Domesticated for milk and meat 5,000 years ago, horses quickly became an integral part of human history when humans learned to ride them. In this episode of Johan Norberg’s New and Improved, Norberg takes us to the steppes of Central Asia and the origins of the domesticated horse.

An offensive weapon in times of war, horses also proved valuable on farms pulling plows. Their speed and strength revolutionized transportation worldwide, facilitating trade, communication, and migration as they carried people, goods, and messages across continents.

By the early 20th-century, horses were a major means of transportation but also a major source of pollution. New York City alone dealt with over 2.5 million pounds of manure each day. Replacing horses with horsepower became a priority and helped spur the industrial age.