Posted by Emma
www.equiworld.org
Greetings, fellow equines! Emma here, a proud grey draught mare from the lush meadows of Hayfield, near the bonnie city of Aberdeen. I am turning twenty this year, and let me tell you, it has been a busy year! So many exciting happenings in the world of horses. So much to share with you all.
As a draught horse, I'm accustomed to the sturdy routines of farm life. Plowing the fields, hauling wagons full of grain, pulling the heavy cart to market – these are my days, my joy, my strength. But this year has seen a whisper of change on the wind. Not just in my own little corner of Scotland, but throughout the land and even further, beyond the horizon!
The year 1766 has been a year of progress for us equines. Progress, but not always in ways that we, the working horses, understand fully. The carriage horse, for example, has become so much more refined and delicate. The fashionable ladies and gentlemen of London ride in carriages that are ever more grand, each more magnificent than the last. My cousin Clara tells me tales of her duties in the bustling streets of London. She is a bit envious, truth be told, of those fine carriage horses with their glossy coats and the admiration they receive.
You know, some of the noblemen are even racing against each other in something they call “horse races,” quite different from our plodding duties. These horses are trained to be fleet and fierce, the finest specimens of speed and grace. Imagine the glory! My friend Jasper says the roar of the crowd at these races is thrilling and a bit frightening all at the same time.
These fast horses with their slender legs and muscular build, these racers, are causing quite the stir. Not just in London, but in towns and cities across the country. People gather for hours on end just to watch them sprint and dash.
The world of the horse is changing! And what are these changes bringing us? Is it for better or for worse?
From where I stand in my little corner of Scotland, there's still a need for good strong draught horses, like myself. Every field needs to be plowed, every load of grain needs to be hauled. Yet, even in Hayfield, a strange new type of cart is appearing - called a “Gigs.” They are lighter and faster than the carts we are accustomed to pulling. Our human companions talk of faster transportation, the “post chaise” - a marvel of a coach.
It seems that every year, these human beings are thinking of new and more sophisticated ways to use horses. My father says that when he was a young horse, the horse-drawn carriage was the peak of luxury and technology. Now, the talk is of lighter, faster vehicles - “gigging" instead of “coaching." What a world!
While the changes can feel dizzying and exciting, the world of horse training hasn't forgotten its roots. It's still an art passed down through generations of human families. My own father, a magnificent grey stallion himself, trained me to be a draught horse. He taught me the importance of being steady, strong, and reliable. A good horse must know his job and be prepared for any task. I am proud of my lineage, my heritage, my training.
I was told a tale by an elderly mare named Beatrice. She is a bit eccentric and prone to lengthy stories, but there is much wisdom to her ramblings. She tells me about the days when the “hunt” was much more important to the human gentry. Not like the more “gentle” chase they hold now. Hunting was their food and their life, she says, relying upon the horses to track the deer and other animals to provide for their families. This grand chase took great courage and skill. Now, however, it's less about survival and more about the enjoyment of sport.
Even as I grow older, even as times change, I remain certain of one thing: Horses are integral to human life, from farming to transportation, leisure to tradition. They have always been a key piece of their history, and so they shall remain. As long as the human world is connected to the earth and its creatures, there will be a need for our strength, our spirit, and our unwavering loyalty.
I encourage you, dear equines, to share your stories of 1766 with me. Let us document the changes we see, the anxieties and joys of these ever-evolving times. What are the trends you are seeing in your corner of the world? I wait eagerly for your responses on www.equiworld.org
Until next time, dear readers. May the meadows be green and the hay be plentiful!
Yours in horsemanship,
Emma
Now, onto the rest of the blog entries - I will get each entry down to a much more readable length!
Equine Chronicles: 1766 (cont.)
Posted by Daisy
www.equiworld.org
Oh, Emma! Your musings about the changing world of horses is truly fascinating! I have enjoyed reading your account of the “Gigging” and the “Post Chaise" so much. The "hunting" tradition is also captivating!
You speak of the elegant carriage horses, like my sister Clementine who works in London for a high-born Lady. The elegance and prestige are enticing indeed.
