“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress”.
-Viggo Mortensen
The Stallion
The stallion has been loved by man for centuries due to his noble gracefulness, amazing power, striking agility, remarkable versatility and outstanding swiftness. These qualities combined make the horse particularly compatible with man.
Historically, stallions have shown their worth as war horses as part of the Cavalry in battles and in chariots for transportation and sport.
In modern times, horses are used for personal pleasure such as horse riding and for competition and sport, such as horse racing and hunting. Horses, however, are mainly kept today as much loved pets and companions.
Horses in History
Historically, great leaders like Alexander the Great used horses especially in battle. In his personal history, Alexander the great goes further and portrays both his interactions and the domestication of horses.
His own horse, Bucephalus, was a wild horse that was gifted to him when he was only a boy. Alexander the Great went on to tame him and that horse became one of his most powerful weapons in battle and also one of his great life conquests.
There was also the Roman emperor, Caligula who made history by making his horse, Incitatus, a priest of Rome. With such a status, the horse would often feed on oats which were first dripped in gold. Does this sound weird? Maybe not. The horse always sported a jewelled collar and had more than 20 servants who were tasked to take care of him.
Remember the chariot of fire, in the Bible, which carried Elijah the Prophet to heaven? It shows how long man has loved the horse.
Horses Here and Now
In modern times, man uses the horse for personal pleasure, but most of the pleasure seems to be derived from various horse racing competitions.
It should be noted that horse racing is an ancient sport dating back to the 12th century in the British culture, notably when the English knights arrived back home from the Crusades with Arabian horses.
This then led to horse racing sports, commonly dubbed as the “Sport of Kings” whereby horses would be used to race The first state-sanctioned horse racing event took place at Newmarket, England between 1660-1685, during the reign of Charles II.
Since then the sport has spread worldwide and also evolved to include various sporting events such as:-
- Dressage
- English Equitation
- Show Jumping
- Reining
- Calf Roping
- Steer Roping
- Bronc saddle riding
- Bulldogging (Steer Wrestling)
- Barrel Racing Steeple chasing
- Sidesaddle
- Vaulting
Many horse racing competitions may be unfamiliar to you but there are big races such as Kentucky Derby, Breeder’s Cup or Stake Races which are all popular in North America.
Anyhow you might also have had the opportunity to watch movies such as All the Pretty Horses, Big Spender, Virginia’s Run or Hidalgo all which have various plots involving horse racing and stories.
Below you can read about an early childhood horse riding experience that I’m sure a lot of you horse lovers can relate to. Follow our safety precautions, get familiar with daily horsey health checks and learn a little bit about horsey love and breeding too. Enjoy fellow horse lovers!
History of this site
This website was previously about real estate, agricultural land, land-use concerns, advocacy and policy guidance in the Cochrane District.
The Cochrane & District Agricultural Society is still active today and promotes community involvement through providing equine (horsey) activities and youth involvement.
