Hello all you lovely horses and horse-lovers! Emma here, from the breezy Scottish Highlands near Aberdeen. It's been a while since I last posted on Equiworld. Life has been, well, life - you know, full of good food, hard work, and lots of adventures! I’m 20 now, a sturdy grey mare with a white mane and tail that’s as shiny as a polished silver coin, but in 973, the world is changing. So many things are different to how they used to be for us horses!
This post is all about my observations as a working horse in the year 973 - what we’re up to in Hayfield and beyond, what we’re feeling about all this change, and maybe some whispers of exciting new things coming our way...
Farming and Freedom
You wouldn't believe how much the world is changing, even in a quiet corner like Hayfield! For us horses, our work life used to be much the same: a routine of plowing the fields, hauling carts, and maybe helping with the harvest. I’m a draught horse, strong and reliable, built for hauling heavy loads. I know a bit about what I’m talking about. I love my life – but things are getting different in the year 973. The Norman Conquest, well, it changed our lives, it certainly did.
You see, these Normans, they arrived here from across the water. It seems that before their arrival, the horses we worked alongside – well, they were used a little bit more “lightly” than they are now. It wasn't that the English folk treated us badly before, just a bit differently. They valued a horse's ability, sure, but they didn't have that... same… obsession with strength that the Normans have.
You see, when these Normans took over, the horses they brought with them were huge and strong – even bigger than us draught horses, and we thought we were big! They called them destriers - horses built for war. But, here’s the interesting part, they even trained their destriers to fight! I couldn’t imagine myself ever charging into a battle!
The thing about all this, about their focus on strength, well, they took that love of strength to all their horses - their farm horses, even the ponies. Suddenly, everything we were working on in the fields got harder. Pulling heavy carts of grain - phew, talk about heavy loads!
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my work. I do! I love the feeling of my powerful muscles pulling those heavy carts. The satisfaction of a good, honest day’s work is the best, trust me. The feeling of the wind in my mane and the warmth of the sun on my back, there’s nothing quite like it!
But sometimes, even I have to admit, a bit of change wouldn't be bad! Maybe a bit more leisure time, a bit more… choice! Don’t worry, it’s not like I'm not happy – well, for the most part, at least! I know that I’m loved, well cared for and fed like a queen.
And, in all honesty, I have no idea where these horses come from – but they look incredible, they’re all very distinctive, and so majestic. These Normans - you wouldn't believe them. It's like they haven’t noticed that they’re all the same color - grey or brown, not one single white amongst them! What are the chances, right? Imagine: a world full of grey and brown, no beautiful dappled markings, no white spots like my friends Willow and Blossom. Oh my goodness, just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine. I don’t think I could even look at a grey horse after a while, can you imagine?
Our Life and Legacy
Still, as much as I do enjoy my work, and even if the work’s gotten a little bit harder, the Normans do have their own kind of way with us horses. Maybe they do work us a bit harder, but they take a special interest in us, which makes the extra work worth it, to be honest. They like to clean us, braid our manes, feed us special treats. It's not bad treatment by any means, just different.
The way the Normans groom their horses… wow, well it’s a thing, it’s very special to them. They do this little technique, rubbing and scrubbing with their hands. They call it currying – not for us Scottish horses. In our experience, if you get dirt, you wash off the dirt with a sponge and a bucket of water. Simple, right? But, these Normans… it’s a whole process for them! And, their grooming equipment? Oh my! Their grooming tools – made from metal, of all things. Talk about a hard surface! Not that they’d use anything so rough on us… that’s reserved for their big destrier horses.
One of my friends, Hazel – her legs were aching a little lately, what with the increased workload, as you can imagine. So, what did her owner do? They wrapped a sort of cloth bandage – made of wool, I think, but soft wool – around Hazel’s legs to help soothe them! Honestly, it just sounds decadent!
Even though we are a little more worn out, there is a certain level of respect in our new regime that wasn't always present with our previous English masters. They make sure we are properly cared for. They even let us graze in their fields - they take such good care of us.
You see, now there is a different sense of purpose, if you will, to our lives - there is a more formal attitude, a focus on our abilities. You’ve got to admire their dedication, really you do. We horses feel appreciated in a new way.
The breed we belong to - that's another important aspect, it’s been getting noticed too! The Normans are obsessed with our specific breed, they think we’re quite special! This Highland horse business is growing in popularity and we’re seeing an upsurge in recognition of our strength, our size, our intelligence - they're really keen on the whole package! They even call us the ‘Mountain and Moorland breed’. That's what they use to define our kind of horse - and they say we're ‘the’ breed for work – that’s how they see us. That’s why the Normans are keen on keeping us as strong and healthy as possible – you know what? It actually works, these Normans - they know what they’re doing, all that training and special feeding. They say we’re not just for farm work anymore.
