True Left

Thousands of Yamnaya skeletons were found in graves and analysis has shown signs of changes caused by horse riding.

Scientists from the University of Helsinki and Hartwick College in New York focused on the remains of five individuals that had been unearthed from kurgans, or prehistoric burial mounds, in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

A study of their bones proved them to be “the oldest humans identified as riders so far” because they exhibited clear signs of “horsemanship syndrome”, which included changes to the riders’ pelvis, thigh, spine and back.

Yamnaya individuals originated in Ukraine and are known for their equine prowess which is said to have allowed them to spread throughout Europe.

The riding opened up new possibilities in transportation, warfare and supply chains which led to horses becoming one of the most prized possessions for millennia.

Volker Heyd, a study co-author, said that mounting steeds gave the people the ability to greatly enhance their mobility.

“[It] enabled them to keep large herds of cattle and sheep and, as we now know, to guide them on horseback,” he said.

David Anthony, from Hartwick College, added: “It made herding cattle and sheep three times more efficient, it changed the human conception of distance and it was an aid in warfare.”

The new findings show people were riding horses for around 1,000 years before previously thought and also suggest humans had kept horses as livestock for their milk for around 500 years before deciding to learn to ride them.

Skeletons in the study displayed changes to their femur caused by gripping onto the sides of the horse, a well-known morphological change to the human body among horse riders.

There was also some evidence of degeneration to the vertebrae in the spine which may have been the result of the up-and-down movement of horse riding.
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The scientists write that signs of “biomechanical stress” on the skeletons “provide a viable way to further investigate the history of horseback riding and may even provide clues about riding style and equipment”.

The team also said that a position called “chair seat”, which involved no saddle or stirrups, was also employed by early riders despite it being “physically demanding”.

It requires the rider to constantly squeeze their legs together to stay on the back of their steed and is a test of one’s balance and strength as it would also be used when fighting or herding livestock.