American Horses

Discover the origin story of American horses, which can be traced all  the way back to the 50-million-year-old fossil beds of Polecat Bench,  Wyoming. From these ancient beginnings, Equus spread around the globe,  but mysteriously went extinct in North America. Arriving aboard ships of  Spanish explorers, horses reclaimed the continent after a 10,000-year  absence. With their return, the stage was set for a new generation of  American breeds and a lifelong partnership with humans.

“Horses helped shape the landscape of our nation,” said Fred Kaufman, executive producer for Nature. “Their stories are a fascinating look at  how their history and our history are inseparable.”

A combination of natural selection, selective breeding, and chance  created the wide spectrum of more than 100 American horse breeds we know  today. Emerging from regional patterns of work, culture, tradition and  geography, these signature breeds each made their mark on the nation.  

Meet the Appaloosa, bred and revered by the Nez Perce tribe; the  American Quarter Horse, perfectly trained to work the open range; the  Morgan Horse, those underdog story is legendary; and the wild Mustang,  whose close bonds within their community shed insight into their  relationships with humans.

(Source: PBS)