When I was a kid, I rode and showed horses. I belonged to one of the (three) 4-H horsemanship chapters on the island of Kauai: The Comancheros. I was crazy about horses. I read all the James Herriot books and saw myself becoming a large animal vet. Caring for a horse was a daily, all-consuming task. I had to head-out to the pasture every day after school—trucking water, food, and grooming equipment in the station wagon—which left no time for any other extracurricular pursuits. But I learned about carrying serious responsibility and committing to care for something which required absolute daily attention. I also experienced the indescribable bond that a horse and rider can form. I can still recall the wonderful smell of a horse's breath—moist and warm, suffused with grass and grain.
Decades later, I still think that horses may be the noblest of all God's creatures. A quick perusal of my equine-related offerings (now on-line at LEO Design) shows that I clearly love horses still! For the next several days, we will be sharing some of the handsome, horse-themed bookends, currently in-stock at LEO Design.
Shown above, a "troika" of wild horses, crisply cast in iron—and finished with an aged copper patina. They were made by Judd, founded in 1830 in New Britain, Connecticut. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
By the way, my first apartment, after college, was in the industrial-manufacturing town of New Britain. It was built in the re-developed old Washington School, a handsome Gothic Revival schoolhouse built in 1922. I worked at G. Fox, the department store chain based in Hartford, and lived in the (mostly Polish) neighborhood sometimes called "New Britsky." New Britain was very much like several neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, my current home.
More horse-themed bookends tomorrow and in the days to come.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.