The sound is unmistakable: the thundering hooves of a running
horse. Horses have been racing across the landscape for more
than 50 million years—much longer than our own species has
existed. But once horses and humans encountered each other, our
two species became powerfully linked. Humans domesticated horses
some 6,000 years ago, and over time, we have created more than
200 breeds, from the powerful Clydesdale to the graceful
Arabian. As we have shaped horses to suit our needs on
battlefields, farms, and elsewhere, these animals have shaped
human history. They have also captured our imagination and
hearts. Millions of people rely on horses as their spirited,
dedicated, much adored companions. Imagine a world in which
horses of all colors, shapes, and sizes roamed the world, some
barely larger than a small dog. How did the relationship between
horses and people begin? No one knows precisely, but prehistoric
evidence from western Europe tells part of the story. Today,
very few horses are found in the wild--the