Equine history ? the  study of horses, donkeys, mules and the genus known as ?equus? ? stretches from prehistoric archaeology to contemporary issues of elite leisure and conservation policies. Knowledge on these topics has moved increasingly from the realm of popular specialists to academic research of many different stripes. With the turn to cultural history and now animal studies, a growing number of scholars are interested in the multi-faceted role of the horse in human societies and cultures. Such a re-discovery of the importance of the horse coincides with our own contemporary general lack of interaction with equines or many other animals in daily life, leading to the need for interpreters who can translate the technicalities of equine knowledge into the larger concerns of historical research.