History of Horses in the year 1214

My name is Emma, and I'm a 20-year-old grey draught horse, living in the rolling green hills of Hayfield, near Aberdeen, Scotland. I'm blessed with a gleaming, silver coat, a white mane that flows like spun silk, and a tail that dances with the wind. I might not have the fastest stride, but my heart is kind and my spirit strong. I’ve seen the world, in my own gentle way, pulling plows, carrying loads, and taking children to school on my broad back. And you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Today, I want to take you back in time to the year 1214, a year that feels as timeless and elegant as the silver locket that hangs from my halter. It's been an interesting year, full of activity and some, let's call them "changes" across the land, though, luckily for us horses, it seems to have been a year of relative peace.

For those of you new to EquiWorld, I do my best to write a new post about what's happening in the equine world around the globe every year, from what we are doing here in my sweet Hayfield, right up to the goings on across in Asia and Europe, and sometimes even down south to the Mediterranean! So grab yourself a delicious apple, pull up a comfy hay bale, and let me take you on a journey through 1214!

Life in Hayfield, back in 1214, was just as lovely and calm as it is today. The gentle breeze whispered through the heather, our feet found a rhythm as we worked the land, and the rhythmic click of hooves on cobblestones was the only beat that ever interrupted the morning’s sunrise symphony. I could spend hours grazing the fields, feeling the sun on my coat, my friends and I would stand in the mornings watching the village folk going about their days – a sight so peaceful it’d fill me with a sense of content that settled deep within me.

Every day was a routine; pulling plows through the soil, hauling carts of hay and produce to the market, and trotting along dusty lanes with young lads perched on my back. It’s tiring work but there's a sense of satisfaction in it, knowing that my labour provides food and comfort to the folk in our village. We also provide the main transport, carting goods around and even pulling carts in the bigger cities further south.

Life with Farmer Mac was gentle and predictable, so much so that my most exciting adventure was simply going down to the river with the younger horses in the spring when we'd all have a great splash in the cool, clear waters. Ah, that playful splashing, feeling the rush of water against my thick, shiny coat and laughing with the younger horses! Now, that was real bliss.

In France, life has been much more complicated than ours. Now, everyone talks about this "King of France," a bloke called Louis. But you know what? We haven't felt any repercussions here from what they’re saying about this “trouble”. Well, I haven't noticed any changes on my back, anyway! They say King Louis is fighting, or maybe quarrelling? (Some say it’s a war, but I never could really work out what that actually means!) It doesn't matter though, you wouldn't really think much of this "French Chaos", as some folk call it, to look at us horses. We graze, we plow, we cart, we carry… just as we’ve always done! We keep working as usual because this little fight between humans seems to have little effect on our everyday life, thankfully!

Apparently, these "Barons" are making all sorts of noise in England this year. Now, to me, a "baron" sounds like something you'd use to lock a stable door, and the "baron" rumour we heard across in Hayfield was that they were having one big row, all for the sake of something called a "Charter." It’s all a bit much for a sensible mare like me to take in!

All I can tell you is that the "baron"s upset has spread a little to Scotland. They’re worried that we’re all going to end up "stuck" with this “King” - you know, “King John.” You’d think, after all we've been through with kings, you’d think these humans would have learned their lesson, wouldn't you? Well, this "Charter" business doesn't seem to be doing any good. At least, not to the poor humans!

And if all this talk about the “barons” is enough to get a grey mare thinking about getting out of the stables, let me just say the humans have certainly had plenty to think about too! Some folks in England have been riding horses so they can get involved in whatever's going on there. Can you imagine it? Well, at least that keeps things lively on the roads. Though we haven’t noticed a change in how many horses are being used, we do get plenty of chat when some of us get hauled into larger settlements!

Let me just say something that you must really wrap your hooves around: there are all sorts of whispers circulating, that way, over on the far-off lands in Asia. I heard a gossip of something that people call "Genghis Khan." Now, let’s be honest, what’s a Khan anyway, you ask? I think this chap might have been a war-monger - or, well, what we horses would call "an extremely noisy human"! Now, they say that this Khan is really rather dangerous because he’s really trying hard to take over lands and bring those lands into his big, unruly, human world. Sounds chaotic!

I’m glad I haven’t seen this “Khan,” although from the little chatter that drifts back, and with that new "charter" idea bubbling around the lands in Europe, I just want to get my head back down and graze the meadows peacefully. At least it's a distraction from the worries of the human world! I really am glad that the humans in Hayfield aren’t fighting. Maybe we’ll all stay on good terms here! We are all busy here in the north of Scotland. You can’t have chaos if we are all just carrying on with our work!

And anyway, we are still trying to make the best of the long winter season before the first whispers of the thaw bring us that time for the "Big Play" in the river. We are the calm in the storm, the peaceful pulse of nature. If the "barons" and "kings" want a lesson on staying grounded, I might just ask them to come visit our fields sometime, have a lovely relaxing apple, and just feel the harmony of a quiet day!

Now, with the sun going down over the fields, I’d better go back to the stable and say hello to my human companions! Maybe we'll hear more stories about the events that are unfolding around the world. Whatever they are, one thing is certain - as always, I am content to carry on with my life, right here, in the heart of Scotland, where the gentle hills roll and the peace prevails.

Thank you for joining me on my little journey into 1214! Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts, stories, or memories from the world of horses in 1214, or perhaps your memories from any era, in the comments below.

Keep a watchful eye out for my next post on EquiWorld! Until then, remember to graze the green fields with grace, run with the wind with joy, and always strive to keep that warm glow of peaceful connection within your heart!

Yours truly, Emma. xx