Well Done Team GB!

With the Olympics in Tokyo (this year, but it really should have been 2020), I tuned into one of my favourite sports --- the Equestrian Events of Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross-Country. Seeing such beautiful horses reminded me of my very deep love for these remarkable creatures. We become so busy in our every-day lives that we forget the very basic things that we have loved from childhood. I say this because I remember starting a “project” on The Horse when I was in the first year of my junior school. It was one of those lessons when we went to the library and, I believe, I took out every book they had on The Horse. Over my teenage years, my parents brought me some amazing books on horses, and I built up quite a ‘study library’, with L/A files filled with information and pictures on horses. It became a real hobby for me (although I have never ridden a horse and am actually quite nervous of the creatures).

Then I left school, started full-time work and got married. “The Horse” was neatly tucked away in a corner of my mind, to be ‘brought out’ when I watched the Olympics. What nice memories I have of “studying” this creature and spending hours over my books.

Equus ferus caballus --- or The Horse --- is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal which has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years. It became ‘domesticated’ around 4000 BC, however, there are still truly wild horses even today. Horses can run extremely fast, up to 55mph at a gallop, outrunning many predators. These animals reach maturity at 5 years of age, and the average lifespan of a horse is between 25 to 30 years. A mare (female horse) is pregnant for roughly 11 months and the foal (baby horse) can stand and run shortly after birth. Most domesticated horses start training at the ages of 2 and 4.

There are 3 'categories’ of horses => 1) hot-bloods which have speed and endurance, 2) cold-bloods which are suitable for heavy work, and 3) warm-bloods which are a cross between hot and cold bloods. There are more than 300 breeds of horses worldwide.

Over the years, man and horse have helped each other in many different ways. At one point in human history, the horse was the only means of transport that we had, either riding the horse or in a horse and carriage. The massive Shire horses were always used for farm work and for pulling the big barrels of beer. During World War One, horses were used in the actual fighting. Today, we have Police horses, as well as Therapy horses, and, of course, horses which are used in the 3 Day Eventing. Also today, our knowledge of the horse has advanced and vets can ‘heal’ horses who, just a few years ago, would have been put down. There are still Blacksmiths today, skilled workers who can ‘shoe a horse’, as well as making all the tack (the bridle, saddle, blanket, headpiece, bit, girth --- in fact, everything that is needed to ride a horse).

Although horses are not expected to live after 30 years, there have been ‘a few’ who have lived longer. For example, a 19th Century horse called “Old Billy” lived up to the ripe old age of 62, and, in more modern times, “Sugar Puff” (who was a pony) lived up to 56 years of age, dying in 2007. When reading about famous horses in history, three stand out to me personally. “Sergeant Reckless” was a mare of Mangolian horse breeding and started her life as a pack horse in the Korean War. She was purchased in October, 1952, for $250 and trained for the Rocoilless Rifle Platoon as a packhorse. Reckless soon became part of the unit and was allowed to roam freely through the camp, and she would eat almost anything that was put in front of her, including scrambled eggs, Coca Cola and even poker chips! Reckless served in numerous ways during the Korean War, carrying supplies and ammunition, and also helping to evacuate the wounded. Sergeant Reckless was given several awards, including Purple Heart, National Defense Medal and the Animals in War and Peace Medal for Bravery.

“Marengo” was the horse of Napoleon Bonaparte, ‘fighting’ in the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo. Marengo was a grey Arabian, 14.1 hands (145cm) and reliable, steady and courageous. He was capable of going as far as 80 miles in 5 hours and was known for his long-distance gallops.

