On Radio 4 now

[cauda equina]

In Our Time - The evolution of horses

 

[Frans]

Thank you!

 

[Tarragon]

I listened to it on my way to work. Very interesting!

 

[Orangehorse]

The people living on the Tibetan plains more or less live as the first people to domesticate the horse. It was an interesting programme.

Particularly I noted that they said that when horses returned to the wild they became smaller and stockier, like we view ponies. This bears out what Dr Deb Bennett says, that the optimum size for a horse is around 15.00 hh, at that size they are "over engineered" and that is why they are "sounder" than larger horses, which is bore out by most people's experience.

The one question I always want answered is why the horse was domesticated by the Asian population, and adapted and changed to become riding animals, yet the zebra in Africa never was.

 

[Tarragon]

I thought it made a pleasant change to be actually in a position of some knowledge as I am normally in a position of almost complete ignorance when I listen to this programme!
I was willing them to mention Exmoor ponies, as they show the wild trait of a single breed colouring and the pangare markings.

 

[J&S]

Re Zebras...... I believe they are very difficult to train, so perhaps, given that there were horses available who were much more co-operative they just never bothered. Sorry, not exactly a scientific answer.

 

[cauda equina]

I hadn't known that horses were native to America but were hunted (by humans) to extinction

 

[Reacher]

Thanks for the heads up, I will download it

 

[tallyho!]

Can you imagine us all riding Zebra's? We'd go cross eyed or have seizures or something... ooh and that funny noise they make.

Would definitely be hi-viz though...

 

[Petalpoos]

Thanks for the reminder! I heard last week that that was going to be the subject and meant to listen, then went into work early! Will download and listen on my way home.

 

[Orangehorse]

Can you imagine us all riding Zebra's? We'd go cross eyed or have seizures or something... ooh and that funny noise they make.

Would definitely be hi-viz though...

It has always puzzled me. The early horses were not "riding types" they had short necks, straight backs, it was only with domestication that they evolved into a longer-necked animal with a more flexible spine, and horses were used for pulling loads before being ridden anyway.

I couldn't see why the zebras weren't used in the same way. Maybe there was so much game around in Africa that there was no need to domesticate equids for their milk. They have been broken-in, especially to drive. There is a famous picture of a 4 in-hand - I think it was some eccentric British colonist who decided to see if it could be done, but I have seen other pictures of zebras too.

 

[spider]

It was a member of the Rothschild family who drove the zebras. If you scroll down on this link you can see the picture.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/walter-rothschild-a-curious-life.html

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Note that Walter has three Zebras and a pony.

Apparently Zebras are much harder to train and that could be all that was needed to prevent them from being domesticated in the same way.

 

[J&S]

My point entirely, but don't they look smart !

 

[Petalpoos]

I was fascinated by the revelation that Przewalskis are no longer considered to be truly wild, just domesticated horses that went feral a long time ago!

 

[Teajack]

Are Exmoors nearer to truly wild horses?

 

[cauda equina]

I was fascinated by the revelation that Przewalskis are no longer considered to be truly wild, just domesticated horses that went feral a long time ago!

It's also depressing that there isn't a horse left that humans haven't messed up genetically

 

[tallyho!]

Note that Walter has three Zebras and a pony.

Apparently Zebras are much harder to train and that could be all that was needed to prevent them from being domesticated in the same way.

They really were an eccentric bunch in that era... creative I suppose.

 

[littleshetland]

It was a good programme (it always is) and very interesting, but I felt there was a lot more they could have mentioned, even briefly, like the influence of Arabian horses into the gene pool, and King Henry VIII 'Horse Act'. During his reign he ordered all horses/ponies under 14 or 15hh - with the exception of a small amount used for agriculture - to be be destroyed in his quest for the ultimate warhorse...or so I believe.

 

[Reacher]

It's also depressing that there isn't a horse left that humans haven't messed up genetically

Agreed

It was fascinating that there used to be lots of different horse species (like there are lots of different species of antelope today) but the modern horse is the only one that survived

 

[cauda equina]

I think tapirs are very distantly related

 

[tallyho!]

A rhino is also pretty much related...

It's a shame the world won't do anything about palm oil or keratin because soon, they will only exist on documentaries and history posters you buy for the kids in the NHM.

 

[tallyho!]

Seeing as it's just penises that seem to need virility in China/SEA...

All companies would have to do is market a product with known active ingredient (WFKWTI2) and harvest human nail clippings, grind it down and voila.

I honestly do not know why Africa haven't noticed the gap in't market. Basically... collect yer villages clippings, grind it down, tell the poachers this is genuine keratin (cos it is) mix it in with a bit of hoof trimming (from a good source I've been told it smells like that), and then pop a few mashed up viagra pills - voila!

Those who require donkey skin for wrinkle cream... I reckon you could market afterbirth for that! My grandma said they used to put some on the garden and some their face!

humans are tres strange. Tres strange. Well at least they were in the past. Even stranger now.... do people actually think we evolved here? I honestly find it is an impossibility... there is definitely a missing link and I don't mean of the ape kind I mean there was some intervention!!!






Perhaps we that live now will see strange in times to come.