Selected Horsefest photos

[altivo]

Santiago appears Some will remember my mention of Santiago last year. This is the same magnificent stallion who performed the "naked" dance with his trainer in last year's Night of the Horse.

Click on the picture to see a whole selection of shots. It was gray and cloudy, so the lighting is not as flattering as it might have been, but you can see the Friesians, Gypsy stallion, Andalusians, Miniature donkeys, and more.

Comments

[nipper.livejournal.com]

The picture with the minis looks almost like 'taurs ;)

Side saddle looks very dangerous!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Side saddle can be extremely dangerous. "Ladies'" mounts were supposed to be absolutely bomb proof and gentle. (Of course, they weren't always, but...) According to what was said at this particular demo, in which there were four riders, the popularity (in fact, social requirement) of side saddles for ladies is owed largely to Elizabeth I, who always rode that way and was quite a horsewoman. She would spend hours riding, sometimes to the detriment of the affairs of state, they said.

For a very amusing take on the side saddle, have you ever seen the film Mame! with Rosalind Russell? It has a sequence in which she tries to get out of riding to the hounds by saying she would never consider doing it unless she could go side saddle. To her dismay, the side saddle is produced, so she has to live up to her boasting and ride the hunt that way. Of course she succeeds and even bags the fox, but only by sheer luck and a lot of slapstick on the way.

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Great pictures!

I don't think I've ever seen a "gypsy" before. I like fuzzy hooves. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I do too. Clydesdales and Shires, Gypsies too. The Gypsy has many names: Irish Cob, Tinker, Gypsy Vanner, Irish Paint... In the British Isles and on mainland Europe they are fairly common and not difficult to buy, I'm told.

However, in the US there is an artificial scarcity created by a breed registry. You can't just go to England, buy a couple of Tinkers, and bring them home. Well, you can, but then you can't show them as Gypsy Horses here. Instead, the registry has managed to create a pyramid scheme whereby you have to mortgage your house, barn, and firstborn in order to acquire a registered Gypsy horse. You can read more about these artificially rare and overpriced horses right here, but take it with a grain or two of salt. They are usually black and white Tobiano paints, but as you can see by the one in the photos, they may have very little white, or occasionally, very little black. The one we saw today was a great horse otherwise, but the only white he had was at the toes of his hind feet. They are on the small side, pony to small horse size, and have the same cold blood disposition found in Belgians and Shires.

[pokeypony.livejournal.com]

I use to work for Dennis Thompson and him and his wife were the ones that established the Gypsy Vanner Breed and brought them to the U.S

That breed has more nasty,cutthroats panhandlers and liars than I have ever seen,and tho I really enjoy the breed it was corrupt and full of b.s from every angle imaginable.

So much b.s revolves around those horses it makes my brain hurt just thinking about it.

They are for the most part still one of my favorite breeds tho,and always will be because of the Roadsweeper.

Great pics tho.....that Santiago is gorgeous!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep. When I first decided I was ready to buy my own horses, the Gypsy was the breed that would have attracted me most. Only problem was, I could smell the bullshit all the way here in Illinois. You know it's a really big pile when the stink reaches from Florida to Illinois. I believe there are some people trying to create alternatives so that the lovely horses will be out there and available, without having to buy into the crapola.

The same sort of thing goes on with alpacas in the US. Phony breed registry controls everything and keeps prices artificially high through lots of BS and manipulation. They tried the same thing with llamas at one time, but that finally collapsed and now you can get a llama for $150 easily.

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

These are lovely photographs - thank you for sharing

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked them. Normally we'd have bright sunny weather at the end of August, but at least it wasn't raining.

[stephaniefoster.livejournal.com]

Gaaaahhh pony porn

*drools*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Nah. Porn would be Clydesdales. :)

[kildoo-lonewolf.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the nice pictures.

BTW Didn't I saw the pony in the "Not all equines are horses" picture in a Budweiser adds at the Superbowl two years ago??? I think he was pulling, with the Clydesdales, the Budweiser's wagon ...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh, I never saw that one. I'll have to look for it sometime. I did see the one where the foal decides to try pulling the beer wagon and the big horses all push from behind to make it work for him. That was funny.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Small horsies ^.^

Some Big horsies O.O

[altivo.livejournal.com]

But no REALLY big horsies. Most of the breeds I like are the really large guys.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

What are the large breeds? Apart from Clydestales (did I spell that right?)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The Suffolk, the Shire, the Clydesdale, the Belgian, and the Percheron. There are some other big guys, but those five are by far the best known and loved. The first three originate in the British Isles, and the other two are from just across the Channel.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever seen any of those except for the Clydesdale and the Suffolk. >.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Suffolks are arguably the largest of all horses, but not very common. Shires have the most color variations of the draft horses, and nice feathering but the Clydesdales are usually the showiest with their long legs and flashy white feathered feet (some have black feet instead, all have long feathers.)

Percherons are from France and are usually dappled gray or else near-black but still with dapples visible in the sunlight. I think they have the biggest butts of any horse. ;p That's one reason they are popular for circus trick riding, broad flat backs and hindquarters.

Belgians are probably the most widespread draft horse in America. Usually light chestnut colored, with white manes and tails and little or no feathering on their feet, but they can run into dun or buckskin colors as well as a light brown.