#1 here. There was quite a bit of interest following our mention yesterday of our medieval festival and my participation in it. I don't have a lot of photos, but here are a few to give you an idea:
Our medieval castle, Chateau St. Jean, was first built in the 10th century and expanded considerably in the 12th and 13th centuries. This is what it looks like now:
PERCHEVAL is our big annual festival and is supposed to be in honor of the Percheron horse although that has slipped a bit in recent years and there are fewer Percherons and more in the way of other horses. Anyway, here I am, ready to go (in the parking lot of one of our supermarkets!). My horse, Riesling, was of course a percheron. She stands about 17 hands tall:
And here I am during the parade:
This being Sunday, we do also have some snuggle pics for you!
With my Beebs:
With Sweet Violette:
Not quite a snuggle pic but an early morning scene at Poupounette Central (Queen Tama was in her own chambers...):
Sei-Chan and Tommy:
The Beebs and Tommy:
And Genji hanging out with the Beebs too:
Wishing you all a lovely Sunday. It's raining here so we're going to be taking it very easy!
I saw this on Facebook yesterday but not the castle! How fabulous to have a castle nearby!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely Sunday!
That castle is amazing. Looks like a lot of nice snuggling going on at your home this week.
ReplyDeleteCindy
what fun.... have a great day snuggling inside during the rain...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day - nice to see you taking part in the annual ceremony - love your shield.
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
That looks like fun. I wish I could live in a big castle!
ReplyDeleteI think it is awesome that your town has both a castle and supermarkets!
ReplyDeleteRiesling looks amazing and how fun to be in the Percheval parade. What an amazing area to live in.
ReplyDeleteWe loved the snuggling pictures so much that we are all going to take a nap right now.
Bert
Oh I am ready for a snuggle too! Who should I start with?
ReplyDeleteYour #1 and Violette look so cute together! Their manes are colour coordinated! What a wonderful time she must have had. As another reader said castles and supermarkets! Around here, supermarkets abound; castles are in short supply. ( Both of our castles are eccentric structures built by fathers for daughters in the late 1920's!)
ReplyDeleteYour #1 and Violette look so lovely together. Their manes are colour coordinated! Sounds like she had a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteCastles and supermarkets. Around here, supermarkets abound but castles are in short supply. The two we have that are called castles are eccentric structures created by fathers for their daughters circa 1929!
If all of you could see my smile! I love this. Certainly all of the snuggling and my dear furriends but the first pictures of the festival.THANK you. SO much!
ReplyDeleteOoooooooooo!! What a neat festival!! Riesling and you look pawsome :) We also loved all the snuggling going on too :)
ReplyDeletePurrs Tillie and Georgia,
Tiger,Treasure and JJ
Looks like that was a lot of fun. :)
ReplyDeleteMarvelous stuff, the Percheval festival and parade! What a completely fun thing to do! You looked most excellent on Riesling and I love the coat of arms.
ReplyDeleteWe have been into all things medieval round the Rose Juggler household these days -- watching a medieval history series from the Teaching Company, reading some excellent medieval mysteries, and now delving into medieval cookery. Your post just made my day. Also loved the spread toe shot from below!
Thanks for sharing the pics - what a fun event and how cool is that castle!!! You looked regal on your Riesling.
ReplyDeleteEveryone loves Tommy:)
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Wow! That looks like a funtastic festival!! Thanks for sharing it with us! We learned something new today!!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Maxx
P.s - Great pics as always!
That looks amazing! And what a lovely looking chateau. Looks like great fun. It's been many years since I rode a horse, and I'm finding it quite difficult to imagine climbing up on the back of something that is 17 hands! :)
ReplyDeleteCool festival! I wish we had one. :D
ReplyDeleteAlso I wanted to answer your questions to my first ride post here to make sure you see them.
Yeah the dismount was for fun and also to show some people I know in real life who thought Chrome would buck me off during our first ride that he's such a laid back horse I can do anything with him. I've had him since he was five months old and he's used to my crazy antics lol. :)
Yep I always get on my horses from both sides. After an incident where a horse (not mine) threw me because I lifted my right hand I always work with them from both sides. It's good for them to learn everything from both sides so nothing ever catches them by surprise lol.
I rode bareback for two reasons. Number one I don't have a saddle that fits him right now and number two it's less distracting for the horse. I wanted him focusing on my and not on a saddle. I really wasn't expecting him to feel so narrow and for my balance to be so off (from not riding bareback in a long time) so I probably should have used a saddle, but it didn't hurt anything and it just gets him used to even more craziness. I like my horses exposed to a lot of weird, different and unusual circumstances and stimuli so that they are far less likely to be spooked by something in the future.
Yes I am planning to always use a bitless bridle unless something comes up that makes that impossible. I also used a bitless bridle (or his halter) for his first ride for the same reason I didn't use a saddle. Less distraction. And it's a good thing because I caught him in the face with the reins a couple of time and that would have hurt with a bit in his mouth. He also had his teeth done fairly recently so I'm doing everything I can to protect his mouth. If I ever put him into dressage training with my old trainer I will probably teach him to wear a simple snaffle bit because that's what she rides in.
We hope to maybe someday ride Faran, but right now that's just not in the cards. Due to the way he was raised (not handled much I guess and definitely not desensitized to everything like Chrome was) and the abuse he suffered from previous trainers, he is just way too unpredictable. If you walk up to his left side and hop up and down he bolts away from you. Everything scares him. I worked with him with the mounting block the other day and we made progress, but he was on the point of exploding for most of it. I'll do a video soon to show you what I mean. We're going to keep working with him and when/if we ever get to the point where we trust each other we might ride him. For now we're just loving him and giving him the life he never had and teaching him to trust. Thanks for the questions!!
What a cool festival! Because we lives in the "wild west" we has rodeos, but they is big time sport now. And me loves all the cuddly pictures!
ReplyDeleteKisses
Nellie