A Look Back in Time - Posted on Equiworld.org by Emma
Neigh-sayers of history may think that horses in 1562 were just hauling and carrying things, but my goodness, oh my goodness, there was SO MUCH more to our lives in the good old days.
This is my fifteen-hundred-and-sixtieth-second post (it’s always been a bit of a mouthful), and I’m Emma, a grey draught mare with a flash of white in my mane and tail. As most of you already know, I hail from Hayfield, nestled in the heart of the Scottish countryside, not too far from Aberdeen. I’m proud of my roots – I even got a few stories from my old grand-mother about wild horses running free on these very moors. Can you imagine?
It’s no wonder I enjoy reminiscing – it's like watching those ancient tapestries come to life. You’d think after living through all of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries I'd be tired of the stories! But no! Every time I go over it all I think: "My, what times they were."
Now, I understand that you dear reader might think it's a bit weird for a horse to be writing a blog – but believe me, we horses are just as keen to see our history documented. So, strap on your saddles, tighten your reins, and get ready for a gallop through time!
Royal Connections
1562! What a year, indeed! It’s a bit of a year that we could say really started to shake things up for us horses in more ways than one.
I just love hearing about our royal cousins, they really did us proud! Back then, in those bustling courts, we were practically royalty ourselves, being the trusty companions of lords and ladies of high renown.
King James V, as the stories go, loved us! And even though he passed away in 1542, his son, our dear King Mary, she kept the torch burning brightly! Now she was one regal woman! Always on the move, always bringing our magnificent Scottish heritage to the forefront. She adored hunting, and of course we were there – galloping alongside her, chasing those cheeky little deer, dodging that unpredictable weather and, let's not forget, looking utterly divine as we did it all!
Not that I had the pleasure of actually galloping alongside the Queen! Honestly, I think a horse that spends their life dragging carts of grain or logs isn't likely to become a royal mount! But honestly, I would have been more than thrilled to have carried some fancy Scottish royal person even for just one day. A horse's lot in life in those times depended a lot on where she was born, the breeder who looked after her and even what part of the country she came from. For example, you can believe me, we horses in Scotland were used to something altogether different from our posh relations in England or Spain! They probably just grazed in rich pastures, got pampered every day, while I was used to being strong and reliable for all manner of hard work and helping to make the farm hum along like a perfectly oiled engine. That’s what I think made us strong Scottish horses though. We were made for long hours, carrying hefty loads over rugged hills, enduring whatever Mother Nature could throw at us! We were not to be trifled with – those who relied on our strength were safe in our sturdy, unwavering devotion.
The Art of Horsemanship
Now, let's talk about this special thing called the ‘Art of Horsemanship’ - how we learned and interacted with humans!
Yes, you’re right, it is quite incredible to consider that we lived in a time when men and women alike had such respect for our intelligence and physical strength! Imagine that – they taught us to not just pull, but also to respond, to be more than just beasts of burden! We horses were their loyal friends, partners in their pursuits and companions on their journeys, even in these harsh times.
That's what it is to have horsemanship in our blood! The knowledge that the connection between human and horse is not just about strength, but a bond that’s more delicate, even magical, rooted in mutual respect, care and understanding.
But we have to talk about these 'men in black'! Don't you hate it when they just turn up, unannounced? You are enjoying your day, perhaps a juicy tuft of clover in the field, and suddenly – bam! - these men are looking at you, sizing you up! These fellows - from this organization called the “Royal Artillery” – are the horse breakers and trainers, it seems to me that they always found ways to tempt us horses! That’s the main thing you should know about the Art of Horsemanship - sometimes we learned out of the goodness of our hearts, and sometimes – well, it took a bit of, how shall we put it... coaxing... (You don’t think they had cookies for all the horses back then did you? Snorts)
So, these men in black, they had ways to make us, and the young, strong colts like me, come to our senses, especially when we didn’t always agree with them! Don't think for one moment, dear readers, that every horse in those times wanted to be trained, because it is a special relationship between a man or woman and their animal that goes beyond just physical strength, it’s an almost spiritual connection – the horsemanship connection.
I remember a young lad I met near Aberdeen, his name was Dougal - and honestly, he was something special! Dougal was young, so young when he decided he wanted to train horses for the military, and honestly, it was remarkable watching him learn from the men in black, he didn't just ride or break in horses - he truly talked to us, and in those moments we horses listened! Maybe it's the Scottish air - maybe the Scottish hearts - but whatever the reason, that is what made us so much more than just working horses, so much more than animals!
