The first use of
horses in warfare occurred over 5,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of horses
ridden in warfare dates from
Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A
Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of
equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved
harness and
chariot designs made chariot warfare common throughout the
Ancient Near East, and the earliest written training manual for war horses was a guide for training chariot horses written about 1350 BC. As formal
cavalry tactics replaced the chariot, so did new training methods, and by 360 BC, the Greek cavalry officer
Xenophon had written an extensive treatise on horsemanship. The effectiveness of horses in battle was also revolutionized by improvements in
technology, including the invention of the
saddle, the
stirrup, and later, the
horse collar.