Horses have been a part of human history for thousands of years with evidence pointing to the first domestication of horses more than 3000 years Before Christ. This is when scientists believe the first wild horses were brought under human control and controlled breeding commenced.
Ever since, horses have been used to assist humans in a variety of activities including travel, warfare, agriculture, and sports. Even today, horses are an important, though less critical, part of our lives. So what are horses used for? And is that likely to continue?
Let’s find out.
What Are Horses Used For Today?
Horses have many things going for them that make them enormously helpful to humans. Horses are docile. They can be domesticated. They can be trained and when well-trained, they obey.
While their upkeep isn’t inexpensive they are fairly low maintenance. For instance, all they need to eat is hay because horses can get almost all their nutritional needs from grass and hay.
Additionally, horses are born runners. And they are extremely strong. This makes them ideal for many activities that we humans cannot do by ourselves.
And so, without further ado, here are the top 10 uses of horses in the modern world:
- Riding
- Racing
- Police work
- Agriculture
- Entertainment
- Transportation
- Equine Therapy
- Bows on string instruments
- Wigs
- Meat
Let’s look closely at each of these uses for horses.
#1. Horseback Riding: Recreational and Competitive
Riding is perhaps the most popular activity associated with horses. And it takes many different forms.
You could go trail riding which is what most people think of when they envision riding a horse. This is where you ride your horse through different terrains like fields, forests, or mountains.
Or you could go dressage riding. This is a more formal type of riding where the rider and horse execute specific movements. It’s often used in competitions.
Then there’s show jumping. As the name suggests, this is where riders jump their horses over obstacles like fences. Show jumping is a popular Olympic sport and is also common in riding competitions.
Other types of riding include Western riding, English riding, and Barrel racing.
Most equestrians ride for recreation or competition. Others use their horse riding skills for work. For instance, cowboys and ranchers ride to herd cattle. Other riders will take part in rodeos, circuses, and shows at theme parks.
Horse riding also includes sports like polo and eventing. Polo is a team sport played on horseback where players hit a ball with mallets. Eventing is an equestrian discipline where riders must complete three different challenges: dressage, show jumping, and cross-country riding.
In short, there are all sorts of reasons why people enjoy riding horses. And that’s likely to continue in the future making riding one of the most common ways in which we humans use horses.
#2. Horse Racing
Horses can run very fast, making horse racing one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. According to Statista, horse racing generates around $3 billion in economic activity every year, in the US alone.
There are three main types of horse racing. The first and most common is flat racing where horses gallop around a racetrack. The second is hurdle racing, which is similar to flat racing but with obstacles that the horses have to jump over.
The last and least common is steeplechase where horses also have to jump over obstacles but the obstacles are much higher than in hurdle racing.
Horse racing has been around for thousands of years since the first domestication of horses began in Eurasia, and this sport is likely to continue in popularity for centuries to come.
#3. Horses in Police work
Many police forces around the world use horses for crowd control and patrol work. They’re large animals and their size alone can be intimidating to people. Plus mounted police have a vantage point that allows them to see what’s going on around them more easily.
Horses are especially useful in crowded places like city streets and festivals. They can maneuver through tight spaces and crowds more easily than cars or trucks. And they can do so without causing too much damage or disruption (though horse droppings can be a problem!)
Additionally, horses can cover a lot of ground. A single horse can patrol an area of up to 25 miles in a single day. That’s much more ground than a human could cover on foot or even on a bike.
#4. Horses in Agriculture
Horses were first used for agricultural purposes in ancient times. They were used to pull plows and carts, and they were used to thresh grain. Horses were also used to power mills and other machinery.
Even though farms in many parts of the world are now mechanized and use cars, trucks and tractors, there are still some farmers who rely on horses to do their work.
Horses are still used for plowing fields, pulling carts and wagons, and even for mowing hay. In fact, some farmers believe that horses do a better job than machines when it comes to certain tasks like mowing hay. That’s because they can maneuver around obstacles more easily and they don’t compact the soil as much as tractors do.
Horses are also being used more and more on organic farms. That’s because they don’t require the use of fossil fuels and they don’t produce pollution as farm machinery does.
Of course, it’s not just farmers who use horses for agricultural work. Some people also use horses for other types of work like logging or mining.
#5. Horses for Entertainment
Horses have been used in and for entertainment since ancient times. The Romans had horse races and chariot races. And in medieval times, knights would joust on horseback.
