An aristocratic animal and longtime companion to humans, the horse was domesticated some 5,000 years ago. Filmmaker and anthropologist Niobe Thompson’s PBS-aired NOVA documentary asks how and where this happened, tracing the role of horses in serving humankind, from initially providing food and milk, to later becoming a mode of transportation. The first horse was a creature of the forests, not much bigger than a dog. The decline of dense forests and rise of open grasslands helped make the animal bigger and stronger. The domesticated horse's first home seemed to be the vast steppes between Europe and Asia, where a nomad tribe known as the Botai learned to herd, corral, and eventually ride horses, extending humans’ range (the Botai mysteriously died out, leaving few traces and no written record). Another aggressive group of nomads called the Yamnaya employed horses and wagons, along with primitive weapons like the battle axe, which enabled them to subdue much larger populations. They used horses to spread their culture, language, and genetic dominance, but also wound up carrying diseases such as the plague, which—along with warfare (killing men, taking women)—produced a system of "population replacement." Thompson studies signs of early corrals, pottery vessels used to collect horse milk, and transportation advances like chariots, drawing some conclusions about how the horse became a beloved "symbol of movement." A solid companion to Thompson’s recent similarly-themed documentary Equus: Story of the Horse (VL-7/19), this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
First Horse Warriors
(2019) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video (www.teacher.shop.pbs.org). SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0916-7.
First Horse Warriors
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: