History of the Horse in the US

Question 1

where is the horse believed to have originated and where did most of equine evolution take place?

Answer 1

north america

Question 2

did any of the original horses from north america survive prehistoric times?

Answer 2

only those that migrated to asia over the ancient land bridge near modern-day Alaska (Bering strait)

Question 3

by 1547, how many horses did the first governer of New Spain (mexico) have?

Answer 3

brought over 1500 horses to mexico

Question 4

what happened to the spanish horses brought over by Mendoza? what did they become?

Answer 4

eventually made their way back to the wilds of the Americas, now the united states; became the Mustangs/feral horses out west

Question 5

what increased use of horses in the Americas? where did they first arrive and from where?

Answer 5

colonization; imported more from Europe, to New England first

Question 6

at what point was the horse a central element of urban life in the US?

Answer 6

the 1800s

Question 7

what were the 3 uses of horses in the 1800s?

Answer 7

1. hauled goods
2. pulled cabs, carriages, and other transport vehicles
3. exploration of the west via pulling Conestoga wagons, serving as pack animals, and being ridden

Question 8

what are the parents of mules?

Answer 8

male donkey (jack) with female horse (mare)

Question 9

what are the parents of Hinnies?

Answer 9

female donkey (jenite) with male horse (stallion)

Question 10

why are mules more popular than hinnies?

Answer 10

hinnies don’t carry to term really well

Question 11

what were mules used for? (3)

Answer 11

1. to pull farm equipment
2. worked in coal mines since were heavier animals than “light” horses
3. used by army from 1775-1957 to transport supplies

Question 12

why are mules sterile?

Answer 12

different number of chromosomes between horses and donkeys

Question 13

in the 1800s, what were draft horses popular to pull wagons for? (3)

Answer 13

1. breweries
2. meat packers
3. dairy

Question 14

in the 1800s, what did draft horses do for fire protection?

Answer 14

pulled steam pumper and ladder trucks

Question 15

originally in agriculture, what was the preferred work animal and why? (3)

Answer 15

oxen, or castrated adult male cattle
1. cost less than horses to maintain
2. required half the feed as horses
3. could be eaten when no longer useful as a work animal

Question 16

when the nineteenth century dawned, what became the preferred ag work animal and why?

Answer 16

horses; worked faster than oxen and were physiologically better suited for pulling the new farm equipment developed in the nineteenth centure

Question 17

what kind of horse emerged as the principal work animal?

Answer 17

draft horses

Question 18

what did the emergence of draft horses as the preferred work animals bring about (3)

Answer 18

1. revolution in agricultural technology
2. westward expansion
3. growth of american cities in the nineteenth century

Question 19

what is the Morrill Land Grant Act?

Answer 19

1. signed by Pres. Lincoln in 1862
2. established state agriculture colleges because agriculture and horses were very important to the development of the nation

Question 20

what was the first agricultural college thanks to the Morrill Land Act? then name 3 other ag colleges from this act

Answer 20

Michigan State;
also UGA, Penn state, and MSU

Question 21

what was the nation’s first veterinary college and when and why was it developed?

Answer 21

Cornell Unviersity in 1868; due to the desire to improve care, feeding, and breeding of horses and other animals

Question 22

what did the revolution in agricultural technology from 1820-1870 demand for? what was the response?

Answer 22

caused a demand for larger and stronger horses; so draft horses that were imported from Europe in the 1830’s became essential to a productive farm

Question 23

why were draft horses so good for farms?

Answer 23

they were big and heavy and strong but also docile so could be handled

Question 24

list 5 breeds of draft horses that were used in US ag

Answer 24

1. belgians
2. clydesales
3. percherons
4. shires
5. suffolk punch

Question 25

were pure draft horses used on US farms in the 1800s?

Answer 25

no; their blood was infused with other breeds to increase avergae horse size to between 1200-1500lbs

Question 26

aside from ag work, what did heavy farm horses help with in the 1800s? (2)

Answer 26

1. helped build railroads
2. served as stagecoach horses

Question 27

what is the modern use of horses? and what are the two main kinds?

Answer 27

recreation and sport;
rodeo and racing

Question 28

when and where was the first national horse show?

Answer 28

in Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1883

Question 29

in its early years, what kind of teams dominated the jumping competition of the national hrose show?

Answer 29

military teams

Question 30

what is rodeo spanish for and what did it originate as?

Answer 30

spanish for cattle ring; was an informal sport of bored cowboys that became an organized sport

Question 31

what were the two earliest forms of rodeo when it was just bored cowboys?

Answer 31

1. calf roping contest
2. ride the meanest horse or bull

Question 32

when and where was the first rodeo with paid attendance?

Answer 32

in Prescott Arizona on July 4th, 1886

Question 33

what was the original horse racing state long before Kentucky? why?

Answer 33

Rhode Island; was the only New England colony that allowed horse racing in the 1600s

Question 34

what were the first kind of racing horses in rhode island and who probably rode one of these?

Answer 34

Narragansett Pacers; Paul Rever probably rode one of these guys on his ride

Question 35

did only legal, allowed horse racing in rhode island occur in new england?

Answer 35

nope; no one listened and drag raced in the streets instead

Question 36

what is pacing?

Answer 36

a lateral, two-beat gait where right front and hind move together and vice versa with left side

Question 37

what is trotting?

Answer 37

a diagonal two-beat gait where right front moces with left hind and vice versa

Question 38

what was the prinicpal form of organized sport in the US until the nineteenth century?

Answer 38

horse racing

Question 39

when was the first Kentucky Derby and who won it?

Answer 39

May 17th, 1875; won by Aristides

Question 40

what caused a major decline of the horse population in the US? (2)

Answer 40

1. mechanization
2. gas-powered engines

Question 41

how many estimated horses were in the US in 1915? how many now? describe the trend of horse population in the US, give an example

Answer 41

1915: 21 million
now: 7.25million;
mirrors the economy, so there was another drop in 2008

Question 42

in 1920, how many registered draft horses were in the US? how many in 1945? why the drop?

Answer 42

1920: 95,000
1945: under 2000;
drop is because they were not needed any more due to mechanization

Question 43

what 2 breeds of draft horses took a larger decline due to mechanization and why?

Answer 43

clydesdale and shires; the feathering, or extra hair on their hooves was a maintenance problem (would pick up shit and dirt on farms); so once they were no longer needed in they city they had no useful purpose :(

Question 44

what is scratches?

Answer 44

due to feathering; the extra hair retains moisture and mud and leads to dermatitis on the heel/back of ankle; makes maintenance hard and is why clydesdales and shires population took such a hit with mechanization as they couldn’t really work on farms

Question 45

why were automobiles known as Tin Lizzie?

Answer 45

most families called their carriage horse Lizzie

Question 46

what did the military prominently use horses for?

Answer 46

as mounts and apck animals

Question 47

about how many horses servied in WWI?

Answer 47

6 million

Question 48

in the four years of WWI, how many horses did the US export to Europe; how many returned?

Answer 48

exported about 1 million, plus another 182,000 when the US entered the war; only about 200 returned

Question 49

in order of most to 3rd most, which three states have the largest number of horses?

Answer 49

1. texas
2. california
3. florida