Horses Changed History

The close relationship between horses and humans has changed us both. People have remade horses, creating dozens of breeds in our efforts to make horses faster, stronger, bigger or smaller. But horses have also changed us. The ways we fight wars, work, travel, trade and play, have all been profoundly shaped by our use of horses. The galleries that follow provide a glimpse into the countless ways that horses have transformed human societies around the world.

Work

Horses are built for power. Their muscular bodies are heavier in front than in back, making them well balanced to pull heavy loads. Yet they can also be agile and quick—fit to carry out difficult tasks at top speed.

For more than a thousand years, people have called on the power of horses to achieve their own ends. Horses have cleared forests, plowed land, herded cattle and driven machines. Over time, horses bred for different jobs have become heavier, stronger or more flexible. As people have shaped horses, horses and humans working together have shaped the world in remarkable ways.

Pulling Their Weight

Efficient, steam-powered fire engines weighing 3 or 4 tons were introduced in the mid-1800s. Horses were used to haul these heavy vehicles — and became the stars of the firefighting team.

The E.B. Eddy and J.R. Booth lumber companies jointly owned this horse-
drawn fire engine. It was used to fight the great Ottawa-Hull fire of April 1900.