Last week, a group of scientists discovered that the Przewalski’s horses of Mongolia are not truly wild. This scientific study shows that there are no truly wild horses left in the world. Horses that roam freely in the United States and other countries are not technically “wild” horses as they descended from domesticated ancestry. Mustangs of America and brumbies of Australia today are mixed herds of feral descendants of domesticated horses. They may also be recently domesticated horses that have been released onto public lands by owners that were unwilling to care for them.

Before last week (22 February 2018), it was believed that the Przewalski’s horses were the only wild horses left. Three subspecies of the horse (equus ferus) are known to have survived into modern time. These are the domestic horse (equus ferus caballus), the tarpan or Eurasian wild horse (equus ferus ferus) and the Przewalski (equus ferus przewalski). Most horses that we think of today are members of the domestic horse family (including mustangs and brumbies). The tarpan went extinct in 1909 at around the same time that the Przewalski’s horses were on the verge of extinction.

At this time, great efforts were made by Mongolian and British Scientists to preserve the Przewalski’s horses. In the early 1900s scientists from both countries successfully captured and bred 15 of the last Przewalskis on earth. The descendents of those horses were released back into the wild. Today, there are around 2000 in Mongolia. It has been thought for a long time that these horses were the last “truly wild” horses to exist.

The recent scientific study showed, through DNA comparison, that the Przewalski’s horse is closely related to the ancient domesticated Botai horses from Kazakhstan. The Botai archaeological site in Kazakhstan holds the earliest known evidence of domesticated horses (5,500 years ago). Archaeologists determined that horses in this area were domesticated by evidence of “bit wear” in the mouths of horse skulls. Other evidences include ample amounts of horse bones in concentrated areas. Holes in the horses’ skulls denote controlled slaughter (poleaxing) as opposed to hunting. Lipids from horse milk have been found in pottery in this culture, suggesting that horses were milked. Scientists believe that Przewalski’s horses must have been turned loose or escaped from this group of Botai horses because the DNA is so closely related.

To do the study, scientists collected and sequenced DNA from 20 Botai horse remains and 22 other samples from horses that have lived all over the Eurasian steppe for the last 5000 years. They then compared these sequences to 46 published ancient and modern genomes, including Przewalski’s horses. A so-called phylogenetic family tree was constructed to demonstrate which breeds were the most closely related. To the scientists’ surprise, Przewalski’s horses showed up in the same part of the tree as the Botai horses, instead of the domestic horses as they expected. The scientists concluded that the Przewalski’s horses must have been “escaped Botai horses” and that “there are no truly wild horses left.”

Even though this study shows that the Przewalski’s horses have an ancestry of domestic horses, they are still the closest thing to wild horses we have left. This new study does not diminish their great heritage. Przewalski’s horses have made a tremendous comeback in the last 50 years and efforts are still being made to ensure the preservation of the species. They are still revered, especially, by Mongolian people today.

People have always been fascinated with horses so they continue to study them. This fascination helps to produce significant scientific findings like this recent one. Horses have been an integral part of humankind’s history for a long time. Today, even though horses are not functionally used as much as they once were, humans still have a unique bond with them. The people who are involved in the horse industry in its many different forms understand that horses make life better. Most domesticated horses require regular hoof care to stay sound. Horses in the wild (like the Przewalski’s horses) grow their feet just like domestic horses. They can get by without regular hoof care because they are not used in the same way as domestic horses and they can choose the ground they cover. Horses with bad feet in the wild do exist. Just not for very long. Horses with limb deviations, foot deformities and hoof diseases are vulnerable to natural predators. Horses in captivity have the luxury of being cared for with excellent feed and veterinary medicine. Horses with foot problems have a much better chance for a quality life in captivity, when a competent farrier makes and applies therapeutic shoes. Farriers have the privilege of working with these great animals every day and helping to make their lives better.