History of Horses in the year 0382

Hello there, fellow horse enthusiasts! It’s Emma here, from Hayfield, near Aberdeen. I'm a bit late posting this month, what with spring plowing and the usual bustle, but I wanted to catch up on some fascinating events from this year, 382 AD, for Equiworld.

Life on the farm is never dull, but sometimes it's the quieter, everyday things that make you ponder the world beyond the field and your daily work. And honestly, what's more inspiring than a good horse story?

This year, I’ve been doing what most farm horses do, helping to prepare the fields, pulling carts to the village, and giving the occasional younger foal a ride on my back for fun (supervised, of course!). It's good work, and I love the feel of the fresh earth under my hooves in the spring and the smell of hay in the barn come autumn.

But 382 AD brought with it some unusual happenings that felt more like history than everyday life, and those are what I wanted to share with you today.

Remember how we've talked about the "Roman Empire" - that grand and powerful empire that stretches further than any horse could travel? Well, this year we had a bit of that powerful world touch our little farm.

It was in the early spring, just after the first signs of green broke through the brown of winter. My human family, they’re a bit of a chatty lot, and they were talking about "Saxons" – people from far away who came across the sea to settle new lands. Apparently, they have their own traditions, even a kind of horse-drawn chariot called a “war chariot” that sounds exciting but perhaps a little noisy for my liking!

The chat changed tone when word arrived of a Roman soldier, stationed down in England. Apparently, these soldiers ride beautiful horses, trained to carry weapons, some of them bigger and stronger than me! This fellow was visiting the nearby city, possibly with news about some conflict with these Saxons – the men called it a war – which, for us horses, was just an odd, noisy journey for people and some carts, all heading further south than I could ever dream.

It wasn't until later that year that I really felt how powerful those horses of the Roman Empire were. One hot, dusty afternoon, I saw them myself – two horses with shiny coats and thick, muscular necks, each pulling a chariot filled with Roman soldiers, gleaming armour flashing under the sun. My stablemate, a younger horse named Ben, kept repeating the words “They are fast, so very fast!”

These Romans, they brought their culture and customs with them, their very own horse practices. This was long before we knew about "The Roman Empire", a history book in the making! I was especially intrigued by their saddle designs – some had strange-looking high-backed seats for riders who looked like they needed help getting on.

The sight of those horses, trained to war, gave me pause. They were used in a way quite different from our farmwork. I wondered what it was like to be used that way. But to me, I couldn't think of anything better than a warm barn, hay to eat, and a good human who cared for me – even though sometimes I long to gallop with the wind in my mane!

There were strange, whispery conversations around our farm, something about "Saxons” and “kings” fighting on the far shores of England. Even the chickens and ducks seemed to know about these things, fussing in the barns as if they, too, understood the import of it all. It made my little horse heart beat a bit faster, although not fast enough to keep pace with the humans’ constant pacing and whispering.

Life was definitely more exciting than usual – as I have heard from other horses at the marketplace – this Roman presence made some farmers cautious. The usual trade, bringing grain from distant fields, seemed less certain. I didn't fully understand why, but I could tell things were changing.

These are just a few of the glimpses into this fascinating year, 382 AD, seen through my eyes. While I may not be involved in war chariots or traveling long distances, I can feel the rumble of change through the land. It's a year full of mysteries and possibilities, a reminder that history, even horse history, is a vibrant tapestry woven by those who come before us, the way we are living it now, and what we hope to be part of in the future.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Equiworld – you never know what stories the next year might hold!

Until then, keep your hoofs up,

Emma