Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Audiobook13 hours
The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey Through Human History
Written by Susanna Forrest
Narrated by Pearl Hewitt
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5
()
About this audiobook
Fifty-six million years ago, the earliest equid walked the earth-and beginning with the first-known horse-keepers of the Copper Age, the horse has played an integral part in human history. Combining fascinating anthropological detail and incisive personal anecdotes, Susanna Forrest draws from an immense range of archival documents as well as literature and art to illustrate how our evolution has coincided with that of horses.
In paintings and poems (such as Byron's famous "Mazeppa"), in theater and classical music (including works by Liszt and Tchaikovsky), representations of the horse have changed over centuries, portraying the crucial impact that we've had on each other. Forrest deftly synthesizes this material with her own experience in the field, traveling the globe to give us a diverse, comprehensive look at the horse in our lives today: from Mongolia where she observes the endangered takhi, to a show-horse performance at the Palace of Versailles; from a polo club in Beijing to Arlington, Virginia, where veterans with PTSD are rehabilitated through interaction with horses.
With passion and singular insight, Forrest investigates the complexities of human and horse coexistence, illuminating the multifaceted ways our cultures were shaped by this powerful creature.
In paintings and poems (such as Byron's famous "Mazeppa"), in theater and classical music (including works by Liszt and Tchaikovsky), representations of the horse have changed over centuries, portraying the crucial impact that we've had on each other. Forrest deftly synthesizes this material with her own experience in the field, traveling the globe to give us a diverse, comprehensive look at the horse in our lives today: from Mongolia where she observes the endangered takhi, to a show-horse performance at the Palace of Versailles; from a polo club in Beijing to Arlington, Virginia, where veterans with PTSD are rehabilitated through interaction with horses.
With passion and singular insight, Forrest investigates the complexities of human and horse coexistence, illuminating the multifaceted ways our cultures were shaped by this powerful creature.
Related to The Age of the Horse
Related audiobooks
The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America The Man Who Listens to Horses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dogs that Made Australia Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World---from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sacred Elephant Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enslaved by Ducks: How One Man Went from Head of the Household to Bottom of the Pecking Order Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lions, Tigers, Bears and Other Ferocious Mammals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild Horse Country: The History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Kind: Lessons on Love, Fear and Friendship from the Wild Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHorse People: Scenes from the Riding Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bird Song and Behavior Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The House of Owls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild Ride Home: Love, Loss, and a Little White Horse, a Family Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNever Cry Wolf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In the Company of Crows and Ravens Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wood for the Trees: One Man's Long View of Nature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Search of Meadowlarks: Birds, Farms, and Food in Harmony with the Land Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Treatise of Modern Falconry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Read Nature: An Expert's Guide to Discovering the Outdoors You've Never Noticed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wind: How the Flow of Air Has Shaped Life, Myth, and the Land Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Milo's Eyes: How a Blind Equestrian and Her "Seeing Eye Horse" Rescued Each Other Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songs of Eastern Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Nature For You
Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion: Surprising Observations of a Hidden World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Uncertain Sea: Fear is everywhere. Embrace it. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shelter: A Love Letter to Trees Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cactus Jack: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Underland: A Deep Time Journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Venom Doc: The Edgiest, Darkest, Strangest Natural History Memoir Ever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every Living Thing: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Things Bright and Beautiful: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related podcast episodes
Shelter Enrichment and Playgroups - Featuring Mara Velez (MA, CPDT-KA) 0% found this document usefulOrigins of the Horse 0% found this document usefulOrigins of Horse Riding 0% found this document usefulDomestication of the Horse: An Enduring Bond 0% found this document usefulRise of Equus 0% found this document usefulLove the Wild: Moose / Alces alces 0% found this document usefulThe Horse is Human's Best Friend 0% found this document usefulHorses: Exploring the connection between horses and humans 100% found this document usefulThe Fossil Record: Woolly Mammoths 0% found this document usefulWhy Are There So Many Horse Breeds? 0% found this document usefulMartyrs: Saint Christopher the Dog-headed Giant 0% found this document usefulEpisode 359: Mad About Horses 0% found this document usefulTrailer: Pod of Orcas Season Two 0% found this document usefulBicycling with Butterflies: a 10,000-mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration with Travel Author Sara Dykman 0% found this document usefulUnicorns Pt. 2: Expeditions have continued throughout history to find a living unicorn. 0% found this document useful
Related articles
Move His Feet Horse & RiderArticle
Move His Feet
Nov 10, 2020
3 min readPerformance Mares Horse & RiderArticle
Performance Mares
Nov 12, 2021
3 min read“Gait Keeper” Genetics EquusArticle
“Gait Keeper” Genetics
Nov 5, 2021
10 min readSoft In The Snaffle Horse & RiderArticle
Soft In The Snaffle
Aug 20, 2019
3 min readIn Love With LONGEARS GritArticle
In Love With LONGEARS
Dec 14, 2018
Stubborn, obstinate, headstrong — all words that have been used to describe mules. And calling someone “mulish” or “muleheaded” has never been intended as a compliment. Mules have a reputation for being difficult to work with. Stories abound about mu
6 min readHow Horses Shaped Britain BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
How Horses Shaped Britain
Aug 24, 2023
6 min readHow We Made Friends with Horses Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and ChildrenArticle
How We Made Friends with Horses
Apr 1, 2019
3 min readMade in Canada, Eh?! HarrowsmithArticle
Made in Canada, Eh?!
