The Fourth of July:  Fireworks, Food, Fun . . . and Horses?!?!

HHRF July 2025 blog by Kathleen Choe

The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, and celebrates the birth of America as a country rather than colonies governed under the rule of King George after the Revolutionary Army defeated British forces once and for all at the Battle of Yorktown. July 4th typically invokes images of neighborhood parades with the local fire truck in the lead and kids on bicycles festooned with red, white and blue crepe paper and balloons, waving little flags and looking forward to fireworks later in the evening after the hot dogs and watermelon have been consumed. They often don't stop to think that without horses, our country's annual birthday celebration might not even be possible!

General George Washington was the general who led the American army to victory on horseback during the Revolutionary War. He was an avid horseman, with much more experience training and riding horses than leading an army of soldiers.  He maintained a stable of finely bred, highly trained horses for hunting, pulling carriages, working in the fields and wheat treading barn and pleasure riding.  On June 15, 1775, Washington found himself appointed Commander-in-Chief of a poorly funded and ill trained group of soldiers with the commission of preparing them to fight the well funded and highly trained British Army.  He knew strong horses and capable horsemanship would be key to winning this David and Goliath style conflict. 

Horses were not merely a means to an end for the General.  His favorite mounts were named Nelson and Blueskin, and he made sure they survived the war and enjoyed their retirement years in comfort, indicating that he enjoyed a personal relationship with his horses rather than seeing them just as tools to be used or a means to an end. His relationship with horses was quite remarkable in a time where the sentience of horses was poorly understood and rarely considered in the treatment and care of equines. 

Throughout history, horses have been essential for exploration of new lands, transportation, agriculture, military victories, and even for delivering the mail, money, and news.  Horses connected people to the land and to each other.  In our increasingly mechanized and digitized world, where we interact online rather than in person and are removed from the grounding and centering gifts of the natural world, horses provide a bridge back to our roots and interconnectedness with the earth and each other.  They have never lost their awareness of and connection to the environment on which they depend to survive and thrive.  

Having horses in our lives is good for us and can be good for them too if we learn how to care for and interact with them in ways that respect their sentience and unique needs as sensitive social mammals.  The mission of HHRF is to support research and learning into the unique contributions of equines to the overall mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health of humans while ensuring they benefit from these interactions too.

While you are celebrating America's birthday this year, remember to thank a horse for making your freedom possible in the first place, and consider how you can learn more about these amazing creatures we share the planet with.