Horses in warfare

A Xiongnu horse rider. 2nd–1st century BC. Excavated in Saksanokhur (near Farkhor), Tajikistan. National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan.

The first evidence of horses being used in war comes from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BCE. A Sumerian picture of warfare from about 2500 BC shows animals like horses pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, better harnesses and chariot designs made chariot warfare common across the Ancient Near East. The earliest written training guide for war horses was made around 1350 BC, and it explained how to train horses that pulled chariots. Later, cavalry began to replace chariots, and new ways of training horses were developed. By 360 BC, the Greek cavalry officer Xenophon wrote a detailed book about horse riding and horse training. The effectiveness of horses in war also improved because of new technology, such as the saddle, the stirrup, and the horse collar.

Many different types and sizes of horses were used in war, depending on the type of fighting. The kind of horse used depended on whether the horse was ridden or pulling a vehicle. Horses were used for scouting, cavalry attacks, raids, sending messages, and carrying supplies. In history, horses were not the only animals used. Mules and donkeys were also very important for helping armies move supplies and equipment. Horses were very useful for the warfare of nomadic cultures from the steppes of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.