Lena Horse
Equus (ferus) lenensis
🐴
Chordata
Mammalia
Perissodactyla
Equoidea
Equidae
Equus
Equus (ferus) lenensis
The Siberian Steppe Horse — Equus (ferus) lenensis, a rugged Ice Age horse adapted to the cold, open tundra of northern Asia, once thundered across the mammoth steppe alongside woolly mammoths and cave lions. With its compact body and dense coat, it endured the harsh climates of Late Pleistocene Siberia.
Description
The Lena Horse was a close relative of the modern wild horse (Equus ferus ferus) and the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), though it exhibited more primitive traits such as shorter legs and a sturdier skull. Its thick, dun-colored coat and strong limbs were ideal for surviving the frigid steppe-tundra ecosystem. These horses grazed on coarse grasses and sedges across the vast plains of what is now Yakutia and the Lena River basin. Frozen remains recovered from Siberian permafrost reveal remarkably preserved hair, skin, and even stomach contents — a frozen time capsule of Ice Age life.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
320
1.45
1.8
2.3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Pleistocene humans of northern Eurasia, including Upper Paleolithic cultures, hunted Equus (ferus) lenensis for meat, hide, and bone. Their hunting was opportunistic, using spears and cooperative drives to corner herds along river valleys or against icy cliffs. Horses were a vital part of human survival, offering food through the long winters and material for clothing and tools.
Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Yana RHS site, Yakutia (Russia) — c. 28,000 BCE: horse bones with clear butchering marks found alongside human tools.
Duvanny Yar, Kolyma River (Russia) — c. 15,000 BCE: preserved Equus lenensis remains found near human settlement layers.
Mammoth Steppe site, Lena River Basin (Russia) — c. 12,000 BCE: stone projectile points embedded in horse bones, showing hunting activity.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Europe
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
16
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3