Hello everyone! Emma here, your resident historian of all things equine from the rolling hills of Hayfield near Aberdeen, Scotland. Today I'm taking you back in time to the year 1477 - a fascinating period for the horse, brimming with both turmoil and progress!
Imagine for a moment: rolling green pastures stretching towards a snow-capped mountain, the sweet scent of wildflowers dancing in the air, and the sound of the gentle lapping of water as the Don River flows past my stable. This was my world in 1477, and even though it's hard to imagine such peace with all that was going on around us, I am blessed with a calm temperament, my gentle giants of stablemates, and a human family who cherishes our quiet corner of the world.
The Year of the Warhorse
Now, 1477 wasn't all rolling green hills and wildflowers, that's for sure. This was a year that saw battles raging across Europe, from the grand clash of armies to the skirmishes of skirmishes, and the trusty warhorse was right at the heart of it all. Think charging knights, the thunder of hooves, the flash of steel...and oh, those glorious bardings, shining like silver under the sun!
As a draught horse, my role was much less dramatic. While I was used to pulling carts, hauling timber, and ploughing the fields for my human family, my kin across the world, those bred for war, were being honed into fearsome steeds for some of Europe’s most powerful monarchs. The English and Scottish were embroiled in a perpetual power struggle, with 1477 witnessing the aftermath of King Edward IV's daring attempt to dethrone King James III of Scotland. It was a tumultuous time for our equine brethren, with each battle claiming the lives of many brave horses. Their spirit and dedication, however, fueled the hearts of men, earning them a revered position in both history and folklore.
The Quiet Lives of Gentle Giants
Of course, life wasn’t all war and drama for our kind. As much as I admired the courage of the warhorses, I was grateful for the peace of Hayfield. This year was a particularly bountiful one for Scotland’s farmers, bringing plentiful hay, oats, and barley for our kind, a real testament to the wisdom and skill of our human families. My human family, who, much like us, believed in simplicity and gentleness, even began making some progress in their farming methods! They experimented with new ploughs that allowed us to work the land faster and more efficiently, making the harvests richer.
Our days were filled with the simple pleasures - grazing in lush meadows, receiving gentle strokes and a reassuring pat on the nose from my humans, and spending evenings under a star-filled sky, munching on our treats while my stablemates napped nearby. My dear old mare, Poppy, the matriarch of the stables, even had a foal this year - a spirited young filly with the most playful eyes. Watching her run with the other youngsters, their joyful neighs echoing across the fields, always makes my heart swell with happiness. It was moments like these, moments of peace and joy, that truly reminded me of the beauty of life.
An Equine Society in Transition
Yet, there was more to 1477 than just war and peaceful harvests. As I've learned throughout my life, the horse world, like the world of humans, was ever changing. During this year, the wealthy merchants in England began making wider use of our kind, primarily to haul heavy goods from the ports to markets and inland towns. Seeing horses moving faster than ever before, pulling carts filled with goods, sparked a new age of transportation.
Then there's the humble riding horse. While not a significant player on the grand battlefields of Europe, it played a pivotal role in local communities, allowing people to move across the country and connect with their loved ones. And there I was, a big grey draught horse with a fluffy mane and tail, being used in a very similar way by my humans: helping transport our oats and barley to local markets for trading and sale. Such simple pleasures... but oh so very fulfilling.
Emma's Musings: An Ode to the Horses of 1477
Whether they were battling on grand battlefields or pulling carts laden with provisions, the horses of 1477, those magnificent, courageous beings, left their mark on history. They were our forebearers, whose unwavering loyalty, strength, and speed contributed greatly to the human story. Every warhorse, every farmhorse, and every cart horse carried with them the weight of tradition and innovation, and they helped shape the world we know today.
Join me next time for another adventure in history, where we’ll be venturing into the world of horse racing, the birth of new breeds, and much more! Until then, let's all take a moment to appreciate the extraordinary power and resilience of the horse - a creature that has been our companion, our worker, and our symbol of courage for millennia.
Love and neighs,
Emma
www.equiworld.org
