Horses and their arrival on the Plains

The wild horse (Equus ferus) is a species of the genus Equus, which includes both the domesticated horse subspecies as well as the undomesticated Tarpan and the Przewalski's Horse. The Tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, and the Przewalski's Horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced successfully to the wild.



Prewalski's Horse- click here for more information

The most likely ancestor of the domestic horse was the Tarpan, which roamed the steppes of Eurasia at the time of domestication. Since the extinction of the Tarpan, attempts have been made to reconstruct the phenotype of the Tarpan, resulting in horse breeds such as the Konik and Heck horse. However, the genetic makeup and foundation bloodstock of those breeds is substantially derived from domesticated horses, and therefore these breeds possess domesticated traits.

The term "wild horse" is also used colloquially to refer to free roaming herds of feral horses such as the Mustang in the United States, the Brumby in Australia, and many others.


The Brumby Horse, Australia

These feral horses are untamed members of the domestic horse subspecies (Equus ferus caballus), and should not be confused with the two truly "wild" horse subspecies.

The arrival of the horse on the American Plains

The arrival of the horse on the Plains radically altered the lives of the native Americans. Hunting methods, travel, the siting of camps, tribal territory and many other aspects of life were never to be the same again. Many tribes that had lived in permanent villages for part of the year, took up their tipis and became travellers.

The Indians valued and admired these horses. The task of caring for them was given to young boys and young men. In the spring and summer the horses were free to roam wild and feed on the prairies. In winter they were brought closer to the camp and were fed and looked after, but never imprisoned.



Coming tomorrow: The Pony Express