Hey, guys! Here’s my outline for my TED Talk regarding the changes in the relationship between horses and men over the years. I tend to tweak the information in my speeches often so this may be very different from the one I give on the 14th! Anyways, I welcome any feedback you all might have. I am definitely willing to make any changes necessary so that this speech is more interesting and enjoyable for you all.
Introduction:
Brief narrative of common ideas of horses and their roles in society; how they are portrayed in media, etc.
What Changed?
Prehistoric background of the development of the relationship (Ice Age, early interactions)
Man’s increasing dependence upon them for survival
How horses came to occupy prominent positions in the religious and cultural lives of the people they encountered.
Horses in the classical age: warfare and transportation
Horses as a means of farming and production
Farming and production to symbols of entertainment
* Decreasing dependence upon horses in daily life
Why Did It Change?
Improvements in farming technologies:
Industrial Revolution
Invention and development of the threshing machine, the tractor
Technological Developments:
The car, the steamboat, the telephone
Why Does it Matter?
Brief description of how horses are portrayed: movies and horse racing
Primarily seen now as entertainment
Charges of animal abuse, violation of animal rights
Demonstrates the increasing dependence upon technology
Conclusion
Brief overview
Highlight and emphasize the dependence upon technology- what does that say about our values as a society?
Should we support the continuation of racing and other sports (considering that they cause horses to reach their physical breaking points and that they are forms of animal abuse)?
Is our entertainment more important than the well being of the animals involved?