Domestication Of The Horse

It is challenging to pinpoint the precise date of domestication of the horse. According to some studies, it occurred in the huge expanse of grasslands known as the Eurasian steppes, which stretches from Hungary and Romania to Mongolia, roughly 6,000 years ago. It was a turning point in human history because it made it possible for us to move and travel over far greater distances.

Although it wasn't until around 900 BC that the first mounted groups of nomad warriors from the steppes learned how to utilize weapons like swords and bows on horses that the horse had a lasting impact on the battlefield. The first people to use a horse in battle was the ancient Greeks, who may have been the source of all their tales about centaurs.

Before the invention of tanks and artillery, the horse ruled the battlefield for nearly 3,000 years, as shock cavalry superseded heavy infantry as the most feared units. Mounted cavalry and the strategies that surrounded it became the deciding element in most wars, from Mongolia to Egypt to Europe, as kingdoms or empires that relied on their infantry were swiftly conquered by the horses. The development of weapons and armor like the saddle, stirrup, and bridle increased their fighting potency.