'Black Beauty'

[neal]

How would Anna and her mother, Mary, (A vital part in the writing and publishing of Black Beauty) feel things have moved on these days? (relative to necessary horse use--during their time horses were worked to death in the shafts in all major western cities.

In the book she/they make/s a plea for the end of the baring rein and blinkers. What would they make of the techniques of present day dressage people? And I have never seen a driven horse without blinkers--mind you they were in pre-industrial times.

Clearly nothing: they are dead. But if they were a live would they be happy with the current situation? Could they have envisaged that in the 21st Century the main function of the horse in the UK is to supply the Continental European stomach with horseflesh?



Black Beauty is my favourite book of all time. I hate it, it makes feel queasy. I think that is because the battle is still rages, it is merely more hidden. Black Beauty's life is replicated by thousands of equines on a monthly basis. Many still get worked to death in other countries but here in the civilised world we cut out the labour and go staright to the butcher.

[neal]

Happy Christmas!

[boffin325]

Not sure about Rough Diamond, but there was a series about racing called "trainer", it was so bad it was compulsive viewing! You could tell whoever made it didnt know one end of a horse from another the trainer did have a luscious cob tho

[KimT]

Only just started reading this post.

I dont cry at films but Black Beauty (when Ginger dies an is wheeled off on the cart) is one of them. The Horse Whisperer is another 1. The horse they used looks like my 1st horse who died in 2005 so when he gets hit by the truck i well up and then when she rides him again i am in floods of tears!!!!

[thewondersquirrel]

Agree it's a very moving tale alright, one I'd be very supprised any horse person wasn't familiar with!

In my view (and I'm aware that you might not all agree with me on this) the power of the story isn't that it's a *real* or *true* account of how a horse *actually feels* but an emotional narrative told in human terms, to bring across to those who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the concept of the horse the fact that they are sentient beings capable of feeling pain, fear and pleasure, who are deserving of respect and kinder treatment.

You might guess by now I'm not one for over-emotionaling things - IMHO a horse is a horse and a human is a human and we should be wary of attributing human thoughts to non-human beings. None of which remotely takes away from the power of the story in terms of inspiring people to treat equines better, of course.

Very interesting to think how times have changed for the horse in our society, IMHO. Not sure I agree with your suggestion, neal, but each to their own!

[Bridget RA]

I pass a house on the way home from one of my clients' that has a plague on the wall to Anna Sewell and various other Sewell's - she obviously lived there. It is a farm surrounded by fields and wonder if that is where she wrote the book? I must find out! Beautiful area.

[jinglejoys]

O.K. Neal...she's only half horse

And this is a pony

but Laura drives hers without blinkers or bit...we aren't all sheep ;D

[circusdancer]

Before the usual "let's ridicule Neal fiesta" ensues, he does have a point. The tortures that Anna Sewell wrote about are still going on sadly and I think it would be a good idea for someone to rewrite the book to reflect modern day atrocities. I don't believe it would be taking anything away from the great lady's original story if it were recreated in the 21st century and covered Rollkur and training methods of it's ilk.

We can reflect, with tears, on what horses suffered in the 19th century and celebrate a film that tells the story as it really was for them but someone could also have a classic bestseller on their hands if they were literate enough to write about what goes on in the 21st century - from the horse's point of view of course! I'm sure anyone prepared to take on such a project could be inundated with stories from this DG. Times have changed somewhat from the original Black Beauty story, but we are still a long way off from horses being treated with the respect they deserve.

Would horses be treated any better two centuries down the line if someone wrote a book in 2010? Anna Sewell probably hoped when she wrote her book in 1877, that things would change. The poor lady might have been an animal communicator, but it's humans that need speaking to.

[Caroline]

Dec 15, 2009 0:49:15 GMT 1 circusdancer said:

The poor lady might have been an animal communicator, but it's humans that need speaking to.

Brilliant circusdancer!

[neal]

I stand, pleasingly, corrected--unblinkered: nice, Jinglejoys (claps hands)

'Let's ridicule Neal fiesta': love it

I have been trying to write that very book for the last four years, circusdancer. Unfortunately I am illiterteriatate.


Both Mary and Anna spent a lot of of their lives helping others. Anna lived in a lot of pain and was house-bound when she wrote Black Beauty. She only lived long enough to see it published and get a reaction but she died soon after. (She could never have guessed it would become the sixth best selling book.) I see a spirit there that all of us can learn from. She is still educating and informing over a hundred years after her death. I would love her to know about Monty Roberts. I think she would have been very pleased and seen a kindred spirit.

[julz]

I used to love this film, got it on a free dvd out a paper... watched it... cant watch it anymore.. maybe because i watched it soon after Q died, and at the end when it shows you of him as a foal I wondered how Q would have looked as a foal... I'll never know

[Daz]

If anyone missed it, it's on ITV3, 9.40am this Monday coming.

[lindaandrascal]

As a kid i learned to read for this book, and at 45 i still love it!! Love the film too. Always watch with a box of tissues.

[portiabuzz]

Love the book, so well written and a real insight into horses...i really thought that BB was real and writing it himself when i was young!

re horse whisperer, one of Montys newsletters mentioned this as they went against his advice and methods...only watched as a child so cant really remember it!

[feemac]

I think its an amazing story I cried at most of the film and it is very sad, but may it will send a message to many people that don't understand how to treat horses and people.