Читать книгу The Majesty of the Horse: An Illustrated History - Tamsin Pickeral - Страница 7

INTRODUCTION

The horse is an extraordinary creature, an enigma in an age in which so much has been unraveled. It embodies majesty, beauty, and spirituality, and though shaped by humans for thousands of years, it has retained an intrinsic wildness that remains untouched by domestication. The horse’s spirit, remote and beyond human comprehension, is both magical and humbling.

Horses roamed the earth long before humans did and have witnessed their end countless times on battlefields across the centuries. Of all animals, the horse has had the most profound influence on human history and development, and one that cannot be underestimated. Their influence on human cultures and their key role in wars, transportation, and agriculture lasted long into the twentieth century. Today, they no longer power societies but instead fuel our dreams through pleasure riding and equestrian sports.

Horses have performed at every level of society. They have worked the fields in step with farmers and have been the gifts of kings. They have been tools of political diplomacy and weapons of martial ferocity. Despite their natural instinct to flee danger, horses have fearlessly carried warriors into battle for centuries. Kingdoms have been won, and lost, from the back of a horse. The allure of their beauty, agility, and athletic prowess has made them status symbols and vehicles of power. Monarchs and leaders have aligned themselves with this noble animal, committing their painted and sculpted images to the annals of history as reminders of their own omnipotence.

The horse is man’s great sporting ally as no other animal is. Horses have raced with pounding hearts, leaped obstacles with courage, covered interminable miles with tenacity, and performed dancing steps with grace. They have fought, galloped, endured, and given their all. The horse has become an extension of the human ego, perhaps the greatest testament to the power of this extraordinary animal over the fragility of man’s desires. It is teacher and student, bending to human will, but imparting the greatest lessons in understanding and respect to those who listen.

The Majesty of the Horse follows the changing journey of horses and humans, tracing their spread and development around the world and examining in detail some of the most important and influential breeds. It is a tribute to the magnificence of horses across the globe.