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When Did Humans Domesticate the Horse? - Smithsonian Magazine
Only recently have scientists discovered exactly when and where the animal went from wild to tame
They say dogs are man’s best friend, but horses could also claim that title.Horses gave us a way to transport people and goods — literal horsepower. They changed warfare: drawing chariots, carrying the cavalry. They’ve inspired artists from Stone Age cave painters to the makers of “My Little Pony.” Their role in industry may have waned in favor of machines, but they still maintain a place in sport, in leisure and in our collective hearts. Horses have been intertwined with human culture since at least 2000 B.C.E. and were associated with certain human groups even earlier.
“Horses are the animal that has changed history,” says Ludovic Orlando, a molecular archaeologist at the University of Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier in France.