Over 50 million years, horses evolved in North America, and they were forest-dwelling herbivores that were no bigger than a Beagle. In this article, we will tell you about the Origin of Horses.

The ancestors and descendants of the modern horse crossed the Bering Strait from Eurasia around 10,000 years ago, and the humans then domesticated them.

All continents are home to horses, except Antarctica and the Arctic. Wild horses prefer open grasslands and plenty of grazing. Domesticated horses, on the other hand, live in stables or pastures.

There are approximately 60 million horses worldwide, and most of them live with humans.

Wild and domesticated horses are discussed in this article.

Real Wild horse species have vanished. 

Before moving on, we must dispel the common misconception about “wild horses.” Most people would say that free-roaming horses with little or no interaction with humankind are “wild.” But this is inaccurate since the actual wild animal was never domesticated during its evolutionary history.

What is often called wild horses in the present are descendants of domesticated predecessors. The correct term to describe this animal can be “feral.”

Until recently, it was believed the horses of Przewalski’s from Mongolia were the only wild horses still around. However, researchers at Kansas University disproved this assumption in the year 2018.

The investigation concluded that Przewalski’s horses originate from the first domestication incident, which took place 5500 years ago.

According to Sandra Olsen and her colleagues, the horses of Przewalski’s ancestors were domesticated and bred by the Botai people from northern Kazakhstan. Thus, similar to the Mustangs of America, Przewalski’s horses count as “feral” instead of “wild.”

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Wild Horses 

A fascinating fact regarding horses is that after they have been released, they can quickly go to their original way of life. There are between eight and twelve individuals in a wild herd.

In their instincts, horses seek open grasslands to easily spot predators approaching.

If you take a closer look at the horses, you’ll see that they are perfectly adapted to living on the open plains. They have legs that are long and end in a single hoof and no collarbone, which permits the ten horses to dash. Furthermore, their eyes moved toward the side of their head, allowing the illusion of 360-degree vision.

The anatomy of the horse’s internal organs is also indicative of their diet and their lifestyle. Horses have an extensive and complex digestive system, with a considerable cecum that allows them to digest and break down grass. Furthermore, their large lungs and hearts assist them in escaping from predators.

Feral Horses

As previously mentioned, wild horses roam the countryside unaffected by humans but come from domesticated horses that their ancestors domesticated. Horses in their natural environment but interacting with humans occasionally are known as “semi-feral.”

A large number of wild horses live in North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Wild horses used to be part of humans and were later released or freed to form herds of free-living animals.

Today, wild horses can be everywhere. There are many countries with one or more herds roaming freely.

The most famous wild breeds of horses are the American Mustangs, their Australian Brumbies, the Namib Desert Horse, and the Welsh Pony.

In reality, Australia has by far the most significant population of wild horses around the globe. More than 400000 Brumbies roam across the continent, primarily unaffected by humans.

It is also worth noting that the United States also has a large population of feral horses, with 86,000 Mustangs still roaming the fields and more than 50,000 being held in facilities.

Domestic Horses

According to researchers, horses have been with us for over 5500 years. In that time, we’ve devised ways to keep, care for and train them so they can lead happy lives with us.

The horse’s environment usually consists of stables, fields with paddocks, and fences. Stables are typically 12’x12 enclosures in barns, as well as a tack area, as well as washroom, feed area along with other facilities.

In the daytime, when the weather is nice, horses are generally taken out to paddocks or fields of grass. According to the general rule, about 1 acre is needed for sustaining one horse.

The fields must always have water sources and an area where horses can hide from the elements, like trees or an indoor stable.

A healthy housekeeping practice involves re-creating the horse’s natural habitat as close as possible. The wild horses reside in herds, with access to the grazing. So, it is not a good idea to let a horse go on its own or keep them in a confined space for prolonged durations of time.

Largest Number of Horses

Horses are present in almost all corners of the world, but they’re not evenly distributed across the globe. Generally, countries with mild climates have more horses than those with extreme cold or hot temperatures.

China is home to the most significant number of horses in the world, with an estimated horse population of 7.9 million. The United States follows it with 7.2 million, Mexico with 6.2 million, and Brazil with 5.9 million horses.

However, other countries like Greenland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria have 0 to 50.000 horses.

It is interesting to note that one particular country has roughly equal numbers of the number of horses and humans! Because horses play a significant part in Mongolian lifestyle and culture and are an essential resource for families of all kinds.

Mongolia is home to three million or more horses and 3.3 million people, which means there’s a horse for almost every person in Mongolia!

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