tarpans

The tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) was a subspecies of wild horse that inhabited much of Europe and western Asia. It is commonly regarded as a wild ancestor or close relative of the domestic horse, though the details of horse domestication are complex and debated.

Tarpans were typically small to medium-sized and had a compact build. They wore a dun-colored coat and displayed primitive markings such as a dorsal stripe along the back and darker markings on the legs. Coat shades ranged from pale dun to deeper browns, and the lighter belly was common in many individuals. These features helped distinguish tarpan-like stock from some other wild and domestic horse populations.

Historically, tarpan populations spanned across broad European and western Asian landscapes. From the late medieval period onward, hunting, habitat loss, and crossbreeding with domestic horses contributed to a sharp decline. By the 19th century, tarpan populations were extinct in the wild, with the last individuals living in captivity in some zoos and private collections into the early 20th century.

Taxonomically, tarpan is part of the wild horse group Equus ferus. It is closely related to other wild horses such as the Przewalski’s horse, and it is considered one of the lineages that contributed to the domestic horse gene pool. Modern domestic horses originate from Eurasian wild horses, with multiple populations and lineages likely involved in domestication rather than a single source.

In the 20th century, breeding programs sought to preserve tarpan-like traits. The Konik, a Polish-bred, tarpan-inspired population, is often cited as the closest living analogue to the tarpan and has been used in European rewilding efforts to restore wild-type horse populations in natural habitats.