Genetics How genes made the horse man's companion
Wild horses have been specifically shaped by humans into riding and war animals. In a new study, a research team with Swiss participation shows how humans bred horses over thousands of years to make them tame, strong and rideable.
28.08.2025, 20:00
SDA
This transformation of the wild horse into a rideable companion marked a turning point in human history, wrote the research team led by Ludovic Orlando from the University of Toulouse (F) in the study published on Thursday in the journal "Science". Riding had become the basis of warfare, transport and social organization - and had thus shaped the development of human civilizations over thousands of years.
For their study, the scientists analyzed 266 genetic markers in ancient horse genomes that are associated with various traits such as behavior, physique and coat color. Scientists from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the Naturéum Nature Museum in Lausanne were also involved in the research.
Around 5000 years ago, humans began to prefer horses with a certain variant of the ZFPM1 gene - a gene that has been shown to control anxiety behavior and stress reactions in mice. According to the researchers, this indicates that taming was one of the first steps towards the domestication of horses.
Another gene was also decisive for horses eventually being ridden: some horses had a mutation of the GSDMC gene. These animals had a modified spinal anatomy, superior motor coordination and stronger front legs. This probably enabled the horses to meet the demands of long-distance mobility and warfare.
First riders sparked revolution, researchers say
According to the study, horses with this mutation spread rapidly. For example, 4750 years ago they were only found in isolated cases, but 600 years later most horses had this mutation.
"Although the exact circumstances and cultural identity of the people who carried out this early intensive breeding remain a mystery, they must have had extraordinary ingenuity, technology and foresight," wrote Laurent Frantz from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in a commentary accompanying the study. And: "One thing is certain: these first riders triggered a revolution that changed the world. They showed how even the smallest biological changes can set in motion huge currents in history."
