Chapter 6 changing role of women

I thought it very interesting and plausible how the text connected the changing role of women and the domestication of horses.  The text throughout describes the women's contribution as vital in the gathering and hunting societies as they gathered about 70% of the food at the table.  With the domestication of the horse however farmers were able to plow land, a chore not able to be performed with children like the earlier gathering was.  Because of this the men became the farmers and contributed much more to the food at the table.  At first it seemed a stretch but as the author describes the strength needed to work with the plow and how difficult it would be to lug children along it began to make some sense.  After thinking about it for a while I tend to agree that this estimation could certainly be one of the primary cause in the diminishing roles of women in the early years.