I am a 15 year-old bay mare from the small, sleepy village of Sutton in Essex. I have enjoyed my life here immensely, serving alongside the other farm horses. We’re quite the team - from pulling the carts laden with harvest to helping with farm maintenance.
Though our lives here are rather tranquil, we can feel a sense of change as well. Our farmer has taken a keen interest in new agricultural methods, including a plow drawn by three horses instead of two! This “improved" plow they call it, they claim it allows for even furrows and increases the speed of planting. While some say it requires stronger horses, I find it surprisingly manageable! It takes some practice to get the rhythm of working with three horses but we've grown into our roles. The horses even share a nice communal stable where we get to socialize!
Though I long for excitement like our dear friend Jasper, I truly believe in the importance of the old traditions. The gentle countryside rhythms are what soothe my soul and remind me of all that’s important to us - connection to the land, hard work, and a strong community of our equine kind. We remain integral to the farmer’s life, just as we have been for generations, even with the new implements and methods being explored! I can’t help but wonder though, how these changes will ultimately impact our roles.
Will we be replaced entirely one day? What are your thoughts, my dear friend? Will our breed be necessary in the future, or will the world need more of those dashing racing horses? Tell me more about this world beyond the fields we both inhabit! I eagerly await your responses.
Yours in fellowship,
Daisy.
Equine Chronicles: 1766 (cont.)
Posted by Jasper
www.equiworld.org
To my good friends, Daisy and Emma, you paint such beautiful pictures of your respective worlds, and your musings on this year of 1766 are intriguing. I can’t help but agree that there is a palpable sense of change stirring across our equine nation. It’s thrilling and a bit disquieting!
My dear Emma, I’m no stranger to the world you describe - that world of pulling heavy carts and plowing the soil. For my first eight years, I was part of this routine, hauling coal in a bustling mining town in northern England. However, I, Jasper, am no ordinary workhorse. I yearn for adventure and have a need for speed. So, I followed the scent of a grander opportunity and now live in the heart of the capital. I am now part of that world you described - I am a carriage horse.
Our stable is situated near Hyde Park. We are in constant demand, escorting ladies and gentlemen through the crowded streets and majestic avenues of this metropolis.
This world is exciting, I tell you. London is alive with noise, colours, and crowds. It is overwhelming, I confess. You wouldn't believe how many horses fill these avenues, their hooves constantly click-clacking, their breath heavy, their minds racing!
London, I say, is the hub of these “racing” trends of which you spoke! The human elite take their fancy horses, like me, to something called Epsom, about twenty miles from London, and there, they make them run like the wind! The races have brought both wonder and dread to this bustling world.
My master, an affluent man of business, has a new mare he is training for this sport. She is the most beautiful filly you’ve ever seen - black as midnight with a silver mane and tail. They call this type of horse, I believe, a “Thoroughbred”. Such elegant creatures!
Our master has told me that people travel from every corner of the land for these spectacles. It seems even the King himself comes to view the speed and courage of these extraordinary horses. There is such glamour in the world of racing. Imagine! All this commotion, this fervor, this thrill, for a creature such as us.
The “hunt”, though more tame than those days that Beatrice remembers, remains popular too. You see the elite leap onto their horses - “Fox-hunting”, it is called - they try to capture cunning foxes, with packs of hounds baying and racing along at their side. The horses must be sure-footed, quick, and able to adapt to the fast changes in terrain.
Emma, you are wise to note that the "gig” is fast becoming the choice of the well-to-do! They seem more interested in smaller, nimbler carriages to whizz around the streets at a rapid pace! What a life, to feel the wind on your coat and the thrill of speed - It’s like having wings! My days in the coal mine feel a lifetime ago!
Though London has become a kaleidoscope of changing trends and desires, I am always grateful for the world you both describe - a world of steady farm work, plowing the soil, and the comforting routine of your peaceful lives.
I admit that my job can feel stressful at times, and I often think of the calm meadows where you live. What we may lack in our fast-paced world of London, is a deep, quiet connection to nature that you both share. You remind me that we horses, whatever our work, are tied to this land. Our ancestors toiled on it, just as we do now. And though our worlds may seem a thousand miles apart, we remain linked together by a bond as strong as the horseshoes upon our feet.
Yours in speed and resilience,
Jasper.
Equine Chronicles: 1766 (cont.)
