A fascinating bit of history!

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For some reason the picture I tried to add to this post just wouldn't appear! It has finally allowed me to add it now. Every now and then you stumble across something really fascinating online, and this morning was one of those times – the first I have heard of the stilt-walking shepherds of south-western France in the 19th century. Apparently the people of that region herded sheep on the flat and marshy land, and to keep their feet dry and be able to get a better view of their flocks as well as moving fast over the ground they used stilts – and really tall ones too, sometimes as much as five feet off the ground! In spite of their elevated position they were able to pick things up from the ground, and they could walk as fast as a trotting horse. When they wanted a rest they would relax on their stilts propped up with a long pole, where they could read, spin or knit as well as keep an eye out for wolves. They formed an escort for a visit to the area by Empress Josephine in 1808, and were able to easily keep pace with her carriage. They even performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1937. In the first half of the 20th century the practice died out, probably due to a mixture of changing farming practices, the land drying out, and the invention of waterproof footwear. You can read more about it here The painting is ''Inhabitants of the Landes' by Jean-Louis Gintrac. Thank you to @pumpkinjam for finding out for me!