Posted on 04/28/2017 4:23:08 PM PDT by SteveH
At some point in the past two millennia peanuts on an evolutionary time scale humans transformed their horses into equine speed demons. Selective breeding had a price, though, beyond $30,000 vials of pedigreed racehorse sperm. Unhelpful mutations plagued the animals. The current population of domesticated horses is about 55 million, but at some point in their history, their genetic diversity crashed. The Y chromosomes of all the world's stallions are now quite similar, suggesting that only a relatively few males were the ancestors of today's horses.
Humans have not always bred so selectively, according to a study published in the journal Science on Thursday. Horse domestication began about 5,500 years ago. Ancient equestrians were not interested in superfast animals. They were more interested in diversity and potential, said Ludovic Orlando, a professor of molecular archaeology at the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark and an author of the new study.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
GMO horses.
"Invented in Asia and subsequently spreading worldwide, the oldest known trousers are found at the Yanghai cemetery in Turpan, Xinjiang, western China, dated to the period between the 13th and the 10th century BC. Made of wool, the trousers had straight legs and wide crotches, and were likely made for horseback riding."
These are the people who probably domesticated the horse and invented pants:
The Curse Of The Red-Headed Mummy
This is Cherchen Man and he has on the oldest pants ever found.
(And, he was found in China)
If nothing else, it indicates humans have been involved in bioengineering for a much, much longer time than anyone thought. And that the world didn’t implode because of it.
CC
“This is the key phrase in what you posted. Some jurisdictions run Arabians, and maybe other breeds, I don’t know, in separate races for that/those breed(s). But thoroughbreds only race with other thoroughbreds at any racetrack that ever runs a race in front of more than 200 people.”
Delaware accepts Jockey Club racing permits. Other states accept Jockey Club approved foreign registries.
The red headed mummy also ties into the theory that some strains of Celtic peoples came from as far away as Asia.
CC
:) Now that's funny....
Do you think somebody might want to tell the Washington Post that long, long ago, horses used to be work animals. Hence, in the past, many breeds were bred for purposes other than winning horse races.
There are many breeds of horses in the world. Some are closely related, but many are not. There is still a lot of diversity in equines.
True, but the Jockey Club does not allow any means but live cover. No artificial insemination, cloning or other means and the description of how the breeding is to take place to qualify the resulting foal is graphic.
AQHA does allow AI for registration but the article kept referring to the Kentucky Derby and other things that would only pertain to TBs.
However if a foal is born to a mare that is registered with the jockey club and her lineage is verified with DNA, the resulting foal can get a racing permit to race in TB races- even if the sire is not registered so I suppose the breeding could be done AI and a racing permit could be issued, but the foal could not be registered, would be allowed to race.
With all the money at stake directly related to registered horses with the Jockey Club I would be surprised if many would go that route but I have been wrong before.
I would say very unlikely AI done with TB race horses, but not impossible.
Pants had a LEVIS tag on them.....Ebay auction now pending.
Wearing beer goggles were you?
You’d think someone would have invented paints before then just to stay warm.
Mares were more valuable, since they could produce each year. Whereas studs are a pain to keep more than a few of, and so more likely to be eaten or used as high-mortality rate war horses.
“Reverting in a few generations”
wondered if they checked wild horses.
I always wanted a Detroit Mustang, 1968 or earlier.
Delaware Park cards races for Arabians.
ML/NJ
I am not sure what you mean. We are talking about thoroughbreds.
Me too. But went for the 2008 Bullitt and now 2016 GT. Not looking back anymore.
If there are any horses that Delaware permits to compete that are artificially inseminated they are Arabians, not Thoroughbreds. I have never seen an Arabian race outside of Delaware. From all I can tell, such races are only held in Delaware and Colorado in the US.
By definition, no Thoroughbred is the result of artificial insemination.
ML/NJ
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