Horses are our Friends

Severely emaciated? No, but emaciated none the less. It happens all. the. time. Am I a horse expert? Certainly not. But the conditions of these horses struck me as pretty pathetic and having ridden on healthy horses before, these did not strike me as healthy or nourished. These three horses are right by the road, the fence is so shoddy and open at points they just had a large tree trunk thrown around one hole to keep the horses in, and barely enough grass to eat.

The stable looks as if it's about to fall down and yes, there are a few horses in there. So, I did call and complain to the proper authorities about a week ago. I drove by today and one horse is gone, though perhaps he has just been moved to a farther field. This is a stables company after all. The other adult and baby remain.

 I wish I had gotten a picture of the other side of this baby, it had a scaly looking welts all along it's trunk.

 Rib cages and hip joints are not supposed to be so prevalent in a healthy, well fed horse.

Be an animal friend! Especially in this hot weather, where I see countless animals chained outside with no water or shelter, or locked in hot cars That's like putting your pet in a microwave. You better believe I will bash in your window if I see a dog or cat or CHILD locked in there. People don't realize that the temperature rises severely in cars and can and DOES lead to death. I adopted a kitten the same day (I saw these horses) because it was being given away outside a store. The poor thing was panting. Kittens don't pant unless they are having heat stroke. Come'on people, it's well over 100 degrees out right now.

If you witness something amiss, don't be afraid to contact the authorities! In the case of the horses, I don't know if they are severely being mistreated or what. But by calling it in, I leave it in the hands of the experts. So, no harm done if all is well. If it isn't, than hopefully steps will be taken to provide a safer and healthier environment for these magnificent creatures.

Pin it Forward: What Home Means to Me pt 1

 the white gerbara daisy fine art photograph ~ elr104

 I've joined in with Victoria of sfgirlbybay's pinterest pin it forward sharing. It was a real treat to be a part of this bloggy experiment. Read here to see how it works, and here for the schedule, and you can see the sfgirlbybay boards here. I had so many I liked, I'll have to do it in two parts.

 white bedroom library ~ in the fun lane

 
Visit my pinboard to see more of the things of what home means to me. In essence, it is a serene haven, that is not without it's crazy times, but throw in some family snuggles, faith, sweets, and lots of white and modern vintage quirkiness... and that is where my heart is.

 soft dandelion in a pink sky ~ La Coccinelle (Angie) photography

 no Jesus, no peace. know Jesus, know peace. ~ honey from the rocks

 father n son colonial family portrait ~ modern library

 succulents ~ blog delanie

 it's an anni clothing collection via simple blue print

 vintage aqua glass jars ~ south home window

 birds of a feather print ~ urban pink photography

 tossing and turning in a cozy white bed ~ ivory faces photography

 love of horse friends ~ star lisa

 strawberry ice cream ~ skrocodile

love between cotton swabs ~ white qtip heart ~ teresa marques

The next blogger in my group on the list is milk & honey, so be sure to check her "what home means to me" post on May 31st. Can't wait? Visit other groups pins here.

Homefront: A Horse's Tale {and Vintage Globe Bookends}

I finally had to chance to scour the neighborhood antique mall last week and oh, what a joy it was! I am itching to go back already. And the wonderful thing, is that my two young sons love going and seeing the treasures as well (strapped safely in the confines of our bulky double stroller, that is).

I came home with a few vintage bottles, an amazing metal enamel daisy chandelier that I got for a song, some prisms and this lovely book and globe bookends.

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis is a tale of a horse brought overseas, survived a shipwreck and brought joy to a little family. Apparently, there is an actual foundation for this book to preserve it and the history, as well as a fanbase since it was based on a true story! If you are interested in taxidermy, this is Misty and her daughter in the flesh.

  

  

I was wanting a lovely old story to read to my children, and I'm so happy to have found this little treasure. There is something wonderful about seeing the names and dates of the library card (last checked out in 1976 by a little James Harris), and the smell and feel of old, worn, yet treasured pages.

I also have a love of horses, as evident in this post here. This painting of the horses swimming reminds me of the rescue of the Netherlands horses. (If you watch the heartwarming video) it may be wise to have  a box of tissues near by).

For those wondering about the music in the video, it is *believed* to be Vangelis' main theme from the film 1492 — Conquest of Paradise.

These wonderful vintage globe bookends I found are amazing as well. The globes have such detail and they actually spin! My boys, as well as myself and enamored of them. Don't you love them? If so, I found some that are very similar on Etsy HERE, and some on Ebay HERE.

Do you collect old books? Are they more for stacking together and as design elements to you, or do you also read them? 

*ps for moms... that blue spined book you see on the left, Busy Book by Trish Kaufner... excellent activity book for kids! Tons of crafts and recipes for playdough, paints, edible crafts and more fun learning ideas.... this one I have is for toddler age, but there are other age groups available as well.

Those Lovely Horses

bohemian girl

I have always loved horses. Their smell, their wild spirits and mild yet fiesty hearts, their strength and power. Their grace and beauty and stubborn love. Even as a girl, some of my favorite films have always been Tonka and Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. Pegasus, unicorns, My Little Ponies, Arabians, Pintos, Mustangs... doesn't matter, I love them all.

fairy tale meadow ~ create love laugh

Once, while horse back riding with friends on a narrow canyon trail, I thought of their powerful bodies trotting over those little rocks and how vulnerable we were to a tiny little slip of a twisted ankle...

alicia bock

michelle k. a.

lori andrews

Another time, a wild horse named "A Horse With No Name" (a stubborn old lady), she took me for a wild ride through brush, down a hill side and off to chase some old cows. I definatly held on for the ride and sheilded my face from low thorny branches. I came out of the forest, clothing in shreds, hair a mess, a bloody lip, black eyes, scratches covering my face and arms and sticks in my hair, but boy... did I love that horse!

arthur sakhkalyan

traci (mrs. french)

if i could pick just one ~ blissful images

bradfordcg

I believe that was the last time I went horse back riding, yet how I have yearned to go again. Every time I see THIS VIDEO of the 100 horses being rescued from the flooding island in the Netherlands, I cry. The score (Vangelis- Conquest of Paradise) has something to do with, I'm sure. I also have a hard time with the forced spectator horse fighting and treatment and conditions of city carraige horses as well.

the gentleman- tracey capone

the whispering horse- irene suchocki

I truly had a hard time picking which horse images to choose for this post. Knowing that this magnificant creature is still out there, working, grazing, running in the sun, nuzzling up to a mate or a wee one, I feel as if a part of their spirit is captured in the photo and I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings by not including it. Truly, I want to gently rub down their noses and softly sing them a song. But that is crazy talk, isn't it.

chris friel

josh murfitt

margo love

Then, I heard about Molly, an abandoned victim of Huricane Katrina. She was alone for weeks, and when finally rescued and taken to a shelter for the animals, she was viciously attacked by a pitt bull and lost a leg and her jaw. She was to be euthanized, but her protective and caring demeanor won the caretakers over. Through love and support, she was able to get a prosthetic and now serves as an inspiration and bringerof hope to those in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, shelters and hospitals with her sweet spirit and loving personality.

nika f

alfheiour eria

Thanks to mrs. french's post on sfgirlbybay for reawakening my horse love.