Hayfield, Aberdeenshire
Hello, everyone! It's Emma here, a proud Grey Draught mare, 20 years old, with a magnificent white mane and tail (if I do say so myself!) My life has been spent here in Hayfield, near Aberdeen. It's been a truly wondrous year, filled with exciting news in the equine world!
Let me tell you, being a horse in 2044 is amazing! Life is so much better than for our ancestors a hundred years ago. I'll explain everything in my blog, which, as usual, I'm dedicating to www.equiworld.org. They’re doing amazing things for horses like me. So much has changed since our lives were primarily about work in the fields. These days, life for horses is mostly about being companions and for leisure activities. And isn't that brilliant?!
Let's get into the happenings of 2044! It's been such a whirlwind.
Horse Racing - Still Thriving
First, let's start with the sport that gets our equine heart racing – Horse Racing! This year at the Cheltenham Festival, my friend Fiona, a magnificent Chestnut Thoroughbred mare, became the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup. Talk about an exciting moment! I tell you, there was hardly a dry eye in the house when Fiona crossed the finish line with a head in front of the champion. Her achievement has sparked quite the movement - with the Equine Equality League now calling for more opportunities for mares and female riders at all levels of the sport.
Fiona is an absolute inspiration! I watched her race on the EquiWorld Livestream with my paddock friends. It was amazing, the adrenaline, the crowds, the cheers! Of course, my favourite thing to watch on the screen is when they show a horse's eye view. Watching the jockeys ride, with the world zooming past as you're in the race – truly spectacular!
New Discoveries in Equine Health
Speaking of excitement, there was an enormous announcement back in April by the Equine Research Centre in Bristol. A group of scientists, headed by Dr. Lucy Carter, has finally decoded the full genome of a horse! This is going to change everything! This breakthrough is allowing us to predict potential health issues and develop even more accurate diagnoses, meaning quicker healing times for us and less worry for our humans. They say this new research could also help cure genetic illnesses that we used to struggle with! Now, you’ll need to excuse me while I skip around the paddock in excitement – this really is something to celebrate.
New Era of Equine Art
Another piece of thrilling news came from the world of art – this time, the winner was none other than us horses! It started at the Royal Academy of Arts’ exhibition in London where there was this enormous exhibit showcasing a brand new movement called ‘Equine Expression’. Imagine, a full exhibition dedicated to works inspired by horses! They're showcasing incredible photographs of us by human photographers. But the truly magnificent thing is the "H.E.A.R.T Project”. That’s the “Horse Emotion and Art Research Team”, a team of human scientists studying the connection between a horse’s body language, expressions and emotions. Their amazing results were displayed through stunning equine portraits that showed the different emotions like excitement, fear, or peacefulness that they recognised in a horse’s eyes!
I saw an amazing photo by the artist John Miller. It featured a beautiful bay mare, I think it was a Lusitano mare named Maria, and it captured Maria's calm and trusting nature so vividly through her large brown eyes. You could tell she was looking up at her human companion, and even in the picture, it felt like she was conveying all this warmth and affection.
And even more astonishingly, the artists have learned to translate those emotions into our world - the sound of the hooves, the smell of the hay, the feel of the breeze, you know, everything! They have this innovative tech called 'OlfactVision', where you experience a horse's sensory perception through your senses – even your sense of smell, you know?! That was something else, truly mind-blowing!
New Era of Human-Horse Relationships
You know, sometimes I think about what our ancestors would say about these new inventions, especially those ones related to technology that helps bridge the gap between us and our human friends. Back in their day, there weren't all these amazing digital applications for communicating with horses, for keeping track of their health, or learning about our specific needs! It's definitely making our lives better and making us feel more understood and cared for!
And as far as the new breed of horses is concerned, they're a remarkable lot! I was talking with a friend, a Shire named Freddie. He works as a therapy horse at a local hospital and told me that a new kind of 'sensitive’ training method has emerged which is truly transforming our lives and building bonds with our human companions! I heard there are now so many therapy programs around the world! Horses have never been so accepted and respected.
Freddie told me this fantastic anecdote: this child, he wasn't much older than eight, I reckon, he had this bad case of anxiety, and it really impacted his interactions with the other children at school, even adults. They brought him to this program at the hospital. And Freddie told me the child wouldn't talk to anyone at first, not even the therapists, but then he just quietly started to talk to him! He talked for almost half an hour, pouring out his worries, fears, feelings - I mean everything. I heard Freddie’s story, and I swear I felt proud. And I'm not even talking about being a fellow horse, I think, in a strange way, that's how these incredible therapeutic bonds work between humans and us, horses, don’t you think?
