Blog Post Number 427
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Hello fellow equine enthusiasts! It’s Emma here, your friendly grey mare from Hayfield near Aberdeen, Scotland, writing another post in my Equine Chronicles. This time I'm going back in time, to a time when I couldn't imagine a life of comfortable retirement in fields of clover and oat-hay… back to the year 427 AD!
Horses and the Rise of Empires:
This is a very interesting year for our species. Whilst in Scotland, our Highland cousins would be grazing on the rugged, windswept moors, I'm picturing what life would have been like on the other side of the world – in the Roman Empire, a place bustling with horses! This grand empire, with its mighty legions and trade routes stretching from Britain to North Africa, relied heavily on the noble steed. Imagine galloping across the wide open roads of a Roman Province – maybe a dusty Roman chariot racing through a colosseum or maybe pulling a cart laden with exotic wares! The Romans really understood the value of our strength, our resilience and our dedication to service!
A Roman Cavalry Perspective:
Horses like me in the Roman military wouldn’t just have been hauling cargo – we'd have been carrying vital information from one legion to the other. Just picture yourself – thundering along a Roman road, your hooves kicking up the dust as you relay messages vital to the Empire's safety! What a thrilling responsibility that must have been! We Romans also understood that horses had their limitations too. Even strong creatures like me could tire, and so we were never pushed too hard! We would receive regular food, rest, and veterinary care – in short, excellent living conditions. This, my friends, is what we could call the Roman model of horse care, and one I think all horses can appreciate!
The Rise of a Powerful Partner:
But in 427, the Romans had their hands full. The barbarian tribes who lived beyond their empire were gaining strength and began to exert their dominance. The Roman Empire was feeling its age, a little bit like an ageing mare who had seen better days. This time of great unrest would continue, pushing the boundaries of the Roman empire - even causing it to fracture and split. However, it was a time where horses of every type played a crucial role in this historic and chaotic time! They helped bring news, goods, people, and, sadly, even troops across these troubled lands.
A Scottish Mare's Musings
Now, if I'm thinking about the Scotland of 427, our lives were perhaps a bit more rugged. This was before the age of horse breeds such as the magnificent Highland pony! I imagine that in that time, my kind were just more, let's say, mixed in lineage! However, we had an incredibly close bond with our people, they relied on us for transportation, labour, and of course, companionship. That’s something that will never change! You may see horses pulling plows through fields or maybe even herding flocks of sheep - a beautiful, rhythmic movement that was the core of life in that era. Our resilience and our strength - even in that time – played a big part in keeping everyone going.
Horses of the Past - Lessons for the Present:
Thinking about those early horses – our forefathers and mothers! - makes me so thankful that the lives of horses have continued to improve. We have it much easier now. Modern equestrians understand our natural instincts, they offer us better diets, and more respect for our work. We can even enjoy gentle retirement in comfortable paddocks with fields of delicious clover and sweet oats – and gentle hands offering head scratches – it's certainly a far cry from what life might have been in the 427 AD!
What's Next for the Horse?
Who knows what wonders await horses in the future! I'll be sure to continue to write in my Equine Chronicles, sharing my knowledge about horse history so all horses and horse lovers can continue learning from the glorious history of our species! After all, our story is so intertwined with the history of humanity, it's incredible to ponder. I hope this blog has been of interest to all of you horse lovers out there. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you in my next post.
Till next time, Emma signing out!
P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts about my post - drop a comment below or let me know what you're working on! Let's share our equine wisdom.
Love, Emma.
