Welcome back, fellow equines!
Emma here, a grey draught mare with a flowing white mane and tail. Today, we’re embarking on a journey back in time, to the year 694, where the wind whips through the Scottish highlands, the heather is in bloom, and the smell of peat smoke hangs heavy in the air.
I call the beautiful valley near Aberdeen, called Hayfield, home. It’s a place where rolling green hills meet the cerulean sky, where wildflowers bloom in abundance, and where the scent of hay fills the air.
But today, my thoughts travel far beyond the boundaries of my own grassy paddock, for I’m a history enthusiast. You could even say, a history buff! I have always been fascinated by tales from long ago - tales of courageous steeds, fearless riders, and magnificent empires. So today, let's journey together to the world of 694, where I'll be sharing the equine perspective on what life was like during this exciting time.
Life in 694
Life for horses like myself in 694 is very different than for the horses today! Life is certainly simple in our world, filled with the natural rhythms of the earth. The air is crisp, the skies often grey and sometimes a little dreary, and our days are long, stretching out with only the break of dawn and dusk as our guides.
Our daily tasks are varied, though usually centered around providing essential aid to humankind.
From dawn to dusk, I, along with my equine companions, are busy pulling ploughs across fields. You see, we don’t have fancy tractors, and our hooves are still the best tool for churning up the earth for crops. This means many long hours, strong muscles and patience - but it’s work that feeds our village, our families, and, importantly, our bellies.
Then, there are days when we become packhorses, bearing heavy loads, lumbering along narrow paths, to transport goods, or supplies to faraway settlements. This work is gruelling and requires incredible strength and determination - something I've become well known for.
However, there are more gentle duties as well. In the evenings, when the sun begins to set and paint the sky in hues of orange and purple, I may be asked to transport our masters on horseback, often used for important meetings, hunting trips or simply for leisure riding. You might think this would be our favourite thing to do - the thrill of the wind whipping through our mane, the rhythm of our stride as we make our way through the highlands. It can be lovely but often my masters want us to canter or gallop! My favourite part is actually when we get to stop and relax, have a bite of hay and some delicious grass. This is what is really the best part of being a horse, even when you are a working horse!
What are the Humans Like?
Now, the humans, oh the humans! In 694, life is harder than the lives our equine friends live, but despite this, there is a sense of community that warms our heart. They work hard, with a passion for life and family. Our lives, our tasks, are essential to their success - something we understand.
They build with their hands, their skills in weaving and carpentry being essential for shelter and supplies.
They farm with diligence, caring for the fields and understanding the cycle of nature, bringing crops and livestock for sustenance. They often seem grateful for our hard work. I have heard many words of praise said about myself. I guess this is because of my powerful muscles and calm disposition!
Their world is a simple one, much less intricate and complex than what you all live through today, but it’s a world with heart, integrity, and a sense of camaraderie that fills the air.
The World Beyond Hayfield
It isn’t all fields and villages here, you know.
Out there, in the great big world beyond Hayfield, grand Kingdoms are forming. Kings and Queens are forging empires, but even more fascinating is the movement of the Celts across our landscape. Their intricate jewelry and powerful warriors are known all over the lands. Some call them invaders, some heroes - a complicated story for a simple horse, indeed! We hear whispers of Viking ships docking, and the North Sea full of danger and exploration.
My fellow equine friends are important in these grand schemes, it seems, even if it's just hearsay! You see, horses, particularly large powerful steeds such as myself are valuable possessions, essential in this time, for transportation, for war, for all manner of things, both large and small.
We're used for travel across the Highlands and, indeed, are even used to take messages across countries, acting as a fast and sure means of communication. Our feet carry news of victories and defeats, of prosperity and loss.
A Sense of Pride
You may think this life in 694 sounds tough, my dear readers! It does have its hardships, and my muscles and tendons have certainly seen some aches and pains! But it is also a life rich in connection to the land, to the cycles of nature, to the human spirit.
When I am resting in the cool evening, after a day’s hard work, and I see my foal, happily running about in the grass, I think how lucky we are to have a life where family, community, and nature play such central roles. The stories we horses are part of are vital and important!
It fills me with pride knowing that the strong back, the steady hooves, the keen eyes of the horses of my time were so vital to survival. We, as equines, are a strong force - this was evident in our role in that grand age.
This world of 694 might seem like another age entirely. But our love of the open land, our natural rhythm, our role in humankind’s story – these are forever entwined, forever relevant. It is my hope that, even though time moves on, the horses of 694 will never be forgotten.
So until next time, my dear equines, keep your hoofs grounded, and your hearts full. Emma, out!
[Image of a beautiful grey draught horse standing against a sunset with fields and rolling hills in the background.]
