January 09, 2007
Happy New Year!
I hope you'll find this issue of Nose to the Ground interesting, useful, and fun to read.
I hope your holiday season was merry and bright, that you didn't spend Christmas stuck in an airport or find yourself the victim of a power outage as was the case with many. We've had some cold weather and blowing snow but our road has stayed open enough of the time for the UPS drivers to make their deliveries and for a much needed hay delivery.
Of course birthdays and other special events have a way of happening in January and February just as often as in other times of the year. Still, this is a good time of the year to begin planning for activities later in the year, a good time for many to do some fixing up around the house, and a good time to read a good book.
As far as a horseback riding vacations are concerned, your intent may dictate how much in advance you need to start plans and preparations. If you're thinking along the lines of a horse roundup, a cattle drive, or a pack trip in the wilderness, be advised that participation is often quite limited - perhaps to a dozen or so riders. Even a vacation on a guest ranch may require a reservation well in advance.
Vacations on Horseback: Rodeo School
I don't know if 3 days learning the art of saddle bronc riding or wearing a clown suit and facing down a bull qualifies as a vacation (it's certainly a break from normal day-to-day living) but I've come across an outfit that offers gift certificates for just such an experience.
I'm willing to wait until you get out of the body cast.
Horse Art and Home Decor
Ever purchased a painting or print you really like and then find that you need to repaint a wall or rearrange the furniture to make it fit in? It does happen.
A color wheel, based on the primary colors - red, yellow and blue, is one of the more useful tools in art. The concept of the color wheel got its start under Sir Isaac Newton who did a bunch of other useful things. The beauty of the wheel is that it's (usual) logical arrangement lends to easier color scheme planning and implementation. If you're on the verge of a redecorating project to surround that beautiful equine painting and aren't sure which color schemes make the most sense you may find a little research in this area worthwhile.
The online art retailers we partner with, ArtinaClick, All Posters and Art.com have decorating tips on their pages where you can get help in choosing among various framing and mounting options.
Every print, phorograph, poster or painting in our home is framed. Wood frames, metal frames, gold frames, silver frames and about everything in between so I've never really given much thought to mounting or laminating a print. Having seen a few examples of mounted prints I find the final results can be quite striking - artwork that appears to "float" away from the wall. If you really aren't in the mood to study the ins and outs of decorating based upon use of the color wheel, a much more straightforward bit of information Board Mounting At ARTinaClick.com is a page showing some various options available in board mounting plus links leading to discussions of other framing and reproduction techniques.
A Good Horse Book
What Horses Reveal: From First Encounter to Friend for Life by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling was the best book on horses I read in 2006 and for that matter one of the best ever. While I only just now have published a review about it but I certainly consider it good reading for most horse lovers.
Where Hempfling's Dancing With Horses placed more emphasis on preparing and working with the horse, What Horses Reveal addresses "reading" the horse.
You may be tempted to try to "fit" your horse into a particular category. Hempfling advises otherwise. Understand the whole first. That's not easy. There's plenty to absorb and it takes some time to get through the first part of the book, but the content is highly valuable. While any true horse lover should enjoy this book it is better suited for those who spend lots of time with different horses or work with horses than for the occasional rider. But it really would make a fine gift for anyone just getting acquainted with the horse world and has the desire to communicate with these wonderful animals.
Most of us rarely read a book more than once but this book should be an exception.
Submit an Article
If you've authored an equine article you'd like to share, please contact us. Of course you'll get full credit and a link to your website when it's published.
Links to Past Articles
- Rules of Thumb for Saddle Fit - Some things you should know if purchasing a saddle for the first time. It does have to fit (rider and horse).
- Saddle Rigging Demystified - explains the basics of western saddle rigging. This article contains most everything you need to know unless your needs are very special.
- Horse Art - Eadweard Muybridge, Leland Stanford and the Hobby Horse - One individual is well known, the other less so, but what they accomplished together changed horse art forever.
- What goes on in the mind of the horse artist as they create their work? - I asked this question in a recent edition of our newsletter and received a very nice reply from our favorite European artist.
Bill Savage
https://www.your-guide-to-gifts-for-horse-lovers.com/
