Where does the horse come from?

There are several theories regarding the domestication of horses, and recently a new one has emerged, that overturns previous beliefs and is currently regarded as the most plausible. Before exploring it, let’s first review the other theories.

The Indo-European Hypothesis (also known as the "Kurgan Hypothesis") was long the leading theory. It proposed that horse domestication took place around the 4th millennium BCE by the Yamnaya people in the western steppes of Asia and the Black Sea region. Horses were believed to have facilitated greater mobility, contributing to the spread of Proto-Indo-European languages and cultures throughout Eurasia. This theory was supported by evidence such as horse remains, possible postholes for fencing, and pottery fragments with traces of horse fat found at Yamnaya archaeological sites. However, recent DNA studies on ancient horse remains have disproven this theory, revealing that Yamnaya horses were not the ancestors of modern domestic horses.

The Botai Culture. This theory was based on archaeological findings from Botai culture sites in Kazakhstan, dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. These sites revealed large quantities of horse bones and postholes, possibly for fence structures. Additionally, many of the horses had tooth wear patterns suggesting the use of bridles. However, genetic analysis showed that Botai horses were not the ancestors of modern domestic horses but rather if the Przewalski's horse, a wild species that has never been domesticated. Przewalski's horse, also known as takhi, is a rare, endangered wild horse native to the steppes of Central Asia.

New Theory. The most recent evidence suggests that horse domestication took place in the steppes around the Black Sea, but much later than the Kurgan Hypothesis had proposed. Genomic studies now indicate that the first domestic horses appeared just before 2000 BCE, meaning humans have been riding horses for just over 4,000 ears—a far shorter timespan than earlier theories had proposed.