Horse How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations

by Chamberlin, J. Edward

• ISBN13: 9780974240596
• ISBN10: 0974240591
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-02-01
• Publisher: Bluebridge

Summary

Drawing on archaeology, biology, art, literature, and ethnography, this singular study illuminates the relationship between horse and human throughout history. From the Ice Age to the post-industrial age, horses have provided sustenance, transportation, status, companionship, and the ability to establish and expand empires. Included are stories of horses at work, at war, at play, and in art, film, and books, starting with the first equestrian encounters in which early humans in Asia and Europe hunted native horses for food. The dualities in the horsehuman relationship are explored, such as humans' ability to both care for and slaughter horses, and the travel benefits that horses have provided that have enabled devastating warfare. Training techniques and breeding practices are examined from a global viewpoint, discussing cultures as varied as the Persians and the Nez Perce and looking at breeding stock that range from Lippizaners to quarter horses. Written in lucid prose full of wisdom, passion, and wonder, this far-reaching story explores a vital shaping force in the history of the world.

Author Biography

J. Edward Chamberlin is a professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Toronto. He was the senior research associate with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in Canada and has worked extensively on native land claims around the world. His books include Come Back to Me My Language: Poetry and the West Indies, The Harrowing of Eden: White Attitudes Towards Native Americans, and If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? The grandson of an Alberta rancher, Chamberlin has bred horses and collected stories about humans and horses for much of his life. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Table of Contents

1. OUT OF THE MIST
Horses and Humans in the Americas	1	(38)
2. BRINGING HORSES HOME
Hunting Horses, Farming Horses	39	(38)
3. ON THE MOVE AROUND THE GLOBE
How Horse Travel and Transport Changed the World	77	(56)
4. MAKING TROUBLE
Horses in War	133	(66)
5. GREAT HORSE CULTURES OF THE WORLD
From Ancient China to Modern Europe	199	(44)
6. THE SPIRIT OF HORSES
Power, Grace, and Beauty	243	(30)
NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	273	(3)
INDEX	276