Horses and Humans

Catalog description

This is a global investigation of the relationship between horses and human beings. It begins with a brief look at the prehistory of both species, but quickly moves on to the domestication of horses, examining where and when that happened, and investigating what purposes horses were originally utilized for (primary and secondary products). Most important will be the question of harnessing the power and mobility of the horse, and above all with the monumental achievements of hitching horses to chariots and, even more difficult, climbing up on the horse's back and riding it. We will study the development of horse gear (saddle, saddle blanket, stirrups, cinch, bridle, reins, and more). In this seminar, we will also look at art, literature, and music dedicated to the horse. Along the way, we will study the biology and breeds of horses, as well as equestrian skills, competitions, and other phenomena involving human interaction with equines (e.g., war, agriculture, leisure, etc.). In short, the seminar will be a holistic approach to the horse in its symbiosis with its human masters and partners over the course of millennia.