1. The Influence of Horses on Our Society
IMS #8890-A

2. Objectives Explain the early history of the horse
Describe the origin of the horse and its arrival into the United States

3. Objectives
Discuss the growth and decline of horses in the United States
Explain the current status of the horse industry
Discuss the future of the horse industry

4. Overview Humans - relationships with horses for thousands of years
Originally used as food source
Eventually used for military, agriculture, commerce, recreation, & sport

5. Overview
United States - extremely influential in development of country
During the settlement of the West, horses pulled families in wagons
People used horses for transportation, handling livestock, & carrying mail

6. Overview
Utilization of horses as power source declined after onset of mechanization
People still employ them as source of power
Draft horses or mules appropriate for small farms & selective cutting of forests

7. Overview More economical
Do less harm to the environment than tractors & other mechanical equipment
Mule - cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey (jack)

8. Early History of the Horse
Ancestors first appeared in North America 55 million years ago
Spread to Asia & Europe
First horse was Hyracotherium
More commonly known as eohippus
“Dawn horse”

9. Early History of the Horse
Size of large dog & had four toes on front feet & three toes on rear feet
Legs were thin, neck short, & teeth could chew tender leaves

10. Early History of the Horse
Modern humans first appeared in Africa approximately 130,000 years ago
Horses had evolved to current form of genus Equus
Evolved - having moved through process of a continuous change from simpler state to higher, more complex state

11. Early History of the Horse
Humans first domesticated horses in Asia 5,000 years ago
Domesticated - tamed or gentled for any use by man
Historians believe Chinese were first to use horses productively
Rather than keeping herds for food

12. Early History of the Horse
Humans began to successfully exploit horses for war
Led to first serious scholarship of equitation
Greek horseman, general, & scholar, Xenephon wrote book about training & riding horses
Advice written is as good today as it was when written in fourth century B.C.

13. Horses in the United States
8,000 years ago - horses disappeared from North America
Reason unknown
Some think they died out because of some sort of contagious disease or parasite

14. Horses in the United States
Others believe combination of climatic change, competition from other species, & failure to adapt may have contributed to the mysterious disappearance of the species from the continent

15. Horses in the United States
Columbus brought horses back to New World second voyage
West Indies in the Caribbean Ocean
Conquistadors conveyed them to mainland of South America & Mexico

16. Horses in the United States
Cortez conquered Mexico in 1519, with aid of Spanish horses
First horses to enter U.S. came with de Soto
Explored terrain extending from Florida Everglades to Missouri Ozark Mountains

17. Horses in the United States
In 1540, Coronado guided expedition of soldiers from Mexico into Great Plains
Some horses in North America originated from Spanish missions

18. Horses in the United States
Catholic missions stretched from eastern coast of Mexico to Pacific coast
Missionaries brought other farm animals such as:
Cows
Sheep
Goats

19. Horses in the United States
Possible these were foundation stock of first horses of American Indians & wild horses that exist in the American West
Foundation stock - original animals of a breed
Also possible they originated from stray & abandoned horses of de Soto & Coronado

20. Horses in the United States
Horses changed lives of Indians
Could track & hunt buffalo over greater territory
European colonists transported powerful workhorses to New England
Pulling plows
Riding
Pulled stagecoaches in teams

21. Horses in the United States
Colonists established plantations in southeastern United States in 1700s
Plantation owners bred horses with smooth, comfortable gaits in order to survey large properties

22. Horses in the United States
Horse racing arose as pastime
plantation owners started importing English racehorses
large, heavy horses lugged Conestoga wagons between Pittsburgh & Philadelphia
Major type of freight transportation

23. Horses in the United States
During latter part of nineteenth century, freight trains replaced wagons
As West became settled & cattle ranches established, horses used to:
Herd
Move
Work cattle

24. Horses in the United States
Tradition continues today
Huge cattle drives of late nineteenth & early twentieth centuries now nonexistent
Nonexistent due to advent of fencing & extensive transportation networks

25. Horses in the United States
Pony Express began in 1861 as mail service
Only operated for 18 months before telegraph communication caused it to be outmoded

26. Horses in the United States
Riders would gallop horse hard for miles before passing mail pouch to another rider on a different mount
Mount - means of conveyance, such as a horse, on which to ride.

27. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Golden age from 1890s until agriculture became mechanized
Everyone loved horses during this era
Every town had livery stable, watering trough, & hitching posts

28. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Livery stable - boarding stable for horses or other animals
Hitching posts - rails to which horses are tied

29. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Several industries associated with horses were fundamental parts of national economy
Kids revered village blacksmith
Blacksmith - person who trims & puts shoes on horse’s hooves

30. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Breed called bobtailed hackney owned the streets
Bobtailed hackney - large horse used to pull carriages
Around 1900, only wealthy owned cars
Only 8,000 cars
Most people disliked cars & complained about noise

31. Growth and Decline of the Horse
everything changed when Henry Ford invented assembly line
Produced car that sold for only $825
Trucks, tractors, & better roads followed
Days of working horse numbered

32. Growth and Decline of the Horse
As automobile, truck, & tractor numbers increased, number of horses declined
Highest number:
1915 – 21,431,000 horses
Lowest number
,089,000 horses

33. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Manufacturing & commerce greatly affected rise & fall of horses
During early growth phase of industry, numbers increased in order to transport:
Raw materials
Manufactured commodities
Agricultural products

34. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Eventually, trucks, tractors, & automobiles replaced them
Resurgence of use of draft horses for:
Logging
Carriage horses
Small-scale & organic farming

35. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Horse numbers have increased in areas of recreation and sport
Currently there are 6,931,000 horses in the United States

36. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Number of Horses & Participants By Activity
Activity
# of Horses & Participants by Activity
# of Participants
Racing
725,000
941,400
Showing
1,974,000
3,607,900
Recreation
2,970,000
4,346,100
Other
1,262,000
1,607,900
TOTAL
6,931,000
7,062,500

37. Growth and Decline of the Horse
Largest number of horses:
Texas
California
Kentucky
Breeds with the highest number:
Quarter Horse
Thoroughbred
Standardbred

38. Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
Horse industry expanding
Produces direct goods & services totaling $25.3 billion
Impact of $112.1 billion on gross domestic product (GDP)

39. Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
Racing, showing, & recreation contribute more than 25% of entire value of goods & services created by the industry
Attendance at racetracks declined in recent years due to off-track betting & other types of gambling
Attempting to draw crowds by combining racetracks & casinos

40. Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
Many children and young adults participate in horse activities
4-H horse projects lead the way in the 4-H plant & animal project category

41. Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
Forest Service employs horses as pack animals
Can travel into remote areas that no vehicle can access
Commonly seen in movies & parades
Police use them to control crowds

42. Current Status of the Horse Industry in the United States
Therapists put people with physical or mental challenges on horses to improve their:
Balance
Coordination
Thought processes

43. Future of the Horse Industry
People often choose to spend leisure time on a horse or just around them
Human interest in physical fitness & mental well-being also attract people to horses

44. Future of the Horse Industry
Riding horses is a challenging physical activity
Number of horses will hold steady or increase
Periodic economic downturns tend to discourage breeders

45. Future of the Horse Industry
Horse owners will continue to have problems with access to property & trails
Urban & suburban expansion
Development of rural “suburbs”

46. Summary
Humans have had relationships with horses for thousands of years
In the United States, horses were extremely influential in development of the country

47. Summary
Ancestors first appeared in North America about 55 million years ago
Spread to Europe & Asia where
Historians believe Chinese were first to truly use horses productively

48. Summary
Columbus brought horses back to New World on his second voyage.
Horses changed lives of the Indians as they could track & hunt buffalo over a greater territory

49. Summary
Horses had golden age in United States from the 1890s until agriculture became mechanized
As automobile, truck, & tractor numbers increased, number of horses declined

50. Summary
Manufacturing & commerce greatly affected rise & fall of horses
Horse industry is expanding
Contributes significant amount to country’s GDP

51. Instructional Materials Service College Station, Texas 77843-2588
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2009