Horse, donkey and mule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recent research has now placed the type species, Hyracotherium leporinum, as the progenitor of both horses and brontotheres (extinct, rhino-like animals, which were closely related to horses), whereas other species, which were formerly placed in the genus Hyracotherium, have been moved to other genera, including Eohippus.

Over time, these early horses evolved into creatures with fewer toes, and about 5 million years ago, the modern Equus – the single-toed, fast-running animals that we know today – had evolved. During one of the ice ages, an early species of Equus reached Asia from America via a land bridge that formed between the two continents. From Asia, it spread to Europe and Africa. This progenitor evolved into the true horse (Equus ferus), and into various species of asses and zebras.

Wild horses in America died out gradually, most species presumably because of climate change. The last species, Equus scotti, was probably eradicated by invading nomad hunting tribes from Asia, who spread to America via the Bering land bridge during the latest ice age, about 12,000 years ago.

 

Przevalski’s horse also died out in the wild around 1960, but survived in zoos around the world. In later years, small herds of this horse have been released into the wild from breeding centres in Mongolia, and, once again, true wild horses roam the steppes of Central Asia.

Attempts have been made to recreate the tarpan by crossing Przevalski’s horse with various ancient types of domestic horses (E. ferus ssp. caballus), resulting in tarpan-like horses, such as the Konik horse. Today, herds of these ‘primitive’ horses have been released various places in Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later, people learned to ride on horses, and to utilize them for pulling wagons and the plough. Mongolian riders would often draw blood from their own horses and drink it – a quick and nourishing meal, when travelling. From the hides, numerous items were produced, including boots and gloves. Various tools were carved from the bones, and the hooves were boiled to make glue.

Today, horses are mainly used for sports and leisure, but in certain parts of the world, especially South America, cowboys still work on horseback.

The main difference in appearance between the wild horse and its domesticated cousin lies in the mane, which is short and upright in the wild horse, whereas it is long, hanging down one side of the neck, in the domestic horse. The coat also tends to be shorter in domestic horses, although in severe climates, they do grow thicker coats. The tarpan was dun-coloured, Przevalski’s horse is fawn, whereas the domestic horse comes in all sorts of colours.

A male horse is called a stallion, a female a mare, and their offspring a foal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the Kyrgyz number about 5 million, of which 4.5 million live in Kyrgyzstan, sharing it with about 350,000 Russians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some populations are kept for historic or sentimental reasons, including the mustangs of western United States, the Chincoteague ponies on Assateague Island, Maryland, United States, and the Misaki ponies in Japan. Some of these populations are carefully managed to minimize their impact on the local environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nominate subspecies, africanus, the Nubian wild ass, is presumably extinct, although a small population may survive in the Gabal Elba National Park, on the border between Egypt and the Sudan. However, the purity of these animals is questioned, as they may have interbred considerably with domestic donkeys. A feral population of asses live on the small Caribbean island of Bonaire, which may be closely related to the Nubian wild ass. (Source: retrieverman.net)

The Somali wild ass, ssp. somaliensis, is found in deserts and other arid areas of Somalia, Eritrea, and eastern Ethiopia, but in very low numbers – maybe a total of less than 600 individuals. Thus, it is critically endangered and may go extinct in the wild.

The Atlas wild ass, ssp. atlanticus, was once found across North Africa and in parts of the Sahara, but was extirpated by hunting. The last individuals may have been shot by Roman hunters around 300 A.D.

 

During the Fourth Dynasty in Egypt (2675-2565 B.C.), wealthy people often owned more than a thousand donkeys, which were used for meat and milk, to pull carts and the plough, and as pack animals.

By about 3000 B.C., the donkey was a common animal in the Middle East, with the main breeding centre in Mesopotamia. By c. 1800 B.C., the donkey had spread further east in Asia, and by about 2000 B.C., it was also present in Europe.

The world population of donkeys is estimated at c. 40 million, with the majority in the developing countries. The highest number, about 11 million, used to be in Chinese territories, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Mexico. However, the number in China has dropped significantly in later years.

A male donkey is called a jack, a female a jenny, and their offspring a foal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the Gold Rush in the 19th Century, the donkey, or burro, as it was called, was the main pack animal. When the Gold Rush ended, many of these burros escaped, or were deliberately released, forming feral populations, which have existed until today.

One famous burro was Prunes, a donkey bought in 1879 by a miner named Rupe Sherwood, who was working near the towns of Fairplay and Alma, northern Colorado.

As it turned out, this little animal was worth far more than the 10$ he paid for it. Not only would it pull ore cars like any other burro – no, Sherwood trained it to go down alone to the general store, where the store keeper would read the note attached to the donkey, load the required goods into sacks on his back, and off he trotted, back up the mountain trails to his owner.

For many years, Prunes was shuffling back and forth with ore cars in the dark, damp passages, and soon he became the local miners’ pet. When he grew too old for the hard work, Sherwood freed him from collar and traces and set him free to roam at will. The burro spent its final years in Alma, begging for food, which was readily supplied by the residents. As Prunes approached his 60s, his health began to fail. He was losing his teeth, and with that his ability to eat proper food.

In 1930, a blizzard struck Alma, and as the temperature plunged below zero, Prunes took refuge in an old shed. During the blizzard, the door blew shut, and a snowdrift prevented the old burro from pushing the door open.

Soon, residents noticed that Prunes was not making his usual rounds. They found him half starved in the shed, unable to walk. Despite being pampered, he didn’t recover, and the residents, including Sherwood, decided to put an end to his sufferings. Initially, his carcass was dumped in the local garbage dump, but later his remains were buried in a grave on Fairplay’s main street, beneath a unique concrete monument, studded with ore samples from the mines where Prunes had worked.

A year later, at the age of 82, Rupe Sherwood died in the Fairplay hospital. Following his will, his ashes were interred beside the Prunes monument. (Sources: Ferguson 1993, Jessen 2017)