I blame Sugar, the very first pony I ever knew, for my response to this article about obesity among Britain’s horses. Sugar was one of those ponies everyone knows – the type that is about as wide as she was tall, with an almost magical ability to find her way into the grain bucket, even after it had been resolutely closed against her. She was born with a sweet tooth. One time she ate the better part of a birthday cake directly off of the picnic table (everyone had gathered around the pinata…lesson learned!) The fact that there are some fat, sassy horses and ponies out there is certainly nothing new.
And perhaps I’m more than a little nostalgic for Norman Thelwell’s ponies. Do you remember them? With touseled manes, snarled tails, and determined helmeted riders, Thelwell’s ponies were a staple of my childhood, decorating storybook pages and china mugs. I collected such things as proof of my love for all things equine – even if I got no closer to the show ring than leading Sugar around and around and around the corral!
Of course, you live, you learn. Growing up means discovering that fresh fruit and vegetables are better than candy and cake – for you and for your horse! When we love someone, we want what’s best for them. And boy, do we love our horses.
Silver Horse Jewelry
I scoured the Equestrian Jewelry Collection to see if we had any pieces that evoked the fat and sassy ponies of my childhood – after all, aren’t there some days when you’d LOVE to wear a brooch with that expression of absolute and utter contempt that only a pony can manage? – but no such luck.
Instead, let’s check out Sterling Silver Horse Head in Heart Necklace. It’s a little more refined, perhaps, with an elegant jumper’s head in a silver heart. The 17 1/2″ rolo chain is the perfect length, flattering with every neckline. Whether you’ve got fat and sassy ponies in your life or trim, athletic horses, this is the necklace for you!
