War Horse Domestication and Military Use

Timeline

1. c. -3500–-2000Western Eurasian Steppe · Steppe beltWild horses were domesticated on the Eurasian steppe, initially mainly for milk, meat, and draft; archaeological and ancient DNA evidence shows the domestication process spanned millennia and spread east and west.
2. c. -2000–-500Mesopotamia and Anatolia · MesopotamiaTwo-wheeled chariots became the main shock force of the Near East and Mediterranean world, with horse-and-chariot technology spreading to Egypt, India, China, and elsewhere through trade and war.
3. c. -900–-200Iranian Plateau and Central Asia · Iranian PlateauOnce riding techniques matured, peoples such as the Scythians and Parthians developed horse archer tactics, breaking chariot dominance and laying the foundation for later cavalry systems.
4. c. -300–1Eurasia · EurasiaEmpires such as Macedon, the Seleucids, and Qin and Han incorporated war horses into standing armies and logistics systems, with cavalry and chariots coexisting, while military horse breeding and horse administration systems gradually became institutionalized.