On Jun. 7, 2024, the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona announced an analysis of genome data from 475 ancient horses and 77 modern ones revealed that domestication actually occurred twice – the first time being a dead end – and traced the rise of horse-based mobility to around 2200 BC in Eurasia, centuries later than previously thought.

The genomic evidence showed that horses were first domesticated in Central Asia – northern Kazakhstan to be precise – about 5,500 years ago by people from what is called the Botai culture. The domestication of a second equine bloodline began roughly 4,700 years ago in the western Russian steppes, trotting along for a period of centuries before horse-based mobility suddenly galloped across Eurasia about 4,200 years ago, the study showed. All modern domestic horses have their origins in this event.