Being one of the famous racehorses of the 20th Century, “Seabiscuit” put his heart into racing. He won America’s Horse of the Year in 1938 and people, as well as the media, loved this race horse. Seabiscuit ran 89 races, won 33 and came 2nd in 15 races. In 1958, this famous horse was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame. Seabiscuit sired 108 foals after he retired in 1940, and enjoyed a quiet life as a ranch horse. The Horse may have been domesticated (first) in Southern Russia and Kazakhstan and was used as a means of transport, pulling chariots, wagons, etc, and have always been used in war and hunting. Arabian horses have always been ‘sought after’ to breed and were introduced into Britain in the 17th and 18th Centuries for ‘selective breeding’. Horses have always been used on farms, being the main force in agriculture before the tractor came on the scene. A special harness was used so the horse could plow in the fields, the horse’s power doing the work of 50 men --- hence the term “horsepower”. Farmers could cultivate their land much quicker by using horses, making farming more efficient. With their assistance, crops had better results. In 1920, more than 25 million horses (and mules) were worked in the farms. Today, the tractor has replaced the horse where crops are concerned, but horses are still used to help herd large groups of animals.

Today, we are dominated by cars, trains and planes for transportation. Until recently, the horse was our only means of land transport (apart from our own legs as in walking). In ancient Egypt, horses were used to drive the pharaoh's chariot. In the 19th Century, horses were used to drive Queen Victoria’s carriage. Even today, at special Royal events, we still see the horse and carriage used --- mainly for display purposes.

Of course, one way in which horses are still ‘useful’ is in the Equestrian Sports. The Three-Day Eventing --- Dressage, Show Jumping, Cross-Country --- rely heavily on the skills of the horse and rider. Some start training for this at a very young age (rider AND horse), dreaming and achieving that Gold Medal at the Olympics.

Dressage is like watching ballet, the foot-work that rider and horse learn and do is actually beautiful to watch. The word “Dressage” is a French term meaning “training”. The ‘exercise’ helps to develop the horse’s flexibility and response to aids, as well as balance. This makes the horse strong and a pleasure to ride. This is the most “artistic” of the equestrian sports and is traced as far back as the ancient Greeks. The ‘performance’ is a walk, trot and canter, and the tests are ridden from memory as well as following a pattern of movements. The Freestyle is specially choreographed for each individual horse and is performed to music. Dressage is beautiful to watch!

Show Jumping is also known as “stadium jumping”, “open jumping” or just “jumping”. This event improves the agility of the horse, and focuses on both the rider and the horse. It uses physical skills to “negotiate a series of obstacles” (jumps), as well as the mental skills needed to plan the proper lines and approaches in order to allow the horse to jump the obstacle, and all of this is usually done within a certain time limit. This event I find exciting to watch. Will the horse clear the jump? Turn the corner in time for the jump? Complete the course within the time allowed?

Cross-Country is exactly what it says --- going across country, jumping fences, again within a certain time. This event is more of an endurance test, showing skill and agility following a course through forest and fields. Horse and rider negotiate ‘natural’ obstacles (logs, ditches, fences, water-jumps, etc), trying not to knock over the fences, fall over or run in the wrong direction. When I watch this on television, I am amazed at how the rider stays on the horse!

There are so many colours, breeds and personalities in “The Horse World”. It is no wonder that they are so beautiful, with their long, flowing manes and tails. It is impossible to say which breed is the most beautiful, but the breed that does stand out is “The Shire”. It is a British breed of ‘draught horse’ (a large horse suitable for farm or heavy work), which is usually black, bay or grey in colour. It is a large horse which was used for plowing on the farms, or pulling barges on the canals, or pulling brewer’s drays to deliver beer. They were used in Henry VIII’s time during the many wars, and we can believe this seeing (from the many pictures) the heavy armour that was used by the ‘knights’. Today, the magnificent horses are rarely used for work, being ‘put on show’ in such annual shows as “The National Shire Horse Spring Show”, which is the largest Shire horse show in Great Britain. If you ever get a chance to go and see these animals, I can recommend this as a good day out!

At the time of writing (6-8-2021), Team GB got --- 5 Gold medals, 1 Silver medal and 2 Bronze medals --- for Equestrian Sports. Well Done Team GB!