Hi, friends! Surprise, I have two posts up today. With all of us being home more these days, I hope you continue to enjoy the distractions and beauty that I’m sharing on the blog. I’ll continue to share posts and what we are doing around our house and today I’ve got a spring tablescape on the other post up today and my friends and I are sharing some fun inspiration on this post too! So double dose of inspiration and I hope you’ll go visit both of them.
We are all just trying to find out new normal with all that life brings us at the moment and I’m going to continue to blog and share beauty with you all, so I hope that’s good with you. I can’t sit around and wring my hands, it’s scary out there but we have to continue living our lives and know that this too shall pass. We don’t know how fast or how hard it will pass, but it will pass. Praying that God guides our country through this pandemic with the least amount of damage to health and finances for all of us.
Now, on to a positive subject. Spring is here and it’s a great time to get outside. Mark and I have been on our bikes again and it feels good to be out in the sunshine (finally!) and get some fresh air. Being cooped up for months during winter and rainy season hasn’t been fun, so it’s nice to get some good weather now. That’s a plus for Spring!
The skills instilled by hunting experience came to the fore in the inaugural Gaucho Derby – a 10-day, 500km “race” across the wilds of Patagonia run by the founders of the Mongol Derby.
Not only is the winner, Marie Griffis, heavily involved with the Big Sky Hounds in Montana, USA, but all the three British riders who finished in the top 10 of the 23 starters have strong connections to hunting.
Clare King, who was second, hunts with the VWH and has twice won the Old Berks hunt race on the ex-racehorse Ravens Brook. And joint sixth – although actually first across the finishing line – were Ledbury joint-master Louise Daly and Laura Redvers, wife of Louise’s joint-master David.
“It was a serious adventure,” said Clare, who has so far raised £8,000 of her £10,000 target for the Children’s Cancer and Leukemia Group.
“Was it fun? Absolutely, in retrospect! Scrambling up steep mountains, getting stuck in bogs and being wet, cold and lost in the middle of nowhere wasn’t exactly fun at the time, but it all made for a real adventure. The horses, scenery and great bunch of riders were fantastic, and wouldn’t we all just love to be a real Gaucho!
“Patagonia is one of the most remote and uninhabited places on earth, but the mountains were both brutal and beautiful in equal measure. The navigation was tough and having a pack horse to contend with added an extra dimension. The Criollo cross horses were fantastic. While perhaps not flashy or particularly fast, they were foot-sure and knew the dangers at times when we didn’t. Deathly bogs were our main fear and there were several very hairy moments. The terrain we asked these horses to cross was challenging – up and down near vertical slopes and traversing scree slopes with huge drops below. Forests were seemingly impenetrable at times. We often put our safety in their hands and they didn’t let us down.”
Louise said: “We were probably 1,000/1 even to finish the race, but we were proud to prove to everybody, and to ourselves, that if you throw us anything, we’ll get through it.
“Hunting people did fantastically well out there; we’re used to being in the saddle for long periods in all weathers.”
Louise and Laura, who were fundraising for the Midlands Air Ambulance, got to the finish line about five hours ahead of the rest of the competitors, but the delay to the race caused by a dramatic and unexpected snowstorm early on meant that the contest was determined by accumulative times over the stages, rather than a straight race to the finish.
Local gauchos helped guide riders to safe passage and an emergency shelter was created in a forest, with some riders, most of whom rejoined the race later, airlifted out as a precaution. Another keen British hunting man, Rob Skinner, was taken to hospital after being kicked in the face when his horse got stuck in a bog, but he returned to the action and finished in the “adventure” category of the race.
The pair, who have a combined age of 44, trailhunted together for years before retiring to enjoy their twilight years
“Mentally it was harder than anticipated, but physically we were ok – I think the Mongol Derby is more physical. We coped with the riding bit very well,” said Louise.
“We were only allowed to take 10kg of kit with us, and I suspect next year they will change that.
“We made fantastic friends – we’ll have to get them all to come to a Ledbury hunt ball at some point.”
If you wish to contribute to Clare, Louise and Laura’s fundraising efforts, please visit:
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I saw this post on FB and wanted to share… I’m not sure who posted it originally, so I’m posting the post so that you all can go visit any/all of the names on this post. In any event, this is perfect for a Sunday at home.
I’m not sure who originally posted this…
HERE ARE THE PICS!
BE WELL EVERYONE!
–All pieces here were artisan crafted for the the needy horses featured in the HORSE AND MAN BUCKET FUND!
To follow us on our beautiful, updated often, FaceBook page, click here!
Shipping (within the continental USA) included in all prices!
NEW!
LOOK WHAT CAME IN?!! Our artist friend from Poland is working away at home and she shipped us some jewels AT A DISCOUNT! PERIWINKLE FLOWER ONLY $58!
Large Periwinkle flower pendant encased in glass with a bronze bezel. One of a kind! Pendant is 2″ long and 1″ wide. LOVELY! Chain is 32″
NEW FROM POLAND! Large Captured Dandelion pendant! Only $68!
Gorgeous, one of a kind, captured dandelions in glass with a bronze bezel. So pretty! Pendant is 2.3″ long and 1.5″ wide. This is a robust and lovely item you will wear all the time!
When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Inc.
Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!
A 2005 master bathroom renovation transforms from builder’s beige to completed updated New Traditional yet modern look for 2020 in marble look porcelain and use of color in marble and accent tiles of soft blues and gray greens. Light bright and airy makes this master bath a standout renovation. Hope you enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Walker Zanger tile.
