Horses have had a strong influence on human culture.  In places, they are entwines so deeply that to remove the horse would be a horrible blow to that history.  Through their bloodlines they trace back to the mounts of warriors, emperors,  conquerors and more.  

Humans are funny creatures in that we tend - in America, at least, to throw out a lot of things.  But that same stuff in a few generations may be called collectible, antique, or more, a piece of history. Then we pay a fortune for stuff that we tossed out as useless not so long ago.  We tend to seek out the left overs of bygone eras, dust them off, and try and reconstruct a way of life long gone. 

Living History

Animals are unique in the sense that they are living history.  A genetic bloodline molded through environment or circumstance or human intervention. Those who are aware of this tend to do there best to preserve them.  Those who aren't tend to toss them aside like garbage.

Cultures Influenced by the Horse

Arabian horses are the corner stone of most modern breeds.  The turbulent area of arabia they hail from has been strongly influenced.  The bedouin tribes rode mares into battle and often took them into their own tents.  Their battles were usually fought from the back of the horse.

The Native Americans quickly took to horses. The most famous result of this is the Appaloosa horse, named for the Palouse river where it was first bred.  The Nez Perce tribe that bred them ended up on reservations, but the breed survived. Today they breed an animal called the 'Nez Perce' horse, using appaloosa and Akhale Teke as foundation stock.

The Mongols were a conquering people that no-one wanted to be on the wrong side of.  They rode mares into battle with foals at their side and drank their blood and milk - not enough to kill the horse, just enough to fuel themselves for battle.

All of Europe was once in turmoil.  The spanish and draft breeds were often ridden by the Renaisaance Knights in the numerous territorial battles.  Today, the Lippizaner horse and the Spanish Riding School still perform the battle manuevers for the enjoyment of the public, thereby acting as a living reminder of history.

Chincoteague and Shackleford Banks.  These small American islands feature the roundups of the island ponies and the sale, bringing in plentiful tourist dollars. 

Finally horses helped settle the west of America.  Most notable of all:  the mustang.  Quarter horses and Morgans as well as Tennessee walkers and Saddlebreds served in the calvary and served to help the culture thrive.

Battle to Keep History Alive

Keeping horses as living evidence of history is one way to keep history interesting.  Text books can't cover everything and schools often seem to go out of there way to make it dull.  The truth is, there is far too much history as of the 21st century to expect schools to do it all.  One needs a living inspiration, something present.

That something is the horse. Those who recognize this fight to preserve it, for some have already given in to extinction.

In World War II the Spanish Riding School was nearly lost. The stallions at the school were trapped in a city with bombs falling on.  The Nazi's refused to allow their retreat, more concerned witth the appearance than the fact they could be lost.  The mares meanwhile were in direct path of the advancing Russians.  Their horseman were being conscripted.  Finally, the school head, Podhasky, spirited the horses away to a town which soon fell to the Americans.  He convinced General Patton to rescue the mares, and the horses survived.  Today the Spanish Riding School still stands and occasionally tours America.

The Appaloosa, caught in the conflict between the Nez Perce and the American Calvary nearly vanished as a breed. Then a man named Francais D. Haines began promoting the horse as a breed.  It made a come back and now is back to being a real breed, used in pleasure, show and sport.

The Mustang was once in danger of annihilation due to people who rounded them up and sold them as pet food.  They were treated brutally and often people's pets ended up slaughtered as well.  Finally a woman known as Wild Horse Annie went to battle to get congress to pass the Free Roaming Horse and Burro act, making them protected from roundups. This said the horses were a living symbol of the American Spirit and of the West.  The BLM was only to roundup in cases where the land was overgrazed.

But it's not over.  In recent years, the Bureau of Land Management has used this excuse to repeatedly round up herds and zero them out.  They then release many times the number of cattle onto the same land.  Cries of protest have led them to decide to release sterilized horses back into the wild.  But this is still a form of gradual extinction.  Petitions fly, the word is spread, but still the BLM refrain "their are too many horses"  has the general publics ear and the truth is still in need of getting out.  The Mustang is so prevalent a car bears it's name, places are named after it, it is used as a mascot and an icon.  A state quarter even bears it's likeness.  Yet soon, they will be extinct for the gene pool is shrinking with every round up.  What's more, it's being done with our precious tax dollars.

Our history matters.  That wild spirit, the determination to be free to seek our own fate is behind our the Declaration of Congress and the Constitution.  We broke free of England based on it.  We settled the West based on it.  The Mustangs are OUR heritage, just as the lippizan is to the Austrians. 

So let's fight for it.  Fight with pen and keyboard and word of mouth.  For if we don't appreciate this symbol of freedom we are in danger of losing the real thing.  It's our money - do we have freedom to decide what it's spent on or not?