“It is fascinating how closely horsemanship and culture coincide. When Europe fell into the Dark Ages, their horsemanship deteriorated into barbarism. It was not until the Renaissance that humane methods were rediscovered.” Mrs. Bridgestone stepped to the fence and reached a frail hand to stroke the filly’s neck. “In owning a horse, I feel I own a living piece of history.” ~ excerpted from “Eclipsed by Shadow”

Horses may have pulled and carried humanity up the long ascent from primitive cultures, but it wasn’t a straight line. Human societies have been subject to cycles of  falling away from civilized life.
“Dark age” describes the lack of historical records from these periods, such as during the Bronze Age collapse about 1200 BC, which ended [...]