The master bathroom is finally finished and ready to show off. This New Traditional master bathroom went from plain and boring to beautiful in the span of 8 long weeks. It felt like it was taking forever, but really in the scheme of home improvement projects, that isn’t such a long time. We are thrilled with the outcome and can’t wait to show it off. After spending a few months scheming and planning this master bathroom, I am so happy with how it all turned out. I only changed my mind on a couple of things moving forward and those turned out to be the best choices as well.
Simon is a leading show rider who has won numerous championships at top level. He has won at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) on several occasions and took the supreme with Hallmark IX in 2013. He has also won the supreme at Great Yorkshire twice.
The North Of England Summer Horse Show
Saturday 5th July
Arena UK, Allington Lane, Allington, Grantham. NG32 2EF
The Kellythorpes Moulin Rouge Supreme Ridden Show Horse Championship
Reserve Champion
845
HALLMARK IX
R: Simon Reynolds
As a producer I take it upon myself to get to know each horse I have inside and out. As good as your staff may be, it’s your responsibility as a trainer and rider to get to know each horse.
Once, this was put to the test when my dad and sister had gone to the sales and left instructions for my brother Crock and I to work the horses. The instructions then said to ride “the grey horse”. Now, there were two grey horses and unfortunately for us we didn’t pick the right one.
The Wachau Wachau Cultural Landscape is an Austrian World Heritage Site location along the Danube River approximately between the towns of Krems and Melk. It is one of the most popular world heritage sites in the country attracting thousands of riverboat passengers each year, as well as visitors from the nearby capitals of Vienna, Bratislava, …
It’s been a really crazy week, hasn’t it? All we can do is pray that this is over sooner rather than later and ask God to help us through the mess that is happening at the moment. Life as we knew it has come to a halt and we must endure and persevere. Hang in there with me as we all navigate this path.
Today on Home Style Saturday, there’s a lot of different inspiration for you from home tours, to spring ideas and more, so hope you enjoy this little bit of happiness from my friends and I!
Equine charities are among those to feel the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as they are forced to close visitor centres and cancel events.
Charities have said while their main priorities are keeping staff safe and looking after the equines in their care, they do still rely on the public for donations.
Horse Trust chief executive Jeanette Allen told H&H the charity is having to plan for “numerous potentials scenarios” around the number of staff available.
“All those who normally mostly drive a desk are competent and trained to help with the horses, so everyone has their boots and hats on standby,” she said.
“Living on site means I can be called upon to help out at any time. There is of course also morale to consider when making any decisions affecting the way people are asked to work.”
Ms Allen said the charity’s site could be closed to the public for up to four months, meaning it will lose income from visitors attending the centre, tea room, barn venue and open days.
“Along with income from stands at cancelled shows like Royal Windsor, we are looking at a sizeable hole in our revenue,” she said.
“This is a significant concern and we will be asking our existing donors and the wider horse-loving public to consider helping us at this time.”
Ms Allen added on a positive note, if the charity’s team numbers are not too badly affected, they plan to undertake more training and give their equine residents more one-to-one time.
“We are also ensuring team training opportunities are available online should any of the team be required to isolate, but not be unwell,” she said.
“The truth is, we don’t really know what is coming so need to plan for lots of eventualities; schools being closed may well bring challenges for parents who work, plus some of us are also caring for older parents in isolation. If we struggle with numbers of staff, then planned admissions may have to be paused and we will have to take extra care of those perhaps carrying a heavier burden.”
Lynn Cutress, chief executive of Redwings Horse Sanctuary which has 1,500 equines in its care, said the charity had been doing its best to continue “as normal” but said all five visitor centres closed to the public from today (20 March).
“We had hoped to be able to keep our centres open on a very restricted basis to provide a free and safe space for families to enjoy fresh air during this difficult time, but the announcement to close schools has caused us to reconsider,” she said.
“With about a fifth of our staff being parents themselves, including some of our vets – and with vets and animal care workers not on the government’s key workers list – the existing pressures on our teams have now intensified. We need to ensure all those still able to work can concentrate on the care and welfare of our horses. Sadly, this does mean all events due to take place at our centres have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.”
Ms Cutress said the charity relies 100% on donations from the public.
“We have always been very prudent with our finances but with our visitor centres no longer open, this will naturally impact on the funds we can raise towards the care of our horses,” she said.
“While these are uncertain times, the one thing that does not change is our responsibility to our animals. Therefore, we are appealing for anyone who is able to consider making a donation, to ensure we have the additional funds we may need over the coming months.”
Ms Cutress added the charity’s welfare telephone line remains open for anyone wishing to report concerns.
“Our field officers will continue to investigate those reports where possible. We will also endeavour to continue with our rehoming scheme, subject to considerations over social distancing,” she said.
A spokesman for The Donkey Sanctuary said its five visitor centres are closed to the public.
“The safety of our visitors, staff and donkeys is paramount and is an overriding factor in our decision-making,” he said.
“We have comprehensive contingency plans in place which ensure that our resident donkeys are not affected by this closure, and they will continue to receive the highest level of care by our dedicated grooms who will continue to work as normal.”
The Gloucestershire five-star has become the lastest high-profile horseworld casualty, with the five-star and Science Supplements Cup cancelled
Sue Burton, founder of Essex-based Remus Horse Sanctuary, said the charity is in a very “worrying” position financially after having to cancel fundraising events.
“Remus still has animals at the sanctuary to feed and care for. The staff are hoping that its suppliers can still supply the quantities of feed, hay and straw required,” she said.
“I know times are hard for everyone at the moment but if you can do something to help us during the coming months, we really would appreciate it. With your help and support, we will get through this and come out the other side.”
Tucson is a lot more than a warm place to visit in the winter. Its location in southern Arizona in the Sonora desert makes it the best spot in the United States to learn about several aspects of science, history, technology, and culture. Tucson is a lot more than a warm place to visit in …
