I got an email from Joyce Scobie (the Chairman of the Sedbergh and District History Society) a few months back. She told me;-
"... school children in Howgill in the 1930's and 40's were given a day off every summer to go up and trim it to maintain the shape of a horse. "
... which to me lends credence to the idea that it is an artificially constructed, or at least modified hill-figure. She was given this information by an old lady (now sadly deceaced) who remembered doing this in her childhood.
I also spoke on the phone to Jack Dawson, village elder and former JP, a man of excellent reputation in the local community. He told me of a local legend he had heard, 80 years ago (!), that the horse was used by the Roman armies as a landmark on their way up the Lune valley, from Lancaster to Penrith and Carlisle.
He also recalled the pre-war practice by local farmers of having what he called an annual 'Boon Day'. A day off from work to meet at the site to tidy-up the outline of the figure.
Mr. Dawson also bemoaned the fact that no-one seems to care for the figure anymore. He was concerned about it's future.
Again, if the hard-working hill-farmers were bothered enough to have a day off to do this, surely the figure used to have a certain amount of importance to the people in the area?
I hope it doesn't slowly disappear under encroaching vegetation over time...
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road