Equus “Story of the Horse” premieres on PBS stations tonight

The relationship between horses and humans is a fascinating topic for equestrians and non-equestrians alike. The equine influence on human civilization is undeniable, and the history of the horse, both wild and domestic, is the center of two new episodes of the long-running PBS series, Nature.

Horseman Jimmy Anderson with Shiver, a two-year-old colt he has just started. Anderson is featured in episode 1, “Origins,” premiering Wednesday, January 16 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Credit: aAron Munson / © Handful of Films

Equus “Story of the Horse” premieres tonight (January 16, 2019) on PBS affiliate stations. The second episode is scheduled to air on January 23. Both episodes will be available for online viewing at pbs.org/nature and on the PBS app for a limited time beginning the day after their initial broadcast.

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The first episode features a look at the history of the horse and how evolution shaped it into the animal we know today. It showcases the rare, wild Przewalski horse and conservation efforts that have helped to prevent the breed’s extinction. The premiere episode also looks at how horses communicate by following research by animal psychologist Karen McComb and her team.

The second episode will examine how a diverse range of breeds and types of horses have come to exist through natural selection as well as selective breeding for different purposes around the world.

The series was filmed over the course of 18 months on three different continents and showcases breeds ranging from the Arabian and Thoroughbred to the wild Sable Island Horse and the distinct Siberian Yakutian Horse.

Yakutian Horses in mid-winter, near Oymyakon, Siberia. From episode 2, “Chasing the Wild,” premiering Wednesday, January 23 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Credit: aAron Munson / © Handful of Films

Learn more and see more clips from Equus “Story of the Horse” at pbs.org/nature.

6 years ago

Leslie Potter

Leslie Potter is a graduate of William Woods University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Science with a concentration in saddle seat riding and a minor in Journalism/Mass Communications. She is currently a writer and photographer in Lexington, Ky. Potter worked as a barn manager and riding instructor and was a freelance reporter and photographer for the Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar and Saddle Horse Report before moving to Lexington to join Horse Illustrated as Web Editor from 2008 to 2019. Her current equestrian pursuits include being a grown-up lesson kid at an eventing barn and trail riding with her senior Morgan gelding, Snoopy.