Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1883 — The Home of the Horse. [ARTICLE]

The Home of the Horse.

There, can be no doubt that the original home of the horse is not Europe, but Central Asia; for, since the horse in its natural state depends upon grass for its nourishment and fleetness for its weapon, it could not in the beginning have thriven and multiplied in the thick forest-grown territory of Europe, much rather should its place of propagation be sought in those steppes where it still roams about in a wild state. Here, too, arose the first nations of riders of which we have historic knowledge, the Mongolians and the Turks, whose existence even at this day is as it were combined with that of the horse. From these regions the horse spread in all directions, especially into the steppes of Southern and Southeastern Russia and Thrace, until it finally found entrance into other parts of Europe, but not until after the immigration of the people. This assumption is, at least, strongly favored by the fact that the further a district of Europe is from these Asiatic srteppes, L e., from the home of the horse, the later does the tamed horse seem to have made its historic appearance. The supposition is further confirmed by the fact that horse-raising among almost every tribe appears as an art derived from neighboring tribes in the East and Northeast. Even in Homer the ox appears exclusively as the draft animal in land operation at home and in the field, while the horse was used for purposes of war only. Its employment in military operations was determined by swiftness alone. That the value of the horse must originally have depended on its fleetness, can easily be inferred from the name, which is repeated in all the branches of the Indo-European language, and signifies nearly “hastening,” “quick.” The same fact is exemplified by the descriptions of the oldest poets, who next to its courage, speak most of its swiftness.— Popular Science Monthly.