Were horses brought to Europe form the Americas, or did they originally exist there?

Question

I'm learning about the Industrial Revolution in class, and I wanted to know if they were part of the exchange. Thanks.

Answer 1

Horses are native to Africa but spread throughout the entire contiguous landmass of Africa, Europe and Asia. they were rather a surprise to the native Americans when the foreigners came riding in on them.

Answer 2

No, the modern horse is native to Asia and Europe. Two different species have been domesticated. The European forest horse was the ancestor of heavy horses such as draught horses, shire horses and the charger of medieval times. Saddle horses are from central Asia and reached Europe via the Arabs. Horses lived in America in prehistoric times but had died out before Europeans arrived.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Were horses brought to Europe form the Americas, or did they originally exist there?
I'm learning about the Industrial Revolution in class, and I wanted to know if they were part of the exchange. Thanks.

Answer 4

I found this on the internet for you.

What is the origin of the horse?

The animal that we know today as the horse appeared first on the North American continent about 55 million years ago with its four-toed ancestor, Eohippus, meaning “dawn horse.” This small animal was about the size of a fox and made its home in swamplands, feeding off plant life.

Eohippus slowly evolved into Mesohippus, the size of an average collie. Mesohippus had three toes and eventually became an inhabitant of the prairie. Its shape changed as its habitat changed: it grew taller, its teeth and middle toe grew longer and eventually became a hoof. The evolution continued until Equus caballus—the horse as we know it today—was formed.

When were horses domesticated?

The horse was probably first domesticated about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago in the region of the Black Sea of Asia. Once man learned to tame them, horses served a variety of purposes. For centuries man traveled no faster than a horse could run. Horses carried the conquering armies of entire civilizations across the old world. (The entire Mongol Empire of Ghengis and Kubla Khan was made possible only by the horse.) In Europe the horse was soon hitched to the plow to expand society’s agricultural capabilities.

How did horses get to North America?

As the horse evolved, it first appeared on the grass lands of the North American continent. But for reasons that scientists still don’t understand, horses began wandering off North America about 10 million years ago. They began their journey across the Bering Straits (west of Alaska) into Asia, and continued across the Iranian Plateau of the Middle East and as far as Europe and northern Africa. By about 10 thousand years ago, no more horses remained on the North American continent.

The reintroduction of the horses into the Americas began in 1519 when Cortez came from Spain. As more and more settlers from Spain and other European countries came, they brought horses with them and returned these animals to their native land after a 10,000-year journey around the world.

Answer 5

Other way around: Horses went from Europe to America with Cortez (the south at least.) Boy were those Aztecs suprised......

Answer 6

The horses in America were hunted to extinction until they came over with the Spanish.

Answer 7

Horses were brought by the Spanish explorers way before the Industrial Revolution.

Answer 8

This has been answered many times before

Answer 9

They were introduce from Spain

Answer 10

horses
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