Horses

Definition

Horses are large domesticated mammals known for their speed and endurance. They were brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers during the Columbian Exchange.

Analogy

Consider horses as the original sports cars. Before modern vehicles, they were the fastest mode of land transportation and symbolized status - much like sports cars do today.

Related terms

Columbian Exchange: As mentioned above, this was a period of cultural and biological exchanges between New World (Americas) and Old World (Europe).

Domestication: The process whereby humans select plants or animals for specific characteristics and gradually change them through controlled breeding.

Equine Revolution: The period when horses were reintroduced to the Americas after being extinct there for about 10,000 years. This had profound impacts on Native American cultures in terms of warfare, hunting practices, trade networks etc.