Bump again.
Tonight the second part.
1 Like
I’m going to watch it in the morning! Roku is a godsend for farmwives who can’t manage to stay awake past 830. :lol:
It is starting here!
I watched both parts:). Not saying anything, as some have not seen the second part yet – maybe haven’t been able to watch the first part either:)
I saw the first half, then someone called on business I had to tend to and missed the rest.
Will have to wait to see what that was all about as others tell us here.
1 Like
It was interesting, I was exhausted though, I need to rewatch- there’s a lot I don’t remember~!
Both parts came off as complex, I think anyway, because there was so much material to cover in only 2-one hour segments. Plus the narrator talked so fast it was easy to miss something.
It was difficult for me to wrap my head around how today’s horses evolved from those tiny (and cute) little creatures that were discussed in part one.
^^^That said, the Siberia Yakut horses that were featured really do bear a strong resemblance to those little critters back in the Beginning of Time:)
Since Arabs own the horse part of my soul, I really enjoyed the “Yakut polar opposite discussion” of the Bedouin Desert-bred Arabian. — and a completely different look from the Siberian Yakuts:)
The differences between nature taking charge of a horse’s physical attributes, to survive its climate, as opposed to humans getting involved as with the Thoroughbreds was mind-boggling:)
6 Likes
We loved the Yakut horses, especially the featured grey. The cinematography was breath-taking, as with the first episode.
There was still a bit of a “Gee-Whiz” aspect to the narration, and some of the commentary may not have been entirely accurate, but it’s good to see horses featured in a documentary. Would’ve been nice to see another episode or two.
5 Likes
I really enjoyed it. They did include the wild horses on that island off eastern Canada. That was interesting too - in terms of how the horses paw for water and how the herds stay on their respective ends of the island. Arab lover here too. The segment on Arabs was lovely to watch. But, somehow they looked taller than the classic Saudi Arab. Anyone else see that? The part about the in-breeding in TBs was interesting.
Bluey - They do repeat these PBS shows. Usually in the week following the broadcast.
If it re-airs, I’ll likely watch it again. I wouldn’t buy it - but, I’d watch it.
1 Like
Yes, I hope to catch it in a rerun.
The photography was great, the stories a bit more on the fluffy side.
I think the narrator was assuming much and selectively on the prehistoric drawings.
What he was showing was but a very small part of what those are, just to make his story believable, but not really what those show.
In those times, horses were a meal and no more symbolic than others.
Individual animals of different species are highlighted in those drawings, not just horses.
Once into history and using horses for more than prey to be hunted, that is where our relationship with them started to change.
They became an integral part of our lives in so many more ways.
I think I liked best the start, about the original species horses evolved from.
Their graphics were neat.
1 Like
I agree. I was expecting to see the Straight Egyptian bred Arabs that I thought the Bedouins were noted for.
If if they like to race their horses, as was inferred in the Arab segment, I would bet money they have infused some faster blood into their breeding programs.
Bluey, I agree with your thoughts on the narrator’s explanations of the primitive drawings – years ago I was told “freedom of the press belongs to those who own it” – I think he was exercising his journalistic freedom, lol.
I do have to give him major kudos for traveling to Siberia and toughing it out to ride a Yakut horse – even if he only lasted five minutes for the camera, that’s about four more minutes than I could last, lol. I gave Thanks for my jammies and electric blanket as I was watching that segment. A crude crude lifestyle that doesn’t even get onto the Spartan scale, IMO. I tip my hat to those dedicated people who care for that herd of horses:)
1 Like
I like that I bolded, may borrow it some time.
The thing with horses is that they are so awesome on their own, we don’t need to kind of sort of stretch what they are.
Let them speak by their own nature, especially when you have great visuals at your service, like they do in those documentaries.
Will love to see the second half of the second half.
Bet it is as interesting as the preceding parts were.
1 Like
Agree with much of the above. It was sort of a cheerleading session for horses rather than heavier on the facts. I also enjoyed the segments on the Yakut and the Canadian island horses–didn’t know that people kept horses all that far north. What I thought was interesting was the impression that left alone/feral that horses tend to revert to a more primitive, or if you will, a basic horse type. Smaller, denser, hardier. It seems that the same goes for a lot of the herds of mustangs. I remember hearing years ago that there is also a basic dog type also, medium sized, small droopy ears, looking much like the dogs one finds in India or other places where they more or less are wild.
1 Like
Over 50 years ago, someone sent us a handful of tarpan horses.
We were to halterbreak them and teach to be handled and longed for exercise.
They were fuzzy donkey colored grey with some dark highlights.
Chubby little things, heavy set, with thick necks and short straight legs.
My guess now is they were around 13+ hands.
They didn’t act wild, just not handled and became very friendly fast.
They learned quickly and didn’t give any trouble at all.
We doted on them and were sorry when they left.
I wonder now if they came from a zoo, maybe extra ones they were selling.
I was hoping to see some of those in their program.
I hated when the show went through the breeds. Belgian as the biggest horse, I thought those were the shires. Warmbloods only jumpers… As a former owner of the Friesian breed I can tell you they are still used for a variety of disciplines not just bred solely for beauty.:rolleyes:
1 Like
As someone already commented, the narrator came across as not that well informed.
Such a good opportunity to showcase horses, maybe they could have found some professionals in the horse world to “proofread” the information provided a little better for factual content and what to leave in and what to cut out of it.
Unless factual content was not what the documentary was meant to be?
1 Like
Missed part II on first run. Anywhere to see it on line?
G.
G - Check the PBS website.
I watched the PBS 3-parter on African civilizations. It was fascinating and eye-opening. There were lots of horses and their uses throughout. It first aired in 2015.
They missed an entire episode, more or less since this is cut and paste from the original CBC three-part series. There was a much longer segment on both the Yakuts and Bedouins in the original series, including far more horseback travel in Siberia and the host lived with them and showed how they kept warm in that climate. The original also covered more about breeds and the racing study was more in depth (try watching that with another retired trainer and ex-rider). Regarding the Belgians being the largest draft breed - yes and no…officially the heaviest but Clydes and Shires are generally taller but not heavier.
Guilherme - see if you can watch the thing on CBC; it would be listed under The Nature of Things. Havent checked out their new online viewing app but maybe it works in places besides Canada.
IMDb link for the series - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8643928/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
2 Likes
That makes sense, why the stories didn’t seem complete for the material presented!
S’ok, we love horses and yes, nitpicking anything horsey also.
Thanks for the tip on where to get the whole story, will try that.
