Beauty is…

I don’t know if you know this but I LOVE horses.  In fact, I used to go riding a lot when I was a child.  Maddie (our teacher at the time) told me I was doing really well and sometimes she would give me a winner ribbon if I had done something spectacular in the lesson.

One thing about horse riding on the tv that I have never enjoyed watching is flat racing.  To me, that’s just well, boring.  And POLO!  My word, watching it on the tv and it just simply doesn’t make sense.  You can’t watch it without knowing the rules - and I don’t know them.

But yes, horses doing jumping or eventing or most other things that I see on the television, I find well worth watching.  It’s just something about horses that I find them very beautiful.  You are free to disagree if you like, and that’s ok if you think differently to me.

Actually, I loved seeing horses running together, even if they were wild.  It’s just so gorgeous to see them run and gallop with their mane and tail flying in the wind of their movement.  Obviously, I haven’t seen them in person running wild, but tv programmes or pictures/photos etc.  I can see the beauty that was ascribed to them.  One of the best presents I can remember is a beautiful picture my aunt gave me of an Arabian horse but with all the moves I have had, I lost it and I haven’t seen one like it or another one again.

When you look back to history and portraitures in the past (or even in the present for all I know) you see men or women with the horses they love and you can see the joy they have in each other.  The link between human and animal has to be strong because you need to help guide them and they know that.  And then you have portraits of horses alone themselves, too.  There is so much beauty and controlled strength and speed in the steed that is visible in these portraits.

One other animal that has had great attention in portraits is dogs.  They are seen as “man’s best friend” and I will say they have great beauty.  Even if you don’t like a particular breed, there is always some beauty in their form.  I know we will never have a St Bernard for example (because it would be bigger and heavier than many people can handle - including myself)but they are gorgeous looking animals all the same.

Then of course you have cats and other small animals - ok, I’m not going to get a rat or a lizard because I just don’t like them, but they all have some beauty.  I remember as a child actually liking a magpie…yeah, well.  Actually I do still love the glory of their movement when flying.  Cats…well, I didn’t know if I would manage to look after one, but I KNEW I needed an animal to be with and I got one.  OH MY GOODNESS!  It was one of the best things I ever gave to myself.  Mia was my companion through some troubled times and then we came to Kevin and Sootica and Gobbolino and they all got on well with each other.  They were different breeds but all lovely.  And now we have two ginger tabby girls.  And I love their beauty and different characters they have.  There is so much beauty in animals, but you have to open your eyes to see it.