May 26, 2021
Canadian history was built on the surf and turf of our great land and the labour of those working it, from the earliest people to the present day. A humble but vital part of the journey has been the livestock in barns, in fields, from coast to coast.
9 min readHoofprints Through History Part 2: Orphans Preferred Practical HorsemanArticle
Hoofprints Through History Part 2: Orphans Preferred
Nov 20, 2018
In my last column, I talked about the role in history of the Mongolian horse, which enabled Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes to subjugate most of Central Asia. Several hundred years later, and several thousand miles to the west of the Mongol Empire
9 min readBeasts of Burden Cobblestone American History and Current Events for Kids and ChildrenArticle
Beasts of Burden
Oct 1, 2021
3 min readOut Of Africa The RakeArticle
Out Of Africa
Aug 12, 2021
2 min readRewilding australia AFARArticle
Rewilding australia
Apr 21, 2020
12 min readStraight From The Horse’s Mouth Country LifeArticle
Straight From The Horse’s Mouth
Sep 1, 2021
5 min readFox In The Frost BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
Fox In The Frost
Dec 17, 2020
5 min readIf the Ferret Crosses the Road Creative NonfictionArticle
If the Ferret Crosses the Road
Aug 17, 2017
17 min readA Testament to Survival The American ScholarArticle
A Testament to Survival
Sep 1, 2020
7 min readThree Cheers For Our Noisiest Bird Cage & Aviary BirdsArticle
Three Cheers For Our Noisiest Bird
Feb 28, 2024
5 min readFairies, Folklore And Forteana Fortean TimesArticle
Fairies, Folklore And Forteana
Dec 3, 2020
2 min readBorn To Run BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
Born To Run
Mar 9, 2023
5 min readRiding High The OldieArticle
Riding High
Jun 28, 2023
The Bridleway: How Horses Shaped the British Landscape By Tiffany Francis-Baker Bloomsbury £17.99 Ever since I was seven years old, and I won my first rosette at a village gymkhana, I have had a passion for horses and the countryside. The two were in
4 min readBorn To Run BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
Born To Run
Mar 9, 2023
5 min readAdapt Or Die BBC Wildlife MagazineArticle
Adapt Or Die
Mar 12, 2020
7 min readThe comeback Kite BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
The comeback Kite
Feb 22, 2024
6 min readDoes DNA Prove These Wild Horses Came From a Spanish Shipwreck? The AtlanticArticle
Does DNA Prove These Wild Horses Came From a Spanish Shipwreck?
Aug 16, 2022
4 min readAcross Nevada on The loneliest Road Journal of Alta CaliforniaArticle
Across Nevada on The loneliest Road
Jul 6, 2021
10 min readHoofprints Through History Practical HorsemanArticle
Hoofprints Through History
Oct 23, 2018
6 min readWheatears Not Walkers Country LifeArticle
Wheatears Not Walkers
Mar 8, 2023
ELEVEN years ago to the day, our village twitchers were whipped into a state of frenzy by the presence of a red-flanked bluetail where no red-flanked bluetail should be, viz. a couple of miles up the road in a Galley Head garden. These tiny birds (li
2 min readHow Primate Research Was Hijacked by Sexist Ideologues The AtlanticArticle
How Primate Research Was Hijacked by Sexist Ideologues
May 6, 2022
11 min readStrange Creatures You South AfricaArticle
Strange Creatures
Aug 7, 2020
3 min readWalking Old Ways BBC Countryfile MagazineArticle
Walking Old Ways
Sep 23, 2021
4 min read
Related categories
Reviews for The Age of the Horse
Rating: 3.125 out of 5 stars
3/5
12 ratings1 review
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5So much unnecessary information. At the minimum, skip the first section… or the whole book