Horse Heroes: From Mythology To Wars, The Pride Of Four-legged Heroes

Historically, humans and horses have a long relationship. Culturally, socially, and economically, horses have played an important role and made great contributions to human lives. From the battles of Kurukshetra and Rome to Cavalry and Polo, the majestic shiny horses have paved their path to royal castles since the beginning of human civilization. Horses were closer to humans than dogs in early times due to their intelligence, virtue and, affectional characteristics. Horses are great workers too, and that is another reason why they became close friends with humans. They were the fastest mode of transportation, which helped humans in migration and development. They were useful in agriculture, hunting and trading.?

The relationship between humans and horses can be traced as long as 5,000 years back. The genetic maps reveal that in Bronze Age Europe and Asia, domesticating and breeding of horses evolved, bringing the two species even closer. After domesticating horses, humans used them for various reasons, that includes milk consumption, transportation, trade, and chariots. In modern history, the use of horses extended to cavalry, sports, wars and even as a social symbol for rich and powerful people.?

Horses In Popular Cultures And Mythologies

The written introduction of horses can be traced in the oldest religious book - the Rigved. Rigved mentions horses several times and pictures them as important characters. The Hindu twin gods - Ashvini Kumaras are depicted as half-horse men and played an important role in Hindu mythology. Another important character is Hayagreeva, mentioned in several textbooks, including Bhagwat Puran and Mahabharat, who is depicted as a half-horse God. Symbolically, Ashvini Kumars and Hayagreeva represent wisdom and power. They are associated with medicine, health, warship, power, and wisdom. The Sun god in Hinduism is depicted riding a chariot with Seven horses. In other popular cultures, the Sun god is described riding a chariot, which includes Norse and Greek mythologies too.?

In Islam, horses are mentioned several times. Training and riding horses have a deeper link to Islam.?

“And (He created) the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and (as) adornment. And He creates that which you do not know” (Quran: Chapter 16, Verse 8)

Several other mythologies mention the horse as a deity or companion of God. In Norse mythology, árvakr are the horses which pull the Sun. In Greek Mythology, Pegasus is another horse god, a famous character who died at the hands of Zeus for trying to reach Olympus. Chinese mythology also mentions many important horse characters, including Longma, which is referred to as Dragon Horse. Other characters are Buddhist White Horse and Horse-face. Horse-face are two guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology. They are also mentioned in Japanese Horse Heroes: From Mythology To Wars, The Pride Of Four-legged Heroesand Vietnamese mythology.

Horse In Modern Society

Before the invention of cars, horses were the only fastest mode of transportation. They were also subject to a social symbol of the elite class. Modern humans used horses for hunting, wars, transportation and sports. Though horses have been largely used in wars, the first major contribution of horses was acknowledged greatly during WWI. The military used horses largely for logistical support; as they could easily travel through deep mud and over rough terrain. The military used horses for carrying messengers, pulling artillery and even used them as ambulances. Between 1914 and 1917 around 1,000 horses were sent from the United States by ship every day. It is estimated that eight million horses perished during the Great War alone. As per an article published in History, the British army possessed a mere 25,000 horses in 1914. The War Office was given the urgent task of sourcing half a million more to go into battle.?

In the modern time period, horses play a significant role in sports too. Though the history of Equestrianism dates back to over 3000 BC, equestrian events were first included in the modern Olympic Games in 1900. However, sports such as Polo date back to between the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD. There are dozens of horse sports listed in modern days sports events, including Rodeo, Show Jumping, Jereed and Horse Racing.

In India, seeing a decorated horse at weddings is a common sight. For centuries, Indians have been using horses in weddings, where the groom takes a ride in the back of a horse to the wedding venue. The use of horses or carriages can be seen in many other cultures outside India. In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used a Horse-Drawn Carriage for their wedding.

Horses and Humans have a long history and their relationship is even older than a dogs-humans duo. Their contribution to human lives has a great impact on development, culture and lifestyle.?Their contribution to human lives has a great impact on development, culture and lifestyle.?They have won wars and medals in the Olympics. They have protected kingdoms and princes in Disney movies. They are true heroes in real life as well as in movies.