The
wild horse (
Equus ferus) is a
species of the
genus Equus, which includes as
subspecies the modern
domesticated horse (
Equus ferus caballus) as well as the undomesticated
tarpan (
Equus ferus ferus), now extinct, and the endangered
Przewalski's horse (
Equus ferus przewalskii). Przewalski's horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced successfully to the wild. The tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, though it was a possible ancestor of the domestic horse, and roamed the steppes of Eurasia at the time of domestication. However, other subspecies of
Equus ferus may have existed and could have been the stock from which domesticated horses are descended. Since the extinction of the tarpan, attempts have been made to reconstruct its
phenotype, resulting in
horse breeds such as the
Konik and
Heck horse. However, the genetic makeup and
foundation bloodstock of those breeds is substantially derived from domesticated horses, so these breeds possess domesticated traits.