Writing Samples

Opinion

Have you ever wondered where some of our horsey habits and saying came from? Most of us do and say things without ever wondering why...

Why do we mount our horses from the left side?
Your horse doesn't care which side you get on, and you should be able to get on from either side. But, the correct side to mount from is the left. Many equestrian traditions come from the time when soldiers fought from horseback. Because most soldiers where right handed they wore their sabers and swords on the left side. It was easier to pull the weapon out of its sheath across their body rather than straight up. (Pretend you have long sword and try it!) If the soldier mounted on the right side of his horse he would have to lift the weapon up over the horse's back as he swung his leg over the saddle. When mounting from the left the sword would hang between the soldier and the horse and not get in the way.

How did the Appaloosa get its name?
Most horse breeds have place names. The Dartmoor Pony comes from the area of the Dartmoor Forest in England. The Oldenburg comes from that province in Germany and the Arabian from Arabia. A few other breeds got their names in other ways. The first Morgan was Justin Morgan's horse and the Quarter Horse was named because of its speed in 1/4 mile races. The Nez Percé Indians who lived near the Palouse River in Oregon developed the Appaloosa but, they were never called Nez Percé horses. When people spoke of the uniquely spotted horses of the Nez Percé they called them "a Palouse River Horses". Over time the word 'river' was dropped out and "a Palouse" was said as one word: Appaloosa! (Maybe that's okay-Nez Percé means, "pierced nose" in French and would you want an "Pierced Nose Horse"?

Why are police and cavalry horses usually dark bays, browns, or blacks?
When horses carried soldiers into battle a flashy coloured horse like white or pinto would make an easy target for the enemy. Dark coloured police horses are still used for this reason.

Why do we use stirrups?
If you have seen pictures of riders from long ago you may notice that the saddles did not have stirrups. Stirrups were developed to help soldiers keep their balance while fighting during battle, especially those who fought wearing heavy armor.

Why do we hang horseshoes on doors for good luck?
Do you have a horseshoe hanging on your stable door or in your home? Many people believe that horseshoes bring good luck. For hundreds of years people have been hanging horseshoes on doors to ward off evil. During the Middle Ages, the devil is said to have visited the shop of a blacksmith named Dunstan. The devil wanted Dunstan to make shoes for his cloven hooves. Brave Dunstan grabbed the devil, tied him to his anvil and began to beat him! The devil begged Dunstan to stop. Dunstan agreed to stop only if the devil would never enter a place where a horseshoe hung on the door. The horseshoe must be hung toe down to catch the good luck. This is the legend of St. Dunstan the blacksmith, and the reason why to this day horseshoes are hung on doors for luck!

Why do we say, "You should never look a gift horse in the mouth".
Who wouldn't want a horse as a gift? But, what if you looked in his mouth and found by looking at his teeth that he was really old-maybe so old some of his teeth were missing? Maybe you wouldn't think that it was such a wonderful gift. You'd be especially disappointed if you had to depend on that horse to get you to market or plow your fields, as they would have when this saying began. Horse's were very important during those times. No one would give a horse away unless there was something very wrong with it!

Fact or Legend?

Do you like pumpernickel bread? If not, you may have something in common with the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was emperor of France at the turn of the 18th century. His goal was to conquer all of Europe. As he traveled from country to country fighting battles he rode a horse named "Nickel". During a stop, Napoleon was served a crude meal that included a crumbly, coarse, dark brown bread. He didn't like it and announced the bread, "bon pour Nickel" which in French means, "good for Nickel". Over time the words were blended and changed until 'bon pour Nickel" became 'Pumpernickel". If you want to find out if your horse likes pumpernickel, no pastrami, and double lettuce, hold the mayo please!

appeared in Horsepower Magazine, January 2001