Wednesday, February 1, 2017

horses in the home hop

I'm about 93% positive that some variation of this post has crisscrossed the equestrian blogosphere over the years. Most recently, Olivia from DIY Horse Ownership posted about the horse art decorating her home. And given my own recent addition to the "herd" (see what I did there?) I figured I'd unofficially hop in too!

Degas poster print + master huntsman stencil on reclaimed barn wood by local artist Sean Reichert
I've actually never been a huge fan of 'horse art.' It seems like most mainstream designs or images somehow.... don't really capture my vision of horses. Everything is either too whimsical (picture: glossy Friesians with billowing manes and tails), too wild (mustangs galloping across the plains), or too 'my little pony.'

Idk. It's hard to explain - but so much of what's available feels... somehow unreal. Maybe impersonal? It doesn't sync up with the humble shaggy lesson ponies I grew up with, or the nature of how I actually experience horses in real life. Kinda like how any movie that involves horses depicts them as constantly whinnying or neighing or snorting or otherwise chattering. Like. No, horses just aren't that noisy guys. Let's be real, here!

Charlie portrait on canvas by Alyssa Kelley + timber horses in glazed ceramic by local artist Jennifer Merriman
In recent years, tho, the collection has grown from that one Degas print (the frame for which has long since disappeared) to include a couple other finds from local artists. And apparently I have a thing for a wider variety of media lol.

The huntsman appeals to me for its simplicity, and I actually have a few other non-horsey pieces from the same artist. And I just kinda love those timber horses. Maryland has a strong tradition of these races, including the annual Hunt Cup (that's kind of a big deal) - so I like the local flavor to it. I also kinda appreciate that the horses aren't perfect and that they're all styled slightly different.

And obviously we've all already seen that lovely portrait of Charlie as a racehorse that Alyssa created for me!!

Izzy print in MCTA prize picture frame + Izzy print with corner chewed up by kitties
Aaaand.... haha that's kinda it. There are a few other photographs scattered on bookshelves. Mostly just printouts of photos from competitions with Isabel. The above being our first BN (on the left) and our second N (the right), both at Loch Moy and both by GRC Photo, used with purchase.

best friend Dancer from many years ago + unicorn lunch box gift from when i was very sad
I sadly have very few photographs from any other barn tho. Like, I actually do have photos of just about every horse from my first barn (when I went through the whole place with a disposable camera or two) but the pictures are... kinda poor quality haha. They don't really show the horses to, um, their best advantage. Like poor Dancer, above, who was probably just trying to nap when we snapped that unflattering shot.

Also on display, obviously, is the awesome unicorn Teresa mailed to me (complete with much-needed care package) after I wrote about things falling apart with Isabel. (Thanks girl!!)

also. this giant wooden horse. 
Oh. And of course we can't forget that giant fucking crazy-eyed, carnival-esque wooden horse dominating one corner of my living room lol. That's.... uh.... pretty hard to miss haha. And I've had that thing since I was a kid (my dad picked it up at some auction after I had {childishly} decided that I had to have it, since, obvi, horses). And I freaking love this weird creepy caricature of a horse lol.

So.... not a very large collection by quantity haha, but perhaps.... imposing in sheer size and material?

What about you? Do you have a lot of horse art or decorations in your home? Or are you more of a minimalist? Wanna hop in and share your pictures too??

40 comments:

  1. My poor husband - I have horse stuff everywhere. Racing and hunting prints are on every wall of the living room, ribbons in the office, and our powder room has a hunting theme, complete with embroidered towels he's not allowed to use- lol! He's pretty tolerant as long as the real horse lives somewhere else ;)

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    1. Haha I mean that seems fair enough!! I think the racing and hunting motifs may be among my favorite too

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  2. I think I have a picture of Gem and one of pete and that is it. Im determined to actually decorate this house unlike the previous 6 that were bare and may add some horse art to the sitting room that faces the pasture.

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    1. Ha yea my house was kinda bare for a long time lol.... Slowly but surely we manage to fill it up tho! It still must be so exciting to have that window overlooking the pasture tho

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  3. I LOVE that giant horse! (And that photo of you all dressed up with the cat and wine lol. I was shopping just last night to see what people sell old carousel horses for. I've always wanted one and decided since I'm moving to Canaan I could have room for one if I ever found a good price. Fuckers are costly for what I want! So uh, maybe when I'm 65?

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    1. Ha excellent idea about the old carousel horse!! We think this thing must have formerly been a rocking horse bc of the stakes coming out of his hooves - but he's definitely OLD. The wood is dried and brittle by this point. I still remember that my dad got him at the auction for $80 tho (which as a kid I thought was just an insane amount of money) bc I was then confused as to why my dad paid $84. Aaaaand that was the day I learned what sales tax was haha

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  4. I'm rather lacking in all decorations.... maybe I'll get around to decorating my next place.

