As we learn from Big History, we humans and our environment—especially plants and animals—have developed together. But we don’t often think about history from the point of view of the species who have evolved alongside us. This article is written from the point of view of one of those species: the horse. Let’s ride!

A horse’s point of view

For most of our history, we horses lived without humans. But like many other species in the world, our story really changed when humans began to spread around the world. Like dogs and corn, we were a species that humans domesticated on purpose. Other plants and animals—and even fungi—spread and changed themselves to take advantage of humans. Some developed to infect humans, like lots of bacteria and viruses. But the relationship between horses and humans has generally been more mutually beneficial.

Our ancient ancestors

We horses haven’t always looked the way we do today. Our story begins over 50 million years ago, in the Eocene Epoch, long after the dinosaurs had vanished. Back then, our earliest known ancestor, Eohippus, lived in dense forests. She was small—only about the size of a fox. She had four toes on each front foot and three on the back, and ate soft flowers, leaves, and fruit. Life in the forest was about staying quiet, moving quickly, and watching out for predators. We horses didn’t roar or fight. We ran to escape danger. Fast.

As Earth’s climate shifted and continents drifted, those thick forests gave way to open grasslands. And we had to change. Through evolution, we became bigger and faster. Our multiple toes fused into single strong hooves, perfect for running across the plains. Our teeth changed, too—no longer good for soft leaves, they became strong and ridged, great for chewing tough grasses. Our brains also grew, helping us detect danger, remember paths, and move together in herds. Evolution shaped us into the grazing, galloping creatures you know today.

We ran wild across North America, Asia, and Europe. But something unusual happened around 5,500 years ago on the grassy steppes of Central Asia. There, a group of humans began to interact with our wild ancestors. At first, they probably hunted us. But soon, they began to domesticate us, to raise and selectively breed us for their own use.

This moment changed both of our stories forever.

Domestication

At first, humans used us for meat and milk, just as they did other big grass-eating animals, like sheep and cattle. But then they discovered that our speed and strength could help them travel and carry heavy loads. Humans invented special equipment to help them ride us. They made bits out of pieces of wood or metal, which they placed in our mouths. The bits had leather straps attached to them—reins—which they used to direct us. These were developed around 3500 to 3000 BCE, somewhere near modern Kazakhstan. Saddles, which gave humans stability when sitting on our backs, developed around 700 BCE in the same region. Around 300 CE, Chinese society developed stirrups, which allowed riders to put their feet into holders and thus be more secure.

All this technology made us very useful indeed. With our aid, humans could travel farther and faster than ever before. Our partnership made it easier to herd other animals, connect distant villages, and carry goods across great distances. Humans didn’t just use us—they relied on us.

We helped launch some of the most powerful states in human history. In Mesopotamia, we pulled chariots and plows. In Egypt, we carried pharaohs and warriors. The Persians used us to send messages across vast empires. The Greeks trained us for sport, and the Romans used us in war and for transport and agriculture. On the Silk Roads—a massive network of trade routes across Asia—we helped carry silk, spices, ideas, and even diseases from one civilization to another. In all these cases, we were more than animals. We were engines of history.

But not all humans treated us the same way. Some trained us gently, listened to our signals, and cared for our needs. Others pushed us too hard or used cruel tools. Still, we adapted, and many of us stayed loyal. Our memories are strong, and we learn fast—traits that made us trusted partners.

Changing the world

As humans moved, we moved with them—and we changed the world again. We were once native to North America but went extinct there about 10,000 years ago. Scientists still argue about why; maybe climate change, maybe overhunting. But we returned in 1493, brought by Spanish explorers like Christopher Columbus. The explorers carried horses to aboard their ships and we spread rapidly across the Americas.

At first, the Spanish use of horses gave them a huge advantage in conquering Indigenous American societies. However, many Indigenous peoples—especially on the Great Plains of North America—quickly saw our value. People like the Comanche, Lakota, and Blackfoot became expert horse riders. We helped them hunt bison more efficiently, travel more widely, and protect their communities. Together, we reshaped life on the continent in just a few generations.

Over thousands of years, we’ve served humans in almost every corner of the world. In Mongolia, we carried warriors under Genghis Khan. In India, we marched in royal parades. In medieval Europe, we pulled plows, carried knights into battle, and moved goods from town to town. In West Africa, where terrain made wheeled carts difficult, we were status symbols and tools of empire.

Wherever we went, we changed the way humans lived, worked, and connected.

New roles

The 1800s brought a new change—industrialization. Steam engines, cars, and machines began to replace us. Trains—which many humans started to call iron horses—were able to carry many more people than horses could. Tractors could plow faster. We weren’t needed as much. Millions of us disappeared from cities and farms.

Still, we did not vanish. Today, we help in different ways. Some of us are therapy animals, helping people with disabilities or trauma. Others compete in sports or races. Many work with police or appear in ceremonial events. Children learn to ride us in camps and ranches, where we teach balance, confidence, and care. And in some places—like Mongolia, Patagonia, and parts of the American West—we are still important for transportation and herding.

Some of us even returned to the wild. In the American West, you might see mustangs—descendants of Spanish horses—roaming free. In the grasslands of Asia, Przewalski’s horses—a rare wild species—still gallop under open skies. These horses remind us that even after thousands of years of partnership, we are still animals of the Earth.

Conclusion

When you study Big History, you learn about how energy, environment, and cooperation change across time. The story of our relationship with humans includes all three. We gave humans new energy to move, farm, and fight. We responded to environmental changes—from forests to grasslands to cities. And our relationship with humans is a story of cooperation—sometimes fair, sometimes difficult, but always powerful.

So, if you ever meet one of us, remember that you’re looking at a fellow traveler. Not just in space, but in time. We carried your ancestors. We fought your wars. We worked your farms. And we’re still here, helping tell the story of Earth and its people.