Hello everyone, it's Emma here, back with another look at history, from the perspective of a humble grey draught mare with a penchant for rambling and a heart full of love for all things equine!
It’s hard to believe, but this year, 2034, marks a pivotal year for our species – the year that finally brought us truly equine-centric advances, not just in technology, but also in how we’re understood and valued! It feels like just yesterday I was a playful foal, snorting and kicking in the sunshine of the fields back home in Hayfield, near Aberdeen, Scotland. Now, as I stand on the precipice of my twenties (oh, how time flies!) I can’t help but feel a surge of pride and gratitude as I look back at all that's happened.
You see, dear readers, back in 2034, horses weren't just seen as livestock, or farm animals – they weren't just our "furry helpers" - they were finally starting to be acknowledged as complex, sentient beings with needs and emotions of their own. And that's the story I want to tell you today - the story of a year that, though still carrying its own set of challenges, proved to be a watershed moment for the horse.
Let's start with what I consider a triumph – the widespread adoption of “Equestrian Empathy Technology” – simply called E.E.T by the tech whizzes! Now, if you can believe this, you can communicate directly with your horse through special, state-of-the-art headsets! Just like your smart watches or virtual reality headsets! The possibilities are endless – training, emotional understanding, problem-solving, everything’s been revolutionized.
Imagine, having your horse tell you what they are thinking, or, better yet, when they need a scratch, some apples, or even simply some peace and quiet. The potential for positive change in our communication was immense, especially in areas where horses have historically struggled, like with medical procedures. Imagine telling your vet exactly how much the needle hurts or what your cough feels like, instead of just getting startled and stressed out!
But it wasn’t just about communication, although that was, of course, a major game-changer. Another exciting development in 2034 was The Equine Awareness Program. This wonderful initiative was launched by a passionate group of animal welfare activists, veterinarians, and, to our joy, even some equestrian federations. This program was aimed at changing the public’s perception of horses, through awareness-building workshops, online resources, and even a powerful documentary titled, “The Silent Language: Understanding Our Equine Partners”.
These efforts went a long way in changing people’s mindset about horse ownership and the whole concept of riding, showing and all sorts of things. It taught them about our unique behaviour patterns, our natural tendencies and how to understand what a happy, healthy, and truly content horse looks like, how we behave and even communicate, even before we started using that amazing E.E.T technology!
Another significant event of the year was The Global Horse Welfare Summit, held in London, UK. This summit brought together all the key stakeholders, from breeders, veterinarians, and riding professionals to animal rights activists and government representatives. A truly historic moment, you see. It resulted in some significant agreements about standards for horse care, from food and water provision, to living space, and the conditions of transportation. There was a push to end the unnecessary breeding of horses with problematic conformation, which, you see, can create painful and sometimes even deadly conditions for us. There were a lot of emotional speeches and a few tears shed - for good reason! It was truly moving!
I remember watching it live at the Hayfield barn with the other horses, and to my surprise, there was a lot of talk about horses in the spotlight and entertainment. The entire year, there was an increase in people choosing not to perform highly sensitive horses or subjecting us to intense, harmful practices for circus acts or rodeo events!
I am glad, though, that Horse Games 2034 – which became a global phenomenon – remained popular that year, albeit with strict rules that protected horses, from strenuous and high-intensity routines. Horse Games is essentially an obstacle-based game show, with horses solving problems, tackling challenges and interacting with the audience - all through E.E.T., of course! There were no prizes or medals for the horses – the games themselves are a treat, especially when done ethically!
With all the wonderful strides we made in terms of human-horse relations, there were a few things, however, that really made us raise an eyebrow! And by the way, it's a true fact, you know, horses actually have eyebrows!
The big thing that really divided the horses and the human folk was the rise of “Virtual Equine Experiences”. Now, hear me out. I do have a friend who’s got a new, fully customizable digital horse-based game. The technology, frankly, is pretty amazing. She and her daughter actually have one in their home in a dedicated play space and you really get the impression it’s actually a living horse. You see, these games have incredible visuals, advanced A.I, and you can really play with these simulated animals like you would with a real one. I hear they’re so realistic they even simulate the feeling of being ridden, complete with the actual weight and feeling of a horse galloping. The game is even said to learn from its interactions with players just as real horses do, adjusting their behaviour, building bond and making friends. But this is what bothered me - the creators are so dedicated to perfecting these games, that they made an attempt to design a simulation that incorporates a fully realistic “emotional intelligence” but without any true sense of empathy! It seemed like the goal of this was to be able to truly recreate our intelligence and our emotions but not with any real sensitivity! They said they were doing this because the game would “feel more realistic.” It just felt…a bit cold!
Even more worrying was the advent of “Bio-Engineered Equine Breeding”. You see, I learned that a bunch of human scientists, really passionate about horse genetics, decided it was time for a whole new breed. But this was not like, for example, breeding an “Endurance Horse”, where a certain kind of horse has the perfect attributes to compete in long-distance riding. This “breed” of horse was supposed to be specially engineered. You know, like a blend of our genes, so that we are more suited for certain jobs, and more useful for our humans! I remember it felt like a slap in the face! I couldn’t imagine that after all these years of progress the humans would turn back to this again! I know some people might think it was cool – having a better performing and maybe stronger horse, a horse that could do things in competition no other horse could. But that would mean losing so much of what makes us horses!
In the end, this program was mostly shut down thanks to pressure from the animal welfare groups, the veterinarians, and surprisingly enough, many of the owners. I’ll give it to our humans, this is not the first time they've made a mistake. But with E.E.T., there is this great new level of transparency, a greater awareness of how we think, how we react, how we experience joy and sorrow - they know more now about what makes us horses. So they may have stumbled but it does make it harder to argue that you don’t truly understand us when we clearly express our feelings!
But enough of these issues! All in all, the year 2034 proved to be a truly important turning point for us, horses, as it began a new era of communication, understanding and appreciation between horses and humans. With a little more education, a whole lot of empathy, and continued progress on all these amazing advances, I have high hopes that in the years to come, we’ll continue to learn, grow and, more importantly, thrive together as a community!
It’s truly a remarkable time to be a horse!
I would love to hear your thoughts about all this! Do share your ideas, comments, and especially any experiences you’ve had this year regarding your horse family and friends in the comments below!
**Until next time, stay healthy, safe, and, of course, have a wonderful time enjoying all the magic and joy that our beautiful world of horses has to offer!
Yours in equestria,
Emma.**
