The horse in human history by anthropologist pita kelekna is a mind altering book it describes our turbulent 6000 year relationship with domesticated horses few readers were raised in tribes of nomadic pastoralists. Of the animals which have captured the imagination of humans the horse as pita kelenkna describes is surely the aristocrat this introductory course begins some 55 million years ago with a brief visit to the rise of the dawn horse then traces the evolutionary path of equus to the modern day horse we will spend time on the pontic caspian steppes around 6000 years ago as the likely region where modern horses were first domesticated. Throughout history the horse has occupied a powerful place in the emotional spiritual and daily lives of human beings. The horse in human history the horse is surely the aristocrat of animals domesticated by man this book documents the origins of horse domestication on the pontic caspian steppes some 6000 years ago and the consequent migration of equestrian tribes across eurasia to the borders of sedentary states horse chariotry