These days, we're even getting called ‘Clydesdale’ – how’s that for a grand name! There is something wonderful, even a little exciting about the fact we’re known for being big and strong and hardy, we are the backbone of the Highlands, that's what they call us, the backbone. Well, that’s my own observation, anyway. But, with their focus on strength, our Highland breeds – well, we’re making our way down south now, too! We’ve even got a strong reputation on the other side of the North Sea, where these Normans originally come from, where the name ‘Clydesdale’ has become quite famous – so famous, I might add, they’ve even started keeping some of us down there now. And you can’t deny, they look quite proud when they introduce us to their friends - the people, not just their horses – we feel like little stars! It makes me feel very important, all these changes. We're carrying a proud name with us.
The way the Normans travel is fascinating too! These great heavy horses we’ve started working alongside, well they pull heavy carts between the Scottish Highlands and the south of England, or to Normandy! Normandy, what a word! I have never traveled further than the coast, and I’ve heard from a couple of young horses who traveled south on that cart that it’s like a whole new world down there – just think, even more fields! Not just our kind of rolling Scottish Highlands either - those fields are full of variety.
It’s fascinating – what our journey with the Normans is showing us - a world of potential! A world of what’s possible. And even if my legs ache just a little bit from working harder than we did before, I can’t say it isn't exciting. Life has been made more vibrant. It’s almost like a silver coin, not as easy as old times, but definitely full of new and beautiful adventures.
Future Goals and a Vision for Equiworld
These days, we see many new riders – children, adults – we see so many of them every day. More than ever before. Some ride in leather saddles – oh my goodness, another metal invention, just as sturdy as their brushes. But mostly they’re not riding us; they are riding the small ponies. It's really something, that shift. You wouldn’t have seen many ponies a hundred years ago, not down here in Scotland. I think we all started on ponies – well, the ones of us who could – but that was a while back – a lot of our friends got sold as foals to people who used them for… things, just everyday tasks, or even food, and some just ended up doing something completely different - even racing. Can you imagine – racing! We never did any racing – that would scare the daylights out of us!
But now we see ponies everywhere – pulling little carts, taking riders down paths, the children like them - the horses that is! It makes me happy. And we even see ponies out for a trot with no saddle. Oh, how they enjoy it! We do try that sometimes ourselves, we like running through the fields, too.
I've even noticed these little poodles – well, they’re a bit of a joke in Scotland - these silly, small little creatures, these French poodles, running around the fields too, like they own the place. Those Normans, really! Oh, the things they bring to Scotland - so different to our shepherds… They seem more interested in fancy things like their dogs, it’s unbelievable. Our old dogs are much more helpful! I’ll tell you that much, especially if we are working on the sheep. Our sheep dogs can do a proper job – they just know, in their way, the ‘way of the horse’. These ‘poodles’… not so much! Well…actually - the poodles do know something: they’re here to stay, here in our Scotland. They seem to enjoy it, running in our fields and keeping warm when the snow comes. It is pretty chilly up here sometimes, can you imagine!
Anyway…I feel that with this rise of new riders and new dogs, the future holds something pretty good for our kind - ponies and dogs, and of course us big draught horses. It’s a big shift, it’s moving in some interesting directions. We’ve come through many changes – even in this short space of time – there's always change on the way. And if we learn how to work together… that is always important. As long as we work together - the different types of horses, the riders, the dogs... even those strange poodles, we’re all part of something big – all part of a wonderful community! I am certainly not worried about the future, for as long as our good friends the Normans are in charge – they keep things moving, keeping change happening!
Equiworld - It’s just a lovely place! Where else can you meet and get to know different horses? And if we want to get something done in the world – it’s got to be this kind of community, communication. We’ve got to spread the word about us horses - our stories - all over the world! Even though we’ve always been here in Scotland… The more we communicate, the more we understand one another. That's what Equiworld has helped us to do: connect, even with horses on the other side of the world! Equiworld allows us to share, connect, and help each other – I love this site, really I do.
I can’t wait for next month to come! I’m starting my own little stable with a friend – Hazel! We are going to start with just one pony - so exciting – we can manage all the day-to-day things for this pony. It’ll be quite a responsibility, but a welcome one. And once we get going – who knows what’s next!
I’ve loved sharing my 973 story. You take care, you all, stay well, eat your hay and make sure you get a nice roll in the sunshine!
Best Wishes,
Emma
*P.S. Let me know what YOU think about the changes happening. Are you in *your local area? And do YOU think all this ‘strength’ thing – well, is it going to be good for us? Share your thoughts and your stories – tell me all about it! I love hearing from everyone!
