WHY THE HORSE ?

EOHIPPUS: The origin of our human relationship with the horse

Many thousands of years ago, when mile-thick glaciers towered over the continent of Europe, ancestors of the modern horse galloped across the ice.  Early humans followed and observed these herds of horses, and perhaps interacted with them as well.  The power and energy of “Eohippus,” as this prehistoric horse was known, inspired ice-age humans to create images of them on the walls of their dwellings.  In Lascaux, France the earliest image of the horse in human art can be found on a cave wall, where it was painted almost 20,000 years ago.  Humans and horses have had a relationship with each other for a very long time.  Understanding our past connection with Eohippus can help to illuminate the often perplexing behavior of modern day horses, and can help us to better understand ourselves and our own human nature, as well. 

The symbol of Lascaux cave’s “Eohippus” is the logo of Pray Equine Services, because it represents the ancient power and beauty of our earliest interactions with the horse.   Long before we tried to domesticate, ride or control horses, we observed and learned from their behavior in a natural environment.  We can still learn a lot from letting the horse be a horse, and by allowing its sensitive, reflective nature to show us our true selves.