European settlers brought a variety of horses to the Americas. The first imports were smaller animals suited to the size restrictions imposed by ships. Starting in the mid-19th century, larger draft horses began to be imported, and by the 1880s, Read more…
The conquistadors who sailed to the New World had grown up on ranches and farms. They had ridden horses since their youth, and brought their finest animals with them. Did the conquistadors bring horses to America? Horses first returned to Read more…
Horses also represent war, strength, and power. Horses and mounted warriors have been partners for thousands of years and have clashed in bloody conflicts all over the world. War horses are mighty beasts who represent discipline, ferocity, strength, and violence. Read more…
The horses seen in the American West today are descended from a domesticated breed introduced from Europe, and are therefore a non-native species and not indigenous. Although many horse lineages evolved in North America, they went extinct approximately 11,400 years 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. Who Read more…
On average, horses from the Saxon and Norman periods (from the 5th through 12th centuries) were under 1.48 meters (4.9 feet) or 14 hands high – ponies by modern size standards. A hand is 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) and the Read more…
Allowing for the weight of the rider and other equipment, horses can carry approximately 30% of their weight; thus such loads could certainly be carried by a heavy riding horse in the 1,200 to 1,300 pounds (540 to 590 kg) Read more…
Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. What was the horse soldiers mission? ODA 595 was one of Read more…
In times of war, hamstringing an enemy’s horses prevented the horses from being used in fighting. What does hamstrung the horses mean? One weird little part in here is the hamstrung horses. Instead of killing the horses of their enemies, Read more…
Iberian warhorses were known for their speed and endurance, while Arabians were prized for their agility and stamina. Persian warhorses were considered the best of the best, and their bloodlines were highly prized by Alexander the Great and other military Read more…