Hello my fellow equines! Emma here, a grey draught mare with a heart full of stories. As you all know, I'm a huge fan of history, especially the history of us horses, so I've been diligently digging into the archives to bring you all a delightful little glimpse into the year 0853 AD. Today's tale is brought to you from Hayfield, near Aberdeen in the beautiful land of Scotland.
Now, 0853 was a rather exciting time, a sort of turning point, if you will. This is especially true in the north where I was born and raised. You see, this was a period where the mighty Vikings, renowned seafarers, started establishing strong settlements in the north of Scotland. It was certainly a time of great change and influence, both for the humans and for us horses!
My family, a good old-fashioned Highland Draught, was hard-working and had been here for generations. Our farm, as I can recall from my foaling days, was quite close to the coast. I often watched the boats come and go. You know, you wouldn’t believe the size of those ships! I often felt small standing near the edge of the beach watching the Viking ships come and go. These ships weren't like your ordinary fisherman's boats. These were like floating cities, with huge sails that looked like wings, they carried everything you could imagine from men and materials to plunder and trade. These Vikings seemed to know no fear, with their big, sturdy builds, fierce blue eyes, and strong arms. You’d see them often gathering their long, sharp swords and shields before setting out to sea.
It was a busy place! The arrival of the Vikings in our region had a noticeable impact on how the humans lived. These Vikings, known as the Gall-gaidheil, meaning 'Foreign Gaels,' came to Scotland in their longboats, which could hold a lot more cargo than any boats we had at that time. And these ships! I’d say the average Viking ship would need at least a dozen strong work horses like my own father to pull their ships up onto the beach, but it seemed the Vikings weren't afraid of hard work!
And where were we, you might be asking? Well, we were in the heart of all this, quite literally! They brought with them trade and new technology that helped change the world for humans. And, you can't ignore this! As these Viking longships were built with such precision, using fine tools and metalwork, it is hard to think that this technology had no influence on our own working world. I do believe that it's possible some of their new ways made their way to the blacksmiths in our little Hayfield village.
The Vikings would be a real sight, though. Picture these mighty figures, with their shaggy hair and impressive long beards, stepping off their huge ships and bringing a whirlwind of activity to the previously simple lives of the locals. It was hard to ignore their imposing presences. The sound of their heavy boots echoing in the small cobblestone streets, their boisterous voices calling across the market place, and even the rhythmic sound of their powerful axes hitting the timber, preparing new buildings. It was quite the contrast to our normal lives, to say the least.
We Highland Draughts had no shortage of work before their arrival, pulling heavy ploughs, carrying supplies, transporting the day's catch from the harbor. But the Vikings changed the pace of life. Now we had to work extra hard.
We also had the Vikings horses among us! Those big Viking steads! They had these impressive bay coats with long black manes and tails, with powerful bodies that moved like they could break a rock with their hooves. I recall my brother, Angus, having a good laugh about one Viking horse's odd behaviour. He saw the big black horse neighing furiously as its master, a tall, rugged Viking with braids in his hair and two axe handles wrapped across his back, tried to put on a heavy harness. The horse seemed confused about these "extra limbs" of the harness! Angus was chuckling as if the horse was saying, "what is this! Is this another new technology?".
The humans around Hayfield certainly embraced change, they loved these horses too! My mother was so envious of their black coat, you know. We had several local mares whose offspring ended up looking strikingly like those bay horses. These Viking steeds really mixed things up a little, they changed the landscape in so many ways. We can't talk about 0853 without mentioning the horses.
Speaking of changes, can you believe that around 0853 AD people also used us, us horses, to carry news and messages across lands? It wasn’t quite what we know now as the post office, mind you! But the humans relied on riders on horses to cover long distances and pass on important news to faraway towns and villages. We were like, 'Four-legged telegram deliverers.' Think of it this way - a travelling horse was a messenger with hooves and a whole lot more power than any carrier pigeon!
And you know what? It's not that different to what we do today. Now I’m often sent to deliver mail for our lovely farmer who keeps our herd. It's fascinating to see how much history repeats itself! Just imagine us, these incredible horses, playing a vital role in a bustling society, running around in the midst of this important historical era. What a time!
Another fascinating part of that era was the great love of racing among humans. This was very prevalent, with the people taking part in exciting and adventurous horse racing festivals. Even in the far-away corner of our region of Hayfield, there were little races here and there, but most of the exciting competitions and famous races took place further south. There is this story about a great race happening around this time in Yorkshire. They would race across this wild stretch of moorland that stretched out as far as you could see.
We're talking about wild, unpredictable tracks. Can you imagine? Racing along the edges of a moor! It was something quite extraordinary! You can almost imagine a herd of horses darting through heather and bog. Imagine the thrill of the wind blowing through your mane as you race towards the finish! A horse must have been quite a sight, full of fiery determination and excitement.
These races became such popular events. You would find people coming from all corners of England to take part and watch! It almost made you forget that it was 0853 AD. For those brief moments of joy, the racing really captured the imagination of the people, as if it didn't matter what was going on with politics or war or any of that heavy stuff. It was just humans and horses enjoying the fun of the races! It just brings out a pure energy! I wonder how racing has changed, perhaps they'll have better races when I'm a great-grandmother and can't race anymore.
And of course, the people didn’t forget about our more traditional duties. We horses helped the humans farm the land! They really couldn’t do much without us. And I can tell you - being part of farming back then wasn’t any walk in the park, let me tell you! We were ploughing those long furrows, transporting the harvested crops and even helping the families move to new villages. We were their reliable working companions! Just another day in the life, you could say!
While it may not sound glamorous now, it was a big part of our world back in those days! I mean, we may be creatures of strength and beauty but let’s be honest, we horses have never been shy of a good hard day's work, have we? The farmer always took care of us with lots of hay and a cozy stable when the weather was bad! Plus, the feeling of being so vital and contributing to something so much larger than ourselves was, well, let’s just say I was rather proud to be a Highland Draught back in those days!
As I look back on the year 0853, it was an important era for us horses in Scotland. It marked a shift, bringing changes and a new era of understanding, but ultimately a bond between the Vikings, the humans, and us horses. This is the essence of history, to be told and shared. Now, go out there and find your own story. This world is filled with adventure and incredible stories, waiting to be explored.
Till next time, my friends.
Yours truly,
Emma
