Two crucial gene mutations transformed wild horses into the gentle, rideable animals that reshaped human civilization. These genetic changes, scientists say, were a true “game changer for horse biology.”

The sacrifice of the ten million men who lost their lives during the conflict, which endured from 1914 to 1918, is well known. Less well known is the price paid by the estimated eight million horses that perished in the Great War, a fact lamented by Private James Robert Johnston, a horse transport driver who served with the 14th Canadian Machine Gun Company, in his memoir, Riding into War: “Very little has been said about the horses and mules that were used and what they suffered is beyond all description.”

It’s sometimes called an “equestrian palace,” and the nickname is no exaggeration. The first glimpse of the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables) in Chantilly, France is truly jaw-dropping. To see for yourself, take a 30-minute train ride from Paris to Chantilly, home of famous lace, cream and horses — some consider the town France’s “capital city of the horse.” Next, walk through a woods so peaceful it feels like something out of a fairy tale. When you reach the end of the path you’ll be at the edge of a grassy racecourse. Gaze across the track; et voilà, that stunning view.

Horses and oxen have been used to haul logs since pre-industrial times. Much of it was small scale harvesting, but it was hard and hazardous work. Unstable and snagged trees, falling branches, and loose material were the “widow makers” of a rapidly growing but dangerous industry. But as settlers arrived in Canada, more land had to be cleared for home-building, farming, and travel. Ultimately, horses and oxen were replaced with machinery and logging trucks. But today, some people have kept the heritage of horse logging alive.