses for hard labor. The 1,800 pound animals plowed the fields for corn and oats, planted Read more…
On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus brought the Iberian horse to the Americas. Every subsequent expedition also contained Iberians in its Cargo. Breeding farms were established in the Caribbean to provide mounts for the Conquistadors as they explored and settled the New World. What type of horse did Read more…
Conquering the Aztecs These native tribes viewed horses as mystical, powerful, and even spiritual beasts. The novelty of these creatures was not only awe-inspiring, but also quite fear-provoking. What did the Aztecs call horses? stagsAll I could find were Aztec accounts which simply called the Spanish soldiers “soldiers” and their Read more…
Draft horses’ tails are cut short, “docked” to prevent their tails from interfering with the rigging of carriages or other equipment they pull. Docking is also used for cosmetic purposes, to keep the rear clean, and to make it easier to harness a horse. What happens if you cut a Read more…
How to Keep a Horse’s Tail Long & Beautiful Feeding. A malnourished or undernourished horse cannot grow a long, healthy tail. Brushing. Use a dandy brush to remove sawdust and other particles from the dock of the tail at least once or twice a day. Conditioning. Bagging. Banging. How can Read more…
In 1493, on Christopher Columbus’ second voyage to the Americas, Spanish horses, representing E. Christopher Columbus, were brought back to North America, first to the Virgin Islands; they were introduced to the continental mainland by Hernán Cortés in 1519. How did they bring horses to America? In the late 1400s, Read more…
The earliest known domesticated horses were both ridden and milked according to a new report published in the March 6, 2009 edition of the journal Science. The findings by an international team of archaeologists could point to the very beginnings of horse domestication and help explain its early impacts on Read more…