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  5. Lol I hear ya. I kinda like to let things happen "organically" myself, which.... is the lazy way of saying "whatever if it happens it happens" haha

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  6. that last picture is brill. i tried really had to not let my decor take over my apartment so I don't look like a crazy person but... I did anyway.

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    1. haha that last pic is from back when izzy was locked down on quarantine with the flu and we missed our first couple shows of the season.... so i improvised with materials i had on hand haha

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  7. I don't have too much at home (a canvas or two and some of my Langrish photos) but my office is wall to wall horse stuff. I should probably photograph it and write about it!

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  8. Haha! I LOVE the crazy-eyed wooden horse. I'm starting to let some horse things creep in (mostly gifts from people) but for the most part my house is very non-horse. When I was a kid I remember I refused to have anything in my room that was horse - I thought I was a 'real rider' and thought horse models or pics were silly. I'm much less of a 'real rider' now! lol.

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    1. lol i know exactly what you mean! tho i did have the model horses.... grand champions were totally my jam ;)

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  9. I love that wooden horse!!! My current place is tiny, but I've still managed to fill it up with horse stuff. I have a crazy rainbow canvas painting of a horse that I've taken along with me since college that I love. I also have a few horse throw blankets and of course framed pictures of Justin on nearly every surface.. hehe

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    1. ha there can never be too many pictures!!!

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  10. I'll totally have to do this hop! Have a lot of art in my new house. Love the giant horse, that thing is amazing.

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  11. That wooden horse tho... if I ran across one, I'd snag it too. Tiny you had excellent taste.

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  12. Delurking to comment... love the last pic with the wooden horse! I have a bunch of stuff at home - I try to spread it out so it doesn't overwhelm the house or my hubby. lol I should get some pics and do a post too.

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  13. I have way to many horse prints on my walls!!!! It would of been more manageable if my husband hadn't started scavenging the local thrift stores and scavenge places!!! He actually found a lot of neat hunt prints for $25-$40 that dominant our house now (old hunt prints at some places cost upwards $200 for crap quality so was very happy with his finds!!!)

    We do have some other fun horse pictures that aren't fox hunting themed but fox hunting is king in our area :)

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  14. The wooden horse is a legend. I'll have to join this one - my spare room/reading room in the new apartment has become a pony shrine!

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  15. I have some wonderful horse art I haven't put up yet. My husband is more interested than I think most men in being hands on about how things are laid out or decorated. He has some hideous modern art that he came into our marriage with--I am scared if I go all out HORSE that he will want to keep his weird Dali-esque stuff in more prominent places. I love your foxhunter decor and Da Vinci is always on point.

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  16. I was made fun of so hard and so persistently in high school for my love of horses that I actually refuse to have them dominate the house decor. I have a collection of Cheval Ponies on my bookshelves (which are composed of 40% equestrian books..), a huge and very, VERY rare original screen print of the Three Kings' Horses from a Dutch/PR artist that is worth more than anything else I own, a couple of Breyers, and a wall that is meant to be a display of endurance ride photos. That's it so far. The beach, mainly in the form of photos I have taken on my SLR, and in my own abstract art, are what really dominates the house decor.

    I LOVE that wooden horse of yours! The photo itself is just brilliant! Lol

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  17. When I was kid & had friends over, I used to get them to guess how many horse posters I had in my bedroom. There was close to 100. Yeah, I was a fun kid.
    No I've turned much more minimalist & I'm not into horse themed decor. I have saddles in my living room, bridles on my hat rack & ribbons hanging off my book shelf so that's more than enough!

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  18. I like your style of horse decorating, and agree with you on all points. The western or "glamorous" pictures all seem to be collected by people who haven't seen a horse up close.
    I have the problem where everyone gets me horse things. Like, if it has a picture of a horse on it, then obviously I must want it. I got a tapestry once... and an oven cozy. Why an oven needs a cozy, I have no idea, but I have a "summer" oven horse cozy, and a winter one. All from my MIL btw.

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  19. I love your huntsman piece. I don't have that many horsey pieces up in my home (small apartment) but I do have a few pictures of Ryon and my old helmets hanging from the wall

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  20. I don't have a lot of horse stuff but definitely a few here and there. You have some great stuff!

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  21. I have a metal horse door stop and a gold horse head that has hooks on in, fox hunting coasters, fox hunting horn and a couple other things my inlaws have given to me over the years. The collection is growing now that they know my obsession with horses. 😜

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  22. I love your unicorn lunch box!! OMG

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  23. Yay! I'm so glad you did this too. I love the backpack and the wooden horse.

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  24. Well... my office is actually my trophy room so... I have lots of artwork and photos and such in there, as well as a few other pieces scattered throughout the house.

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  25. So I totally grew up with a TON of hunt photos in my house and now that my parents are divorced and no longer live in my childhood home most of those pictures are gone..but I've decided I NEED one in my life again. I used to stare at them all the time imagining I was one of the riders.

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  26. Finally able to catch up on older blog posts!
    I love your Oxacan horse statue. :)

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