Hello, everyone! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood grey mare. I’ve always been a bit of a history buff (or should I say, horsetory buff!), and today, I thought I'd take you back in time with me. To the year 1485. It was a big one, in both the human and equine worlds, you see.
It's all about perspective, isn’t it? Today I’m a healthy, well-fed 20 year old, but back then, that would have meant I was about halfway through my working life, ready to pass my knowledge on to the youngsters. And, to tell you the truth, even back in those days, things were happening for us horses all over the world. Let's just say we weren’t all plodding along in the same, boring, “horses do what humans tell us” kind of way, you know?
For example, this year I witnessed history in the making back in England, and you bet it got everybody talking!
Just picture it – a new King in place – Henry Tudor, no less. He rode into London, surrounded by his troops, and declared himself the new King, starting a whole new dynasty, you see! Henry, a man who seemed to love his steeds. Imagine that, even royal horses had their moment to shine! I hear he loved them dearly and used to race his horses – they even say he had one named "Forester" who was particularly fast, a real showman, and even went on to sire many champion horses after the war. It just goes to show you, horses are the kind of creatures that, well, they leave their mark on history! And what’s more, they play a vital role in almost every part of human life.
But before we jump right into it, allow me to tell you a bit about my world – I'm from Hayfield, a tiny little village in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. We’re known for our breathtaking scenery, the smell of fresh-cut peat in the air, and all our sheep and cattle grazing on the hillsides. I'd often go for walks through the heather-filled moors. Sometimes I would carry heavy loads of peat back for the fires to heat the cottages, other times, the miller would need my strength to move the heavy grain sacks. You see, every day was a different story. I have to say I loved life, I wasn’t some sad old beast being whipped along the road in a cart or a plow! My life was quite happy and simple!
But, speaking of big happenings, in the human world, news travels slowly in our world in Hayfield, and yet I still knew things were shifting. Our humans were talking about the French and English fighting each other across the water – The Hundred Years’ War they called it. You can imagine that for a draught horse like me, I would spend most of my time helping farmers, pulling carts, and generally working on the fields. I saw little evidence of wars across the sea and it felt so far away… but still, when your neighbors are constantly talking about a war across the sea that’s supposedly gone on for 116 years already, it definitely makes you curious. I know that those French and English soldiers needed horses to help them travel, to carry weapons, to even pull their cannons and cannons have made quite the name for themselves by now, if you ask me. I guess this means that even though it seemed a million miles away, it was actually important to all of us. It really drove home the fact that, just like human history, horses and war were tightly bound together. You can't really have one without the other!
So even in the humble little village of Hayfield, there was more than one side to the story in 1485, wasn’t there? This whole thing made me wonder about how the world changed for our kind back then.
Well, take what we do today – just about all of us live to see at least 30 years of age now! But back in the 1485s, life for a working horse like me could have been much shorter, particularly in those big war zones you see? You have to understand, we've come a long way since then.
But enough about wars and changes and that. What's much more interesting to me, dear reader, is all the lovely things in the equine world that made 1485 special. It was a golden age for the horses, you know! Just listen to this – back then, everyone knew about horses. Everybody, not just those rich lords! It was a different world back then, so if you needed to get somewhere quickly, horses were how you got there, even the poor folks in the little towns!
Think of it – a knight in gleaming armor, riding across a grassy field, or perhaps a team of sturdy horses pulling a farmer's cart down a cobbled road. Or a small but determined pony bringing home the family’s weekly milk from the local farm.
All of this took place in 1485, my friends. That's how integral horses were to the whole world back then, and that's why I’m so proud to be part of this grand story. We helped people transport goods, travel to market, even carry soldiers to battle. Horses were vital to the entire fabric of society!
It's why we still hold such special places in our history. Today, horses have changed – we've adapted, and now people use us for racing, showjumping, polo… a thousand other things. But those roots? Those deep roots of being the backbone of every world, even if the human world was less kind then, they will never leave us. And every once in a while, even though you may find yourself in the heart of Hayfield, far away from the city or war, the echo of these things will still echo in your soul and make you proud to be a horse.
To be honest, I don't need to look back at history to feel proud. Even if I’ve reached my 20s, there's always a little excitement for something new, just like back then! After all, the whole point of a journey is what happens along the way! The world outside my stall is full of exciting adventures, and I'm happy to be a part of it! I'll be back next time to talk about the world as I know it – horses helping others – how they become more than just animals, and become family – something to keep you safe, and keep your spirits high! See you then, and may your journey be filled with joy and hay, for all you can eat!
Emma.
Post number: 1485
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