Hipparion evolved as a side branch from Merychippus. This equid spread from America over the Bering Strait to Eurasia and eventually even Africa after equids had become extinct in Eurasia due to geological and climatic changes. Hipparion was and remained three-toed. It was an evolutionary successful equid which gave rise to sixteen different species of grazers and browsers, which all eventually became extinct.

Neohipparion's distribution appears to have been limited to the "New World" - hence ist name (neo meaning new). It branched off from Hipparion about 16 to 5 mya and had a wither height of approx. 1 m.
It was three-toed and - based on fossil records - very common.