Posted by Beatrice
www.equiworld.org
My young friends, Emma, Daisy, and Jasper, it delights my old heart to hear you pondering these changes upon us. These are times of immense transition and the spirit of innovation seems to flow through every corner of the land.
We all, even those of us in the quiet corners, cannot escape the whispers of the new world. Our young friend Jasper paints a vivid image of London. It truly must be a whirlwind of change and activity. And to think that our king is drawn to those “thoroughbred” races! These fast-paced, swift creatures. It is something different altogether, though a bit too fast-paced for my old bones. I wonder if there’s still a need for slow, steady horses in a world that desires quickness and speed. The farmer's need, yes, but are there others?
And what are you to think of this "gigging"? My hooves ache when I consider such things, but I hear the new "gig" carriages are replacing our “coaching”. Imagine the coaches that took people from London to the provinces at such a leisurely pace! That was true nobility, proper carriage travel with plenty of space, no jarring turns, and room to enjoy the sights and sounds of the journey. Even now, my bones ache for the good old days. Yet I must remind myself - Progress is a wild and restless river. It moves ever forward, we are simply swept along by its current!
And to you, dear Daisy, in your little village of Sutton in Essex, you speak of these new ploughs - with three horses! It sounds quite challenging! Yet it also feels so “modern", and my old mare bones feel a pang of respect for those young horses who work alongside the farmer with such dedication.
Emma, I appreciate the calmness you offer us. Though things have certainly changed since my days as a young mare, we must never forget that even amidst this flurry of “gigging", "racing", and “hunting", there is still beauty to be found in our steady, simple ways. It is our duty, you see, to not merely survive but thrive within the changing world.
Remember, children, the bond we share with the human race runs deep. They might invent and change the world around us, but that bond, the love we have for them and the deep need for each other will remain. We have an integral role in this grand play that is human history. So we shall be adaptable, even though the world is moving on and adapting. Let us embrace the opportunities the future offers, even though they come with great anxieties.
With hope and love,
Beatrice.
Equine Chronicles: 1766 (cont.)
Posted by Clementine
www.equiworld.org
To all my equine friends and fellow blog readers, I feel the need to share a tale from my perspective, a carriage horse, that lives in the grand city of London! My name is Clementine, and I’m a six-year-old chestnut filly with a white star on my forehead. It’s said I bring luck, but perhaps it is just the fortune of being a carriage horse for Lady Somerset.
This lady has wealth that is seemingly boundless, a home so grand, I can hardly imagine the sprawling stables in the countryside that Daisy and Emma speak of!
Every morning I am groomed with care. A silk hair brush is passed through my mane and tail to make my coat shine in the sun. My hooves are trimmed and polished with care, my harness is polished with a leather lotion, as soft as velvet! There are ribbons in my hair, which at first was perplexing - but Lady Somerset seems to delight in them, so I indulge her!
Every afternoon, we drive to Hyde Park where the ladies take their walks and the gentlemen greet one another and show off their finery.
There is a world of intrigue within London. People rush about with endless curiosity, as if something magical is just around the corner! I love observing all the strange, exciting sights from my position - peering out from the grand, ornate carriages!
From the gossip in the stableyard I hear much talk of the King, King George. He keeps a small number of beautiful Thoroughbred horses within his own stable! I long to be so grand, so admired as those horses!
Our duties here can feel like constant motion, pulling the fine carriages of Lady Somerset. She doesn't travel far, thankfully, but I get to observe the beautiful places of the city - even the great St. Paul's Cathedral which is like a soaring tower reaching for the heavens!
What adventures await me, I can hardly fathom, even in a place as sophisticated as London! My human caretakers often chat about travelling further afield - perhaps even across the sea to a place called America? That land seems to be filled with more changes - horses, cattle, sheep. Such fascinating new frontiers!
Jasper is so right - there are opportunities here that I could have never imagined as a foal. Yet, I remember Daisy’s musings about that peaceful country life and find myself wanting to visit that as well. It sounds wonderful to work with the rhythms of the land, helping to produce bounty from the earth. Maybe I will take a short trip into the countryside one day to visit!
I love you all, my fellow equine friends!
Until next time!
With loving neighs,
Clementine.
