Long before the invention of the wheel, the horse carried us forward. In The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity, Timothy C. Winegard presents an expansive global history that places the horse at the center of human development. From its early domestication on the Eurasian Steppe more than 5,500 years ago, the horse reshaped transportation, agriculture, warfare, and empire-building. Civilizations rose and expanded on horseback, their ambitions made possible by the power, speed, and endurance of this remarkable animal.
Winegard traces the horse’s evolutionary journey from its origins in North America to its extinction on the continent and its eventual reintroduction after Columbus. He draws on fossil evidence, DNA analysis, and historical accounts to explore how horses enabled human movement, influenced the outcome of wars, and helped define political and cultural identities across continents. Rather than a passive presence in the background of history, the horse emerges as a vital agent of change.
Winegard is also the author of The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, a New York Times bestseller translated into more than twenty languages. His research focuses on the often overlooked ways in which nature, through animals, insects, and disease, has shaped human power, conflict, and organization. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Oxford and serves as Associate Professor of History at Colorado Mesa University, where he also coaches the men’s hockey team. With a vivid narrative style and a deep command of both science and history, Winegard invites readers to reconsider the human story through the eyes of the horse and to recognize its profound influence on our shared past.
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