It is hard to believe that the beautiful horse that we all love started life about 55 million years ago as a little creature no bigger than a pet cat! Officially, it is called Hyracotherium but most people call this creature Eohippus (which means "Dawn Horse" and is much easier to say). It was only 20cm (8in) high at the shoulder — no bigger than a pet cat!

There are many different theories about how the various breeds of Equus ferus caballus, the modern domesticated horse, came about. One popular theory is called the ‘Four Foundation' theory, however recent genetic testing has strongly questioned its simplicity.