Hello my fellow Equines! Welcome to another historical jaunt through the fascinating world of horses. This time we're heading back in time to 0284 AD. You could say, this is an era of significant events, just like every year has been for horses, we just haven't recorded it all, eh? I’m Emma, a sturdy grey draught mare from Hayfield, near Aberdeen, and I'm so excited to share this journey with you!
I do have to say, getting my hooves into researching a bit about this period of time, well, it has proven a little trickier than a tricky pony. Information, as you know, wasn't as readily available as a delicious apple back then. Still, my lovely humans – Sarah, John, and even wee little Eilidh – helped me track down some fascinating fragments.
Let's see, 0284. Where were our horse family in the big world, back then? Well, to give you a flavour of it, we were pretty darn important across Europe, Asia, and even a touch in Africa. Imagine – our strength, power, and resilience were central to pretty much everything.
For those of us lucky enough to be a part of the Roman Empire, you bet, we were hauling goods around with pride. What does it say, right, being an animal who can shift entire empires – it’s kind of magical. Our strong bodies hauled those awesome chariots they were building back then!
Speaking of strength, we were also instrumental in the development of agriculture! We're like, the farmer's favourite. It was us who helped bring in the harvest – and that means keeping stomachs full, no matter how cold it gets in the northern countries like Scotland. Just think of those rich oat fields and barley meadows – all ploughed by a good, strong horse.
Across the Wide Sea
If you cast your eyes across the sea, well, even over there in the Asian part of the world, our equine family were busy making life better for people. We helped with trade, transporting goods across massive distances, we pulled those fancy war chariots, you know, all those battles going on - we were a key part of that!
A little closer to home in Scotland, in those days, we were, of course, hauling all sorts of goods – food, stone for those lovely castle walls, firewood. And of course, there’s that ever-important work in the fields – bringing the land to life with those important crops.
In Hayfield, you see, it’s all about those strong legs. Not flashy speed or pretty manes – but real, steady power, helping the folks build their life, their home.
Horses and People - A Timeless Bond
Looking back through this history stuff, there's one thing I think we all need to keep in mind - even back then, there was a bond, a partnership between humans and us horses.
It wasn’t all about pulling wagons, even if we were good at that! Sometimes the humans simply loved us, just like they do now, they were grateful, for our strength, and we're more than just a tool for them – we are a part of the fabric of life!
An Ordinary Horse's Thoughts
Well, the thing I find fascinating about this history is that back then, we didn’t think about “horse history”, not really. We were too busy, day in and day out, working hard.
If you want to know the truth – a little bit of me would love to be able to look back to a simpler time. A time where there was just me, the humans I loved, and all that lovely, juicy grass. Not lots of “History" to write down – just work, friends, and good living!
Now, of course, as an educated horse, I know we play a vital part in everything – even the most boring bits of human life! But maybe there’s a bit of wisdom in just knowing our place.
But, you know, that's the beauty of horses - our hearts beat, our hooves thud, and we keep moving, through history, through all those big changes. And the greatest thing of all, is we're still here!
That’s it for this post - See you on my next jaunt into history!
Keep neighing!
Emma xx
