History of Horses in the year 0033

Hello dear fellow equines and equestrian enthusiasts! Welcome to another installment of my Horse History series! It’s been quite a while, but I've had an awfully busy Spring! As many of you know, Hayfield’s famous for its springtime lambing season - which makes it all the more important for us draft horses like me, to help out by pulling carts, hauling the hay, and moving all those sweet new arrivals! I even had to carry some extra heavy loads, with Farmer Gregor adding another extra hefty little lamb to my wagon when he was particularly proud of its healthy, chunky weight!

It feels lovely to be able to do something useful for Gregor and his family. Even though the work is hard, there’s always something about pulling a full cart with fresh-smelling hay that makes a horse like me feel most happy! As soon as that familiar hay aroma fills the air, I simply know everything will be all right!

Anyway, today we’re going to travel through time once again! Buckle your stirrups and pull your reins tight, my equine friends! Today, we're off to the year 0033!

Ooh! I can't believe I'm doing this again, travelling so far back into the history books. What a thrill! I always try to keep the timeline of history clear for you, dear reader, so I'll take you back to a time when my dear forebears roamed free! Think about it. 0033 years ago, no one knew of bridles or saddles, so I reckon there were still huge wild herds galloping across open spaces with no humans interfering, in places all around the world, and maybe just the occasional stray wolf trying to give chase. I can't imagine not having Farmer Gregor, his kind wife Maisie and those adorable baby lambs to help with. That wouldn't have been my kind of world. Maybe a bit too wild, if you catch my meaning!

It must have been fascinating, to be a horse back in 0033. Even the wild horses in places like North America were just starting to move from the Great Plains towards parts of Alaska. Can you imagine that kind of adventure, and seeing new sights like the mountains and tundra? Imagine seeing what humans hadn't yet been able to get to. It certainly must have been exciting for a horse. And I guess, as you’re aware, the horses of those times had an excellent immune system!

For you non-horse fans out there, who didn't already know, the first domesticated horses would likely have been from the Tarpan horse breed - a beautiful little horse with a gorgeous chestnut brown colour and a mane with a black stripe. They stood just a little smaller than us modern draft horses, around the size of a cob, if you catch my meaning! The first Tarpan’s might well have been domesticated in places like the Eurasian Steppe - where Kazakhstan and Ukraine are now - because the wild horses there would have been quite plentiful, and would have given easy opportunities for the nomadic peoples of that region to use them. They would have learned all about taming, breaking and riding these wild horses, just through natural experience and a sort of hands-on learning process. I’m sure you'll agree, it’s a truly fascinating picture. Imagine how wonderful it must have been to get a closer look at those magnificent creatures back then.

I suppose, if you consider the life a wild horse would have lived in that time period, it must have been all about surviving, eating as much as you could, running and keeping warm in winter and safe from predators. And, even though it would have been hard to think about back then, these beautiful creatures would have started becoming very valuable for things like carrying things and, perhaps, moving people from one place to another. As they learned more, humans would have had great cause to love and cherish their horses. What a great beginning for horses and people, a long, beautiful story!

The year 0033 also witnessed fascinating advancements in the East. As horses continued their journeys around the world, it started getting more likely that people would be using them for transportation in this area, which would include both riders and the more common form of transportation back then, the chariot.

Of course, everyone knows that charioteers in Ancient Egypt used their chariots to race in the city of Memphis - famous for its races around the Sphinx, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, until 250 years later it was mysteriously pulled down, leaving only the ruins we have today.

Just to give you an idea, charioteering wasn't only used by kings, queens, warriors and rulers of great countries, but by many other members of society. And they loved to show off in those stunning chariot races! As it is said, “A true equestrian wouldn't shy away from a good challenge.” What a way to show off a little! And that's one of the things I really love about this time. Just a little fun for everyone. Even horses would get to shine on that chariot racecourse - you know, those huge circles that used to be filled with roaring fans who shouted at the top of their lungs when their favourite horse came out on top. You can really see how far the world of racing has come in 33 years, and now you’ll never look at a horse race the same way, again!

I must say, looking back, the early horse enthusiasts from this era really had a wonderful chance to feel a real sense of freedom, something I have only truly felt on occasion, and that would probably be when Gregor lets me loose in the fields to graze, or when we’re on long gallops up to the peaks of the Cairngorms - even that only happens a few times a year - you just can't get away from the farm like you did back then! Oh how things have changed - for better or for worse, it’s hard to say - but let’s keep on rolling with this history journey through time, shall we?

I'll tell you what's happening closer to home - right in this neck of the woods - near where I’m living in Hayfield near Aberdeen, in Scotland. Well, even if 0033, is so far back in history, this part of Scotland has long been famous for having the biggest number of free-range, wild ponies which graze right in the middle of the countryside. They're actually really important, you see. As wild creatures they keep all of our Scottish farmland strong, and they help make sure our beautiful highlands are still safe from the elements - they're strong horses! Just in case you think they might go a bit wild at times! It's actually thanks to them that the British Isles has always had such amazing pasture, so great for grazing horses! It's something I often see here in Hayfield, where the pastureland is rich with green and fresh, always making my appetite go wild!

There’s a lovely, calm and peaceful atmosphere about 0033, which makes you feel really close to Mother Nature and feel that every horse back then would have felt strong, loved, and had such close ties to their community, I think. And it's pretty amazing, right? You might have thought this was just a bit of horse history, but I like to see it as part of all our stories - from both humans and horses. Now you see that I was not kidding - it’s truly fascinating to look back at history in this way and connect all the pieces - from our own personal lives to the lives of the animals, including humans. It’s pretty much a guarantee that our history, as horses, will forever be deeply tied to theirs, and who knows what the future holds - let's keep on trotting into tomorrow.

Remember to come back and join me again soon for the next installment of my Equine History blog - as we’ll continue our travels around the timeline, discovering the exciting, wonderful world of horses, which are such an important part of our history, and the amazing role we’ve played for mankind, down through the ages!

Until next time.
Emma
Hayfield, Scotland.