Where and When Were Horses First Domesticated

People did not originally domesticate horses to ride them. Many archaeologists argue that the remains of the first domesticated horses are from the Bronze Age, but newer evidence suggests that the date range is probably closer to the Copper Age, nearly a thousand years before. The debate hinges mainly on the operational definition of domestication.

  1. Features

    • Archaeological findings seem to indicate that the first domesticated horses were short, fuzzy, pack animals, similar to modern Shetland ponies.

    Considerations

    • The early Kazakh people lived in a harsh climate with long, icy winters. Horses, specifically the small breeds with "waterproof" coats, are far better adapted to such conditions than less-hardy animals, such as cows.

    Theories/Speculation

    • Archaeologists may have discovered evidence that in Kazakhstan about 3,500 B.C., some communities not only used horses as pack animals but also farmed, rode, ate and even milked them.

    Expert Insight

    • University of Exter zooarchaeologist Alan Outram identified horse fats in clay drinking pots excavated in Kazakhstan, proving that horse milk was once stored in them.

    Fun Fact

    • The first incontrovertible evidence that horses were being used for transportation was unearthed from the steppes of Kazakhstan in the early 1990s. Horses and chariots attributed to the ancient peoples of Sintashta-Petrovka were found buried together ritualistically.