February 23, 2012
"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. - Pearl Buck
As a former Pony Clubber, hunting, eventing, show jumping enthusiast and freelance writer, I am delighted to be back in the saddle again writing this Horses & History blog about two of my favourite topics.
I plan to take a trot back in time and find interesting facts and stories about our favourite four-legged friends and their riders, shows, places and events and look at how they made and changed the course of history.
I always welcome ideas, comments and questions and if you have a personal request for an article then let me know. If you’re doing the circuit, training horses or running a barn your time is limited. Luckily, I have a great relationship with Mr. Google and lots of time.
Enjoy! - Cindy Crank
The Truth Behind the Cowboy Legends
If a tall sexy Clint Eastwood, or a swaggering John Wayne come to mind when we think of a cowboy, in truth they were the Hollywood made for movie versions and they bear little resemblance to the real thing. Many
The Famous British Mail Coaches…Launched by the Theatre!
The public postal service in England first got the go ahead in 1635 when post-boys carried the mail between “posts” to a local postmaster who took out the letters for his region and sent the boy onto to the next
Left Hand Driving, Right Hand Driving: It Began with Horses, Coaches and Postilion
Nobody stays awake at night wondering why Botswana drives on the left side of the road and Austria drives on the right, but now that we are on the topic, read about today’s driving norms with roots that go back
The American Indian Horse…the Ultimate Painted Pony
The American Indian’s horse is depicted in movies as small, tough, resilient and a true survivor. They may have looked shaggy and unkempt by today’s standards, but their appearance belied an indominatable spirit that was viewed very highly by their
The History of Rocking Horses: From Basic Boards to Collector Items
When the young Victoria came to the throne in England at the age of 18 in 1837, Christmas celebrations rooted in pagan beliefs were banned. However, when she married her first cousin Albert from Germany, he brought with him many
The Making of Spielberg’s War Horse
While the movie War Horse was filmed just last year, I still felt that it merited a mention in my Horses & History blog because of the historical nature of the story. The movie is set in World War I and
The Unsung Heroes Who Had No Choice: The War Horses of WWI
As November 11th approaches, we will reflect, recall and remember our fallen soldiers. However, as animal lovers we would be remiss not to think of the unsung horse and mule heroes, those who had no choice and were suddenly involved
Edward Muggeridge, Muygridge, Muybridge, Maybridge: Eccentric, photographer, motion pioneer, murderer
British born Edward James Muggeridge changed his name many times over the course of his lifetime and was truly an odd duck by anybody’s standards with a Walt Whitman beard, an eccentric personality and a temper. He was born at
Wanted for Death Valley: A Few Good Men, 18 Mules & 2 Horses!
In 1883, American businessman William T. Coleman had a major problem: how could he transport cottonball or ulexite — a crude ore compound of boron, oxygen, sodium and calcium — from his mine hundreds of miles from the railway in
The (Supposed) Truth Behind Equines in Nursery Rhymes
Centuries ago in England the lower classes dealt with the problem of illiteracy by creating short easy to remember rhymes and poems that could be repeated from person to person and from town to town. These ditties taught children (and