Researchers believe they have identified skeletons of prehistoric horsemen in south-eastern Europe. The locomotion on horseback could therefore be even older than was previously assumed.
There is hardly an animal that has influenced human history as much as the horse. Sure, domesticating wolves gave man shelter, domesticating sheep gave him wool and milk, but domesticating horses? It led people into a new high-speed age. Cultural exchange and the transportation of goods accelerated significantly after horses became available as mounts. Migrating people could travel longer distances in less time. Last but not least, horses turned warfare upside down. But when and where man began to ride horses is unclear.