Pony on a Pedestal

My friend Skuggi here learns a circus trick

Tallyho! The Adventures of Little Miss Jodhpurs

My virtual world of horsewomanship ..

All images © Rosie West

Back In The Saddle

 

..  for the first time this century.  But I should not misrepresent myself as a horsewoman, having  been on one barely a dozen times in my rather long life.  The last time was in Australia when a sedate ride on a sweet old nag blind in one eye with shaggy hooves (does that not say cart-horse to you too?)  proved  more exciting than I anticipated.  If it wasn't the fact we were at a 45 degree angle up and down a flipping escarpment, it was the ragdoll moment when she broke into a trot that caused me to smoke two cigarettes at once when I dismounted.

See here, I promise this isn't cruelty to animals.  This adorable non-judgmental Icelandic pony is terrifically sturdy and  able and willing to field twice his body weight of novice.     I  am sure he would have let me potter about the Land of the Midnight Sun on him if I'd asked. Skuggi belongs to my cousin Philippa and whilst somebody lent me a pair of gumboots, she lent me a hat and a lot of expert confidence-building advice.  Can't say I'm not proud of this picture.

Thrust the bust!  I don't know.. probably a bit keen to have a 'good seat'.   I really hate being under-dressed  and always wanted a proper  pair of jodhpurs, boots, hacking jacket, stock, velvet hat.  Hairnet. String-backed leather gloves. Whip or more properly, riding crop.

 
courtesy http://booksandmud.blogspot.com



This is the way to do it

Keen sportswoman, champion United States skier and best-dressed all round good egg Ann Bonfoey Taylor

Her hacking jackets had matching riding hats ohh


These images taken from Fashion Independent : The Original Style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor published by the Phoenix Art Museum to which her exquisite wardrobe has been donated. 




PS  I don't know if anybody is going to read this because I disappeared off the radar so long that I've have fallen off the plot.  

Giddy UP

In haste before pushing off for a week's holiday. It's that horsey thing again.  Fascinated by them but still pretty scared of them.  I did the first four sketches at one of London's greatest inner city patches of countryside, Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs.  It's attractive, clean and lacks officiousness - great atmosphere.

Marvellous stableyard with over a dozen horses sticking their heads out to be drawn, nicely framed by the darkness of their boxes.  

And some were  patiently being groomed

Others a little impatient to be out

There were young women and little girls were busying themselves in the way that always fascinates me: that slightly self-important way of pushing wheelbarrows, bossing noble creatures around as if they were toddlers and negotiating the hierarchy between themselves.

Finally, my tribute to Stubbs and Ucello from drawing at the National Gallery the other day. It's free!  I recommend it.

Uniforms and Horses - Again

I have just recommended this Armstrong and Miller clip to 'wimpy cat blogger' (except he's definitely not)  rurritable after he said he was startled by how big Liverpool police horses were.  See his post featuring a classic Beatles  video with old green buses (destination 'Penny Lane') and some big horses here.

We all know I can barely ride a horse but somehow they keep trotting onto my blog.  No apologies for yet another of my four-legged friends or for some more gorgeous  Armstrong and Miller whose classic RAF sketch I brought to you not long ago.

Carousel

Continuing my fantasy horsey theme, I go from War to Merry-go-Round.   Anything to relieve the look of Christmas ..

Whoops, this beauty comes from the film White Christmas

And I played around with the image on photoshop

© Rosie West

I love this restaurant and the diamond window panes, but I can't remember where I found it.  

Greedy collector Jean-Paul Flavand from Paris seems to have cornered the market here!
From: Obsessions by Stephen Calloway, pubd. Mitchell Beazley 2004