Introduction

Horses are amazing animals and it’s hard to imagine a single child that has not at one time or another wanted to ride or own one.  They have captured our imagination and our hearts.  They have gone from work animals to companions.  Through time we have made the horse faster, stronger, bigger and smaller.  The ways we traveled, played, worked and fought wars have all been shaped by our use of the horse.

The Equus caballus has been around for over 50 million years and was domesticated over 6000 years ago.  We have created over 200 breeds and 400 types of horses.

It’s thought that horses were used initially around 3600 BC for milk and food.  The earliest evidence of use as beasts of burden (pulling chariots) is from Mesopotamia around 2000 BC and they were considered the ultimate weapon in war.  Horses were a huge advantage in battle.  In the Middle Ages the knights and the horses were covered in steel armor for protection.  The horses bred to carry these knights are still present today in the breeds Percherons, Friesians and the Shire horse.  Horses continued to define military tactics well into the 1900’s through World War I.

Horses are built for power.  People have used this power to clear forests, plant crops, herd cattle and drive machines.  However, horses are also swift, strong and sometimes unruly, but a spirited horse can be awe-inspiring, a running horse is seen as an expression of freedom (as seen in car advertisements) and a rearing horse as a symbol of power (the symbol for the Ferrari).  Because of the power and speed we have horseracing; due to their beauty we have competitions for the best conformation or best riding ability.  We ride with friends, with groups, we do trail rides, 100 mile rides and good old country road jogs. 

In the next updates to the website there will be articles concentrating on the Equine and the owner.  The articles will cover topics such as selecting your first horse and things to look for (good and bad) as well as things to consider, basic horse needs, farriers, dentistry, veterinary care, nutrition, horse diseases and illnesses, and much more.

Welcome to the Equine Care section of our website and keep checking for our updates. One of our goals is to get as many people as possible involved in some way with horses, be it spectator, owner, child, adult or business enterprise.  If you have any topics you would like to see discussed, please email us.