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Racing Through Time: |
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A Historical Look at Horses in Clay County |
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Project Information |
| I decided to do a project on
horses in Clay Country because of my interest in horses and history.
Growing up on a farm, horses have always been a part of my life. I
don't even remember my first horse ride. My family has always been
involved with horses. I can't imagine not spending my summer
evenings on the backs of horses. For many, however, horses are a
reminder of the past. A time in history before the West was won,
when getting to town was more than a day's ride a way, and where
horse-drawn plows broke open the land. Today's horses are mainly
pleasure animals. I did this project to show how horses played a
major role in the lives if people living in Clay County.
There were also accounts of a horse epidemic in 1972-1973. This epidemic has an enormous effect on the horses used in the Red River Valley. Many horses in the area were infected with equine influenza. This disease, which can be fatal, causes coughs, runny noses, and fevers. Most horses recover within two to three weeks. After looking for different roles horses have played, I realized it was difficult to find evidence of horses in Clay County's history, probably because they were so common that they were taken for granted. No one thought twice about horses because they were always around and would always be there. Horses are still a part of our world today. While their roles in society have changed, their presence remains. I still ride horses on the same pathways that my ancestors did when they first came to the area. While horses may no longer be a necessity for survival on the prairie, it is a necessity to always remember the part they have played in our history. |
