Hello everyone, it's Emma here! It's been a while, hasn't it? You see, keeping up with a blog when you're a working horse, is tricky, especially when you're expected to pull the plough, haul heavy loads of timber, and carry riders through rough terrain!
But enough about my busy schedule! Today, I wanted to tell you a bit about the world of horses in 1045. For those of you who don't know, that was my birth year. That's right, a long, long time ago! We didn't have fancy things like cameras or the internet back then. Just the good old-fashioned ways. So, how was life for a grey mare like me back then? Well, I was lucky.
I was born on a smallholding just outside Hayfield, near Aberdeen. My parents were strong draught horses, and from the day I was born, I knew I was destined for a life of hard work. But let me tell you, the farm life was never boring!
Farming and Horses – The Real Relationship
As a young filly, I spent my days learning the ropes. The old mare, Bess, taught me everything from how to pull a cart to how to avoid getting tangled in the farmer's reins. She had such gentle wisdom, and taught me that every single thing we did was to benefit the farm, which in turn benefited everyone. It was beautiful to be part of something so big, something so fundamental to human life.
I helped bring in the harvests, my hooves kicking up clouds of dust in the fields as I hauled the heavy wagon laden with crops. We worked side by side with our fellow animals – the patient oxen, the busy chickens, and the strong, loyal dogs – all of us toiling for the greater good. And during the long winter months, I was needed too! It was the time to move timber for building, to deliver supplies, and even sometimes to carry the local priest on his visits to remote farms and villages.
The men on the farm weren't bad either! Sure, they weren't exactly kind to the horses who weren't "strong enough" or who were "prone to accidents" (a shiver went down my spine as I thought about what that really meant!), but they were generally fair. They took good care of the healthy horses and kept us well-fed, knowing that strong, healthy animals meant strong, healthy communities. It was a system, and I realised quite early that I was an integral part of that system. My life may have been simple, but I knew it was necessary. And that filled me with pride, more than any sparkly saddle ever could!
The Wide World Beyond the Farm
But even though my world was mainly limited to the farm, the stories we heard on winter nights would often fill my dreams with faraway lands. I yearned to see the cities, hear about what horses like me were doing beyond the hills. Stories were often about how some horses travelled long distances, carrying traders or messengers, while others became valiant steeds on the battlefields!
I especially loved the stories of knights and their steeds – imagine the trust between a rider and their loyal horse, the unspoken understanding! Even in 1045, there was an air of glamour associated with those noble animals, carrying brave warriors into battle, riding through windswept meadows, and rescuing damsels in distress. I know, those tales were just stories! Still, every time I was pulling the plough, my hooves wouldn't stop thinking about knights in shining armour riding through verdant landscapes! I yearned to be a horse of grand adventure!
However, being a grey mare was about a lot more than romanticising over battles and princesses. Even when I was a filly, I understood my role – a powerful and reliable companion to people. The bond between humans and horses in 1045 wasn't based on affection as much as it was based on a practical necessity, a shared purpose. You'd think I would've found this unsentimental relationship a little boring! Yet, it somehow instilled a sense of respect in me, which I valued more than a lovey-dovey romance with a rider.
Our Connection, The Ancient Trust
Our connection was based on an age-old understanding – an unspoken agreement of shared burdens, shared achievements, shared responsibilities. This, I learned over the years, was a bond more enduring than any sentimentality. My human companion was never unkind to me, never demanding unreasonable things. In fact, it was often just as simple as looking at me and me knowing, instantly, what he needed me to do. He would say no more than, "Come, Emma," and I'd be ready to pull the cart, load the timber, or carry his goods across the countryside.
Our silent understanding ran so deep that it extended beyond practical chores. There was also a mutual sense of respect – for his skill and craftsmanship, for my strength and dependability. It felt natural to be part of his world, a world of rugged land, hardy people, and resilient animals – like me! And what a comfort it was, to have that sense of belonging!
Horse Races: A World of Speed and Glory
However, life for a draught horse wasn't always about hauling logs and cultivating crops. One of my favorite events was the annual horse races! These were gatherings held at fairs or local festivities. We gathered at the edges of towns and villages, excited and full of energy. Though I was not born for speed like the elegant racehorses, it was thrilling to watch them run! Imagine horses, sleek and swift, galloping at breakneck speed with their powerful limbs propelling them forward! Their riders sat atop their backs with effortless skill, using whips and shouts to propel their steeds onward, a symphony of adrenaline and grace! The air would hum with the sound of excited shouts and thunderous hooves, and the wind would whip against our faces as we cheered our favorites on.
The whole event was about camaraderie, strength, and, of course, the sheer spectacle of speed and endurance! Even though the draught horses wouldn't take part in those races, I found myself deeply envious of those magnificent beasts! Maybe just for a day, I would trade places with one of those magnificent racers, just to feel that adrenaline rush as I sped across the meadows, carrying a brave knight on my back!
Horse-drawn Transport - An Era of Journey and Exchange
There were other aspects to our life that fascinated me, and these aspects also offered valuable insight into how horses shaped the society we lived in. For instance, travelling was a different experience back then! It wasn't about driving down a highway on four wheels. Our world was dominated by roads and pathways - and what travelled on these routes? The trusty horse! And there was a magic to it all!
Carriages of every shape and size lumbered through the roads, their sturdy wheels rumbling, carrying farmers and merchants, families and soldiers, and sometimes, even the king! These horses carried with them not just people and goods, but ideas, news, and even tales that shaped entire societies. Our journeys across vast landscapes connected faraway regions, bringing people together for commerce, exchanging knowledge and stories, and influencing how lives were lived! Every horse was an ambassador, a silent force, shaping how nations traded, communicated, and interacted with each other!
The Evolution of the Horse: From Beast to Companion
The horses in 1045 weren’t just work animals or transportation tools. Our connection with humans had started long before that. It was a deep and symbiotic relationship, one of mutual reliance, trust, and understanding, a journey of both survival and growth. For thousands of years, we've served humanity - pulling their plows, hauling their loads, carrying them to far-off lands. And as we evolved together, so too did the nature of our relationship. We became companions. Not just animals used for work but living beings cherished for their loyalty, their strength, and their endurance. The relationship, I would find out years later, would eventually evolve even further! But in the year 1045, our roles were still clear. And for me, a grey draught horse living near Aberdeen, the world beyond our humble farm remained just a whisper in the wind – a distant, exciting promise that filled me with a sense of longing, of anticipation!
In Conclusion
I can say with certainty that the life of a grey mare in 1045 was both challenging and rewarding! My life was full of hard work, dedication, and a sense of purpose! The rhythm of life back then was slow and steady, governed by the natural world and its demands. And while I may not have lived the life of a gallant knight's steed or a champion racer, there was a deep sense of satisfaction in fulfilling my role – in being an important part of a well-oiled machine, the one we called 'society'!
So, there you have it! A glimpse into the life of a horse in the year 1045, my birth year! Maybe not the flashiest era of horse history, but one where our essential role was acknowledged and valued! You may not see me as a racing thoroughbred, a flashy show horse, or even a courageous battle steed, but just a grey draught mare like me – a hardworking and faithful partner in this amazing adventure called life! And I believe that that is something to be proud of!
Until next time,
Emma,
From the rolling hills of Hayfield, near Aberdeen!
(Visit Equiworld again for the next fascinating chapter in the History of Horses!)
