The Grassroots of Business Success

In the modern world it is easy to forget the tremendous importance of horses and horseback riding to the development of our civilization. Homo sapiens and Neanderthal man were hunting horses for meat far back into the obscure mists of history and there are some clues which indicate that more or less domesticated horse herds were kept in southwestern Europe for the purpose of meat and milk. There are even some tantalizing indications that riding them may go back to those distant times as well.

In any case Egyptians, Mesopotamians and tribes of the Asian steppes were riding horses before 3,000 B.C. Some claim that they were used to draw chariots in Egypt and Mesopotamia before they were actually ridden. In any case, long before the glory days of the ancient Greeks, the popularity of chariots had faded considerably in favor of the advantages of the mounted horseman. The cavalry became indispensable for success on the battlefield. Not only could a well timed cavalry charge destroy the formations of enemy infantry, but mounted scouts could provide intelligence on the movements of the enemy and pass messages back and forth to different sections of the army with much more rapidity than could be done by runners on foot. Many key battles which altered the course of history have been won or lost by the use of cavalry.