The Horse's Vital Role in the History of Civilization and Conquest

You may have learned in school that there weren't any horses in the Americas when the Europeans invaded 500 years ago. While that is true, equines actually originated in the Americas millions of years ago and then spread to the rest of the world. The wild horses of the New World died out around 10,000 years ago. Meanwhile, Central Asian civilizations were busy breeding and domesticating horses. That's just the beginning of the long journey horses took from running wild to their role today as draft animals, racers, transportation, and beloved pets. This TED-Ed lessons tells us how horses were the secret weapon for invading and conquering nations all around the world, and therefore had quite a hand in shaping human history. (via Digg)