Today, horses are still used for entertainment. There are horse shows, rodeos, and even movies and TV shows that feature horses.
Horses can also be used for more light hearted entertainment like giving carriage rides or providing pony rides for children. Some people even use horses as part of their act, like in a circus.
#6. Horses for Transportation
Horses were first used for transportation by the nomadic tribes of Central Asia who rode them as a means of getting from one place to another. Eventually, horses were domesticated and bred for this purpose, and they became an integral part of human transportation. Horses were used to pull chariots and carriages, and they were ridden by knights and soldiers into battle. Even as late as World War 1, horses were used to carry equipment and pull cannons to the front lines.
Even today, horses are used for transportation in many parts of the world, especially in rural areas where cars and other vehicles are not practical. In Mongolia, for example, horses are still the main form of transportation. And in parts of Africa and Asia, horses are used to pull carts and carry goods to market. In the United States, the Amish community continues to use horses and buggies for transportation.
Horses are also used for transportation in many tourist areas. For example, in the American West, visitors can take horse-drawn carriage rides through national parks and historic towns. Even in Europe, in many tourist areas, you can find horse-drawn carriages that will give you a ride around town.
For example, in the town of Seville, Spain, you can find horse-drawn carriages that will take you on a tour of all the historic landmarks. Of course, whether this qualifies as transportation or entertainment, is an open question.
#7. Equine Therapy
Horses are being used more and more in therapy programs for people with physical and mental disabilities. That’s because horses can provide a sense of companionship and emotional support. They can also help people to develop coordination, balance, and muscle strength.
One of the most popular types of therapy is therapeutic riding. Therapeutic riding is a type of therapy that uses horseback riding to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of people with disabilities.
This type of therapy can help to improve balance, coordination, and muscle strength. It can also help to reduce anxiety and control depression, and it can increase self-confidence and self-esteem.
Horses are also being used in therapy programs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Veterans Affairs Department has started a program called “Equine Assisted Psychotherapy” which uses horses to help veterans with PTSD.
The program is based on the theory that spending time with horses can help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood. If you’re interested in reading more on this topic, I’ve included some links in the References section at the end of this article.
#8. Bows on string instruments
An unorthodox, but very interesting, use for horses is as the source of hair for bows on string instruments. The horsehair that is used for this purpose is collected from the tails of horses.
The horses are not harmed in the process, and the hair is then used to make the bows for violins, cellos, and other string instruments.
The horsehair is collected from the tails of the horses and then sorted according to thickness. The thicker hairs are used for cello bows, and the thinner hairs are used for violin bows.
The horsehair is then glued to the bow, and the ends are left tapered. The horsehair is what makes the bow “sticky” so that it can grip the strings and make them vibrate.
The use of horsehair for bows dates back hundreds of years, and it’s still being used today. In addition to violin and cello bows, horsehair is also used for the bows of other string instruments, such as the bassoon, contrabassoon, and double bass.
#9. Wigs
Another common use for horsehair is in the manufacture of wigs. Wigs made with horsehair are called “horsehair wigs.” Horsehair wigs are usually made with the hair of the mane and tail of the horse.
The hair is first gathered and then sorted according to length and thickness. The hair is then sewn or braided into a wig cap.
Horsehair wigs offer advantages over wigs made with synthetic hair. Horsehair wigs are more durable and they can last for many years.
They are also less likely to tangle than wigs made with synthetic hair. But for these reasons they can also be more expensive.
#10. Meat
I’m a horse lover and so I hate including this topic, but to have an honest article on the common uses of horses, I have to. In some parts of the world, horse meat is considered a delicacy. Horse meat is high in protein and low in fat, and it is said to have a sweet taste.
While less common in the United States, you can find horse meat on the menu in some other parts of the world, including in Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to the horse meat industry. In some parts of the world, horses are slaughtered in cruel and inhumane ways.
I hope that in a few years I can replace this use of horses with another one, but since horses have been sources of meat since before humans domesticated them, I don’t see it going away.
In Closing …
Horses have played an important role in human history, and they continue to play an important role in our lives today. So, what are horses used for?
Today, we use horses for recreational and competitive riding, racing, entertainment and therapy. Horses are used by the police for crowd control, by farmers in agriculture, and for transportation.
Parts of the horse’s body are also used. Horse hair is used for making bows for musical instruments as well as wigs. And sadly, horse meat continues to be consumed in many parts of the world.
