| Equestrian and the North American Eohippus: | | | | seeds of this grass and amounts of sand and dirt |
| The Eohippus was a type of horse that is believed to | | | | caused rapid wear to there soft teeth, This in turn |
| have lived around 60 Million years ago in the North | | | | meant rapid adaption of the animal to these new |
| American regions. The Eohippus is known as the | | | | conditions, if Mesohippus was to survive. From here |
| oldest relation of Equus caballus, considered the true | | | | the Mesohippus evolved into Merychippus, these had |
| horse. This would be a Cro-Magnon portrayal of this | | | | high crowned teeth, these were covered in a much |
| unique and fascinating animal. It has been known from | | | | heavier harder outer layer. This new horse ancestor |
| drawings in the Caverns of Font-De-Gaume, | | | | was much larger, approximately 42 inches, about the |
| Dordogne, France. (There are also ancient drawings of | | | | size of a small pony. After Merychippus, there seems |
| archery in these same caverns) | | | | to be a huge gap in the fossil records, this gap goes |
| The Little Eohippus, this creature was approximately | | | | between 6 Million years to about 600,000 B.C. There |
| the size of what we know today as the fox terrier | | | | are no fossils of the evolving horse in North America |
| dog. This is the oldest known ancestor of the of the | | | | through this epic time period, this is around the time of |
| modern day horse, this chain is what descended from | | | | the Great Ice Age, at that time ice covered much of |
| the Eocene mammal to the Equus caballus. Fossil | | | | North America and Northern Europe with great |
| remains can be traced back almost 6 million years, | | | | glaciers. |
| with minor gaps between sections of its development. | | | | When these ice glaciers melted, there were resulting |
| The Eohippus can be described as having a head like | | | | floods that washed away the surface deposits that |
| a sheep, hindquarters like a jackrabbit, and toes of | | | | would have contained the prolific fossil remains for |
| multiple proportion, four toes on each forefoot and | | | | other species in this time period. The story's we have |
| three on each of there hind feet. All of there fourteen | | | | always heard, was that all the horses that are in North |
| toes were equipped with pads and of a heavy cuticle | | | | America are of European designation. Obviously this is |
| shaped almost like miniature hooves. The Eohippus | | | | not the case, or of likely prudence. Some believe that |
| was very prolific and was known across the Northern | | | | the absence of those said fossils, also means the |
| Hemisphere and throughout Asia and Europe, Even to | | | | absence of horses in North America all together, |
| the British Isles, here it was known as Hyracotherium | | | | Others still expect that we will find these remains by |
| because to them it resembled a Hare. | | | | further digging. |
| In our western plains of America, Say over an | | | | During this period of missing records, and those only in |
| extended period of thirty million years, The | | | | Eurasia, we know that Merychippus evolved into |
| descendants of Eohippus came about and evolved | | | | Equus caballus, what we know as the true horse, with |
| through many stages into whats known as | | | | a single toe to each foot and equipped with one single |
| Mesohippus, a much larger animal. The height of this | | | | hoof. From what we know of the Ice Age, There was |
| animal increased to an astounding 24 inches, of course | | | | a land bridge between Alaska and Siberia, This would |
| the head became more horselike, the legs lengthened, | | | | have furnished an easy passage from one place to |
| as well as increasing the animals speed. Through this | | | | the other for various animal species. |
| evolutionary period, each foot had three hoofed and | | | | In this we see that it is more than possible that horses |
| padded toes. There teeth were still short, very low | | | | crossed over into Asia during this time, Hence they |
| crowned, comparatively soft, these were adequately | | | | could have crossed back over to North America again. |
| placed for there diet of new bark, leaves and tubers, | | | | This theory is greatly debated, But it is the theory I |
| still not suited to the grazing of grass and such. | | | | choose to believe. |
| Twenty million years later, great geological upheavals | | | | If its only to read and study about the history and love |
| occurred in these western mountains, this of course | | | | of things Equestrian. |
| made for many changes in this climate and ecology of | | | | It still holds a lot of information and learning potential for |
| the plains to the east. Forests became open plains | | | | your mind to develop on something new. |
| covered with lush grass, this presented many new | | | | See the potential and learn about things that are |
| problems for Mesohippus genre. Silica in the stems and | | | | Equestrian today. |