A quick introduction

The title says it all: I am horse-crazy and I am a historian specialising in (guess what?)… medieval horses. I have created this blog to state my opinion on this equestrian world which I believe is going mad – parts of it at least. 

I mean, it is riddled with welfare issues that should have been addressed long, long ago. Some practices are downright barbaric. The ego of human beings is more often than not put above the well-being of horses. Abuse, whether ostentatious or more discreet, is still prevalent. And I am fed up. 

I am fed up of watching children hitting their ponies to make them jump higher and onlookers thinking that it is normal. I am fed up that so many people should believe that harsher bits allow better control. I am fed up with so many things. 

Let’s be clear about what you can expect to see on this blog… 

I’m a bitless fanatic (though I do think a soft, gentle snaffle is way better than a mechanical hackamore), my horse does not wear shoes and I believe that a more natural way of living (outdoors in a herd, not stalled alone) is beneficial for equids. That’s my opinion, and since this is a personal blog, this opinion will be prevalent, though I am not averse to debate, as long as it remains respectful. 

I am unfortunately not an expert on horse training (I wish…), or even on horse riding. I have been riding for many years and now have one horse with whom I mainly do trail rides, but I still have much to learn. 

What I might do, however, is interview experts from different fields of the equestrian industry and ask them for advice or for their views on specific questions and issues. 

What I am trying to be an expert on is the history of medieval horses, so I will probably post bits and pieces of research that could be of interest to the equestrian community. 

This blog is pretty much a work in progress and the nature of its contents may evolve as time passes. I hope you will enjoy reading the articles and if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments.