Last weekend, a friend invited us up to a horse farm in Wisconsin to see a dressage competition. It was quite a drive–Chicago weekend traffic can be murder–but the weather was gorgeous (though still cold). The landscape, decked out in the delicate finery of spring, was lovely to behold.
I had never attended such an event. I was surprised at the tranquility of the scene. Seeing the horses and their riders and walking the quiet paths whose fences bounded the long allées, made me wistful for the days before the automobile. My thoughts traveled back in time to the Impressionists Degas and Manet, who were fond of painting horses and racing scenes. It was great fun to be transported back imaginatively into that vanished world.
Harley says
Fancy horse riding at fancy stables means a mighty fancy price……Looks to be a very well kept stable/horse farm……
Celia says
H, yes, a horse represents a significant investment. But I guess back in the horse age, you would invest in a horse what today you might spend on a car. Or cars. Going out to Silverwood was evocative: it made me more aware of what society would have been like before the automobile. Much quieter, at least, and less shiny and easier on the eyes. . .
Celia