And when those men in black found the perfect young colts and even mature horses like me, they started on a course that might turn out to be quite unusual for a horse in our part of the world: military service! Don’t you love the word military! You see, the English army needed the finest and most powerful horses - and we in Scotland were highly prized! You see, even though things could be a little complicated and there might be conflict going on between countries – that was still another world I can only try to imagine, we horses, no matter what, always had to have our noses in whatever was happening. Maybe that’s because we are intelligent creatures, who are blessed with such fine senses of smell, we can really detect what is happening around us – even the smell of battle!
We would find ourselves loaded onto boats to sail off to faraway lands. Sometimes the journey itself would be terrifying, but what truly interested us was the action, we liked the adrenaline, and frankly we loved a good story! Now I think there is a big debate here as to how well-suited our big horses were for that kind of combat, because, honestly, a lot of our brothers and sisters didn’t get a chance to prove their mettle on the battlefield – and I wonder if some people started to see us just as...machines, not animals, as weapons...
Well, just imagine the chaos - hundreds of horses being moved and shifted around. How it must have smelled! You know, just looking at the military orders and reports – they really show how important horses were at the time! It is all thanks to horses like me, that they could communicate! I just wonder though, why we were used for more than just 'carrying' orders and the horses were the means of travel for men in full armor, on the battlefields, in all kinds of weathers! Even though I don't recall that particular aspect of my existence! It makes me think: are horses that clever? How could a creature like us really 'know' how to communicate information to humans? We were their eyes you see!
Livestock Trade and a Little bit of Change
Did you know that by 1562 trade between the Scottish, English and European people became even stronger – and yes – this even influenced the lives of we horses! This is not something that many people might think about in relation to the horses, but honestly it was pretty remarkable. If we were the fastest means to communicate and transport, we were also a key part of the trading system of the times, and this gave our lives – some of our brothers and sisters - more opportunities – even freedom from those old rules and ways of being, I guess you could call them 'boundaries.'
Our Scottish cousins would get bought and sold, often transported by ships across oceans and into faraway places - I could have even gone down south to England, to places where they had massive, huge open fields! Oh my goodness! A horse’s life, was just filled with uncertainty - it really was!
New Ideas & Practices
1562 also gave us something I love very much, new knowledge about ourselves - now we didn’t know about it at the time of course, it’s history, but the people at this time started to realise we horses have many needs. And that we need not just to eat but also need comfort and well-being.
Don't laugh but the fact that we are also social creatures – horses are sociable! That was new - and so, our owners really learned a lot about how we behave!
They also had this special type of animal medicine we might call Veterinary Practices - even though, we horses didn’t always understand those practices!
You would think that if you get sick you would go to a doctor or a nurse... for a horse they had farriers who helped keep us in shape! * Farriers, *doctors for horses? They cared about our legs, and teeth, and hooves! That is how far we horses had come by the 1560s – so very remarkable!
The Horses That Gave Us So Much
There's one more thing I can't let go by in this particular posting. I think we owe it to the history books to acknowledge the horses, and yes – even some donkeys too, that paved the way for all of us who followed them. Now don't worry, those ancient times had lots of donkeys - I always get that question - we never saw any difference, but there's some debate about why and how some horses ended up being bred for a special job in those early centuries: carrying large quantities of goods and luggage on their backs. Yes! You can imagine that. Not a draught horse pulling, but one large heavy-duty creature carrying everything on their backs. Now I believe they used something called a ‘pack saddle’. It had this system for balance - to make it safe, it’s pretty interesting to know. Imagine the amount of weight and the types of cargo! And it sounds as if those ancient donkeys would have helped them out, those animals have real power! They just do.
That was before our kind - draught horses came into the picture! We weren't really there yet, in those times before 1562, when we started to grow in stature, and develop the skills we've grown to be famous for! It all came together. We were not just working hard, we were improving, * we were developing, and *we were working in teams.
Epilogue
To close this post - and I hope you found this 1562 blog interesting - you might find some similarities with our modern world, because what truly unites horses across the centuries is our spirit, our power to endure, our intelligence, and, honestly - I love saying this - the grace of how we can learn to co-exist with our humans!
It was through those challenging times - the changes, the discoveries – that we horses gained recognition and even more value in a human-centric world. Yes! It was truly our moment!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey through time. Maybe in the coming weeks I will talk a little bit about my daily routine at Hayfield! Or you can write me a comment - tell me what your favorite parts of this blog were - and, don’t forget, it’s important that we continue to share these stories!
Thanks,
Emma
