History of Horses in the year 1367

The Year 1367: A Year of Bounty and Growth

Greetings, fellow equines! It’s Emma here, your friendly draught horse from the rolling hills of Hayfield, near Aberdeen. The weather's been crisp, the wind whispers tales of upcoming autumn, and the fields are bursting with the bounty of a harvest just past. And let me tell you, with all that hay and barley in the barn, this is a glorious time to be a horse.

Now, I may not be the fastest of my kind, with my powerful grey frame and those thick white socks I’m so proud of, but I have a love for history that surpasses all my other talents. This blog is my way of sharing what I’ve learned, weaving the tales of our kind through time, drawing on stories whispered by the old geldings, memories passed down through the generations of horses, and of course, my own personal observations.

Today, we'll be focusing on the year 1367 – a year that resonates with the steady rhythm of the farm life we know so well, yet it hums with whispers of something more, a world unfolding across the miles.

Life in Hayfield in 1367 revolves around the farm, its simple beauty and its essential duties. The sun rises, casting a golden glow on the pastures, a wake-up call for us horses. The pungent scent of hay fills the air as we stand munching, our tails swishing lazily in the gentle breeze.

As the sun climbs higher, the days are filled with work. My human companions, the farmers, are sturdy folk, kind and understanding of our equine needs. They've harnessed me to the plough, pulling the heavy furrows through the fields. Our sturdy steps and powerful muscles till the earth, turning over the brown soil to ready it for new life, new harvests. And as the evening approaches, the smell of supper cooking on the farm fires mingles with the tang of the damp earth. We’re back in the stables, sharing quiet moments, ears flicking back and forth, content with a full belly and a day's work completed.

The routines are comforting. But, despite our work on the farm, 1367 isn't just about the land. There’s a buzz in the air, an echo of wider happenings, something in the stories people tell, in the way the knights ride by, that lets us know the world beyond the rolling hills of Hayfield is stirring.

Horses have always been integral to human life. It's etched into our DNA, the deep bond, the shared trust. From carrying the burdens of transport to providing power for tasks, our kind plays a vital role. In 1367, this connection takes a dramatic turn. The year 1367 was a turbulent time. The Hundred Years’ War, a conflict between England and France, continues to cast a long shadow, reaching even the quiet confines of our village. Knights on horseback, cloaked in steel, ride through Hayfield on their way to battles across the seas, leaving behind echoes of distant skirmishes.

And within our own region, even in these faraway hills, stories of power struggles ripple through the valleys. This year saw the crowning of King Robert II in Scotland, a momentous occasion where our kind, strong and regal, played an important role in ceremonial parades, echoing the importance of the bond between horse and man.

These echoes are all whispers, the tales from faraway lands reaching even here in the gentle heart of Hayfield. As we go about our days, hauling carts of goods, pulling plows through the fields, we understand our role, not just in the farm, but in the bigger picture of history. We are more than just beasts of burden. We are powerful, we are strong, we are integral to the story of human kind, our story woven within theirs, and theirs within ours.

Though battles rage and rulers change, our lives, in the heart of Hayfield, continue in their steady rhythm. We eat, we work, we rest. Yet, through this quiet life, the pulse of history resonates, reminding us of the connections that bind us all, even across the borders and across time. The world is changing, even in our own corner of it, and it's clear that horses continue to play a vital role in this changing world, an integral part of every adventure and every turning page in history.

And that, my fellow equines, is a truth worth sharing.

Let's continue to build our stories, our collective memory, to leave a mark for those who will follow. For there are still so many tales to be told!

Yours in equine solidarity,

Emma

www.equiworld.org