Caribou as a domesticate

[Hans de Vries]

Do you think domesticated Caribou could be selectively bred to a size similar to that of horses and provide a viable alternative to horses in North America?

Raindeer were domesticated and raindeer and caribou are practically the same. 

[John Cuthber]

13 minutes ago, Hans de Vries said:

Do you think domesticated Caribou could be selectively bred to a size similar to that of horses and provide a viable alternative to horses in North America?

Raindeer were domesticated and raindeer and caribou are practically the same. 

They are the same as reindeer (note the spelling, btw).
Caribou have been semi domesticated for a long time.

Not sure there's much advantage over a horse.

 

[Hans de Vries]

Amerindians have always lacked a proper draft/riding animal. Caribou could have filled that role. 

[iNow]

They’d be more likely to replace cows/beef as a food source than to replace horses as a transportation method (a method that’s barely used by barely anyone any more anyway). 

[Peterkin]

4 hours ago, Hans de Vries said:

Do you think domesticated Caribou could be selectively bred to a size similar to that of horses and provide a viable alternative to horses in North America?

 

To what end? Why would anyone undertake a century long breeding project of large, unwieldy and unco-operative herbivores with vast space and feed requirements, to replace an animal that's obsolete for draft work and already perfected for pets, sport and fashionable accessory to the rich? 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Peterkin
left out word