Here are a few more photos I took at the horse and buggy show at the Haras du Pin in August 2011. Here's a link to the Haras du Pin web site, with information about the horse show (les spectacles équestres) and the different breeds of horses there. The site is in both French and English.
This map gives you an idea where we were. Our gîte for the trip was just east of the big town of Alençon near the smaller towns of Mortagne-au-Perche and Bellême. Northwest of Alençon is the Chateau de Carrouges, which we visited. And straight north of Alençon is the little town of Sées and it's gigantic cathedral. North of there is the Haras and the town of Argentan.
The Haras du Pin is in the southern part of Normandy, 160 kms (100 miles) west of Paris. It's 60 kms south of Caen and 100 kms southwest of Rouen. The Mont Saint-Michel is 125 kms west. The Haras 80 kms north of Le Mans, and 150 kms north of the city of Tours. It's a 2½-hour drive from Saint-Aignan on the autoroute.
The Haras du Pin is in the southern part of Normandy, 160 kms (100 miles) west of Paris. It's 60 kms south of Caen and 100 kms southwest of Rouen. The Mont Saint-Michel is 125 kms west. The Haras 80 kms north of Le Mans, and 150 kms north of the city of Tours. It's a 2½-hour drive from Saint-Aignan on the autoroute.
Splendid animals! Always a pleasure to see well cared for horses with excellent training. Will put the Haras on my post-vaccination list!
ReplyDeleteAs Evelyn said in a comment yesterday, there was magic in the air the day we were there.
DeleteAs Kiwi said, it's always a pleasure to see photos of la plus belle conquète de l'homme. And, as I said before, the Lumix photos are excellent.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth horse is almost airborne with only one leg touching the ground!
ReplyDeleteGood eye, CHM. Horses' gaits are interesting :https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/how-we-shaped-horses-how-horses-shaped-us/trade-and-transportation/gaits. Photography led to an understanding of how a horse's legs moved.
DeleteFrom the position of the rider, wondering if was also changing leads at that point. When a horse canters, it "leads" with one front foot more forward, lets him go around corners easily. A trained horse can change on the fly, almost literally. Or, this rider may have been doing some dressage moves.
DeleteThe brick stable is beautiful and makes a good backdrop for the show.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of beautiful horses, thanks, Ken! I especially like the little dark grey colt/filly(?). If I remember correctly, it will become lighter in color, like it’s mother, as it grows. And many thanks for the map. I like to know the relationship between different places in an area.
ReplyDeleteooh, I love those kinds of maps :)
ReplyDeleteI too love the map but sometimes I worry that Alencon looks as if it is on the coast.
DeleteYes, potty... unfortunate, that. The map is definitely stylized. Alençon is actually of the banks of the Sarthe river.
Delete