Although this is part of the toxic plant section, it should really be considered a section of it’s own so I’ve updated it separately (and what a job that was).
However, it’s a big section and if it helps people identify toxic plants in their pasture it’s an essential one. This section was perhaps the one most in need of a tune up and now it looks quite nice.
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My big accomplishment over the summer was completing my breeds section. It happened at the cost of regular writing, but through my research I came to realize that have a soft spot in my heart for every breed of equine out there.
They are all precious to us, as they’ve carried the burden of civilization on their kind & capable backs. Sadly, a number of the breeds that have helped to build history are threatened by incredibly low numbers. The breeds listed on this page are considered vulnerable to becoming extinct. Even worse, many of them have been around for thousands (& thousands) of years.
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For some reason I have an irrational fear of riding sidesaddle, (I just don’t understand how you balance with both legs on one side) which makes this video absolutely terrifying to me.
It’s one thing to ride sidesaddle, quite another to jump over HUGE fences sitting sideways. High jumps are intimidating for regular riders so this rider has nerves of steel. Quite frankly, this scares the horsecrap out of me.
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In one of my many searches for horse art online I ran across these sketches by Pisanello who was a distinguished Italian artist during the early Renaissance.
These horse sketches are reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s work & his attention to detail is masterful. Interestingly enough, his work has been mistakenly attributed Leonardo as well as Dürer & Piero della Francesca. All of these drawings come from the Vallardi Codex which is the major collection from the Pisanello workshop and come from the 15th century.
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Last week was our tribute to The mighty Black Stallion and this week it’s all about his arch nemesis Flame, the Island Stallion. This character is every bit as dynamic as The Black and the books are just as exciting.
I have to admit that although I loved the Black Stallion books, the Island Stallion was always my favorite. The remote island setting is rather romantic and the survival story is as important as the animal’s speed & beauty. I love the books, but have to admit that the cover art on these is a step down from the originals (who’s with me?)
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While it’s true I love horses the best, I happen to like almost anything that walks on four legs (except maybe hyenas, they just look like trouble). So last week I posted some of these amazing elephant drawings by French artist Auguste Vimar & here is part 2.
There is no doubt that Auguste spent quite a bit of time studying elephant anatomy & his keen sense of proportion is enough to make any artist envious. Regardless of the quality of the art itself, each drawing captures both the movement & personality of each individual character.
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As I continue to power my way through the site looking for sections that may need attention I’m finding things I can’t wait to share with my readers again.
Some time ago I began collecting lists of plants that are toxic to horses. As my list grew I even started trying to take some of my own images to use. Today I’m proud to say that I’ve contributed a variety of the images in that section.
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Image from Heidi Pruess Grew
As I’ve been delving into the strange & unusual world of horse art I’ve been sharing collections as I go along. It was an interesting summer and I’m looking forward to an even more artistic autumn & winter season.
Let’s face it, there are only so many ways you can represent a horse in art…however there are an almost unlimited number of art forms & techniques that give each piece it’s own panache. For each piece I tried to track down the artist & it’s current location (if anyone is privy to info about a piece, please leave it for me in the comments below so I can add it).
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Lets face it, palominos are really pretty animals. What with that golden color and those long blonde locks, what’s not to like?
Although most people think of deep, copper animals with creamy mane & tail (like Barbie’s horse) palomino shades are actually quite varied & interesting. In fact, they can range from an almost white color, to a very deep chocolate brown (all the while retaining their white-blonde locks). But interestingly enough there are a number of different color genetic combinations that create such a similar coloration it’s hard to tell them apart.
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If you’ve ever wondered or daydreamed about what it’s like to be a jockey, today’s post is for you. The two videos below put you in the drivers seat as these jockeys train with a camera on their helmet.
Although most of you are probably riders & know what the back of a horse’s ear looks like, it’s interesting to see them in a racetrack context. Not to mention it makes me want to get on a horse and have a good gallop!
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Awhile back I posted part 1 of my horse postcard collection and it’s time to take a look at part 2. It’s been a lot of fun to discover horse art in such a variety of unique places & I’m nowhere near finished.
The imagery is almost cheeky, which seems appropriate in the animal industry, but not so expected for their time period. Cheeky works for me so I thought these were fabulous & wanted to share them with my horse-loving readers. I don’t have dates for all of them, but the artwork or photography on them is obviously not from the 21st century…some of them even look like they’ve been used or (gasp) even mailed!
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