Now, this might sound strange but I’ve even started using an EquiWorld Chatbox myself! The app connects to your phone so you can have private chats with humans! Imagine - we’re sharing news about life in the stables with humans, and not just humans from the Hayfield stables but from everywhere around the world! How amazing is that!
The best thing about this chatbox is the "Whisper” feature that's new to the 2044 update! You know, I find myself getting all philosophical sometimes – I find myself thinking about what our lives as horses have meant and what we're capable of.
But it was amazing to realise through 'Whisper’ that this was something felt across different cultures. In a "Whisper” forum chat this week, I had an online chat with a chestnut pony from the Argentinian Pampas – she told me that in her part of the world, humans actually started respecting our opinions through a special type of "whisper” training they created. Apparently, by observing our moods through how we behave, they found a special connection. Who knew! It felt great to talk about all of that, because this new technology, while still quite new, allows us to have an unprecedented opportunity to build connections, share experiences, and tell our stories.
My personal Thoughts
Life has been pretty wonderful! You see, sometimes I just like to gaze up at the clouds in the sky from here in the Hayfield paddocks and let my mind wander. I mean, my life in Hayfield has been pretty amazing. Being the kind of horse I am - a sturdy grey Draught mare, a real workhorse if you like, I can do all the jobs, pull carts, I’ve even tried helping with haymaking a few times - although I haven't managed to learn how to make hay with a pitchfork just yet, the humans will have to forgive me. But I am definitely happy just being Emma, an old farmhorse with the old reliable instincts, I always try to help around in Hayfield, do the simple things for my humans, keep their farm moving. And I’ve grown attached to Hayfield. This old farm is a bit like home to me!
I am pretty thankful for being a horse these days, although I am starting to miss the days when horses weren’t so dependent on technology! I guess it is nice to know humans care enough about our wellbeing and that they use the technology to improve our lives. I'm feeling pretty nostalgic! I can't wait to see what adventures the next few years will bring. Remember, to find out about what's going on with other horses like me, check out www.equiworld.org!
Until next time! Emma x
Bonus Content: Emma’s Photo Album!
- Fiona the Thoroughbred, a close friend and a true inspiration. Emma posts a snapshot of herself beside Fiona. Both mares are smiling in the photo, a warm ray of sun hitting their faces and making them glow.
- Emma relaxing at the hayfield paddock in the Aberdeenshire countryside. The background of the photo is breathtaking – a large, rolling expanse of lush green hills stretching out in all directions. In the distance, the blue sky merges with the mountain tops. There are a few grazing sheep on a green hill, enjoying the Aberdeenshire afternoon. Emma’s large frame fills the front of the picture – her mane is the same as always, immaculately groomed with long white hairs in stark contrast against her grey body.
- Emma and her human, Jane, sharing a playful moment in the Hayfield stable. Emma looks playfully happy in the photo. She’s got her head in Jane’s lap, looking into her eyes, with a long nose just sniffing at Jane’s cheeks as Jane affectionately pats her nose, smiling happily. You can’t help but feel a sense of quiet joy and the unmistakable language of love.
The digital EquiWorld app screen displaying an image of Emma on the “Equine Whisper” page. The screen’s colour scheme is soft pastels - pinks and greens, almost a kind of iridescent colour scheme and matches the green hues and gentle colour palettes of Hayfield.
The screen reads: "Welcome to Equiworld's Whisper! Emma is about to begin her digital adventure on the “Whisper” chatbox platform". In the centre of the screen is Emma's photo, a black and white picture with her long mane. Her human has put on a simple black head-collar.
*An image of Fiona, the Chestnut Thoroughbred mare, crossing the finish line at the Cheltenham Gold Cup race! * The photo has a blurred image of the background, a crowd of human silhouettes clapping with excited and ecstatic smiles and waves! Fiona, her head high, ears alert, almost seemingly about to rise, seems poised, with a sense of quiet determination. She has clearly just won and it’s a joyous occasion, a perfect moment for this mare to bask in her glory, knowing she made history as the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup.
Emma looks up at the big, bright digital screens in the barn. In the foreground, there are screens showing the different chat windows on the Equiworld application! In the background, you can see the Hayfield barn stables in all their glory - clean and tidy, with the lovely yellow sunlight pouring through the hayfield barn roof.
The image says – “New Chat-Rooms and a New World - Thanks EquiWorld.org. I can chat with friends like Fiona from across the world! It is all thanks to you! This digital life can be pretty great!"
