Like our our Mineral, Snake & Butterfly posters, our North American Horses poster is a high quality colorful & laminated poster that is a must-have for anyone interested in Horses or Equine sports. The poster provides a comprehensive overview of the important breeds in historical context. The horse became extinct in North America about 11,000 years ago, but Columbus reintroduced the horse to the New World on his second voyage in 1493, when he brought them to Cuba. In 1516, Cortez landed a small herd on continental North America. The Spanish later brought many others. Later, the Germans, Dutch, Swedes and Finns brought their distinctive breeds into New York, Delaware, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. These colonial imports make up the first section of the poster as they provided the bloodlines for the many breeds that followed. Several very important but now-extinct breeds are included. The next section shows the feral and Native American horses. The term ?wild? refers to an animal that has never been domesticated. ?Feral? refers to domesticated animals that have returned to the wild. All North American feral horses are called ?mustangs,? but there are several very important breeds. The last section shows the many other breeds that originated in North America. The importance of the horse to our nation is conveyed through illustrations showing ways they have been used by conquistadors, patriots, the U.S. Army cavalry, cowboys, modern-day police and others. Fifty-four magnificent breeds are faithfully and accurately illustrated, making this poster an essential reference for horse lovers. The 24" x 36" poster is sealed in a heavy crystal clear plastic laminate making it waterproof and very resistant to damage.