Chronicle of the Horse | Untacked | September October 2019

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

RODOLPHO RISKALLA

Riding Again Against All Odds

Fall Fashion Issue Clothes For The Changing Seasons

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE

LIFE BETWEEN THE EARS

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Seeing The World WITH LIFE BETWEEN THE EARS

Contributors to the “Life Between The Ears” social media accounts transport us to the world’s most interesting and beautiful places—all viewed from the saddle. Here we share a few of their images.

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BADMINTON, ENGLAND Bryony Daniels had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Beaufort Hunt as a guest of MFH Captain Ian Farquhar for a Testimonial Meet celebrating his retirement after 34 seasons. This photo between the ears of Daniels’ borrowed mount, Rebel, shows a fraction of the 300 mounted participants gathering in front of the historic Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England. The house is BRYONY DANIELS PHOTO/@BRYONYDANIELS

owned by the Duke Of Beaufort and is also home to the Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*.

“A lawn meet only occurs at Badminton on incredibly rare occasions—every 50 years or so—and has to be on the invitation of the Duke,” Daniels explains. “[Rebel] was a complete machine and jumped everything I asked of him—lots of stone walls, hedges and hunt fences. Cantering across open parkland is quite incredible, especially given that this is pretty hallowed country to hunt.”

The day of honor was also marked by the arrival of Storm Erik, which battered parts of the United Kingdom.

“High winds and biblical rain,” Daniels says. “Most of us had to tip out our boots and change entirely at second horses.”

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LIFE BETWEEN THE EARS

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REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND Begga Rist’s father taught her how to navigate the Icelandic highlands by bringing her along on his work excursions to study hydrological measurements. The travel was always difficult, but Rist developed passion and respect for Iceland’s wilderness. She took this photo from the back of Máni, a 19-year-old Icelandic gelding.

“His name means moon, and on his forehead there is a nice little white moon,” Rist says. “In Iceland we actually say ‘19 winters.’ This is from the old time when talking about a horse’s age; we counted the winters the horse has survived.

It’s a good way to remind us that life was not easy in the old time in Iceland.”

Máni’s previous owners sold him to Rist six years ago, and he joined the string of Icelandic horses Rist maintains for her mounted tour business Íslenski Hesturinn.

The red hills in Rist’s photo are part of the Rauðhólar site on the Elliðaárhraun lava fields within the Heiðmörk Nature Reserve. The Rauðhólar contains pseudocraters, which are formed when lava flows over a body of water such as a wetland or a lake, and the steam pressure results in explosions. They are mostly found in Iceland and on the surface of Mars.

“I’m looking at red-colored lava and green BEGGA RIST PHOTO/@ISLENSKIHESTURINN

moss that grows on the lava,” Rist says. “When I

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took the picture, I was guiding our favorite tour of the volcanic landscapes, so I was at work with our guests riding behind me. It never feels like work for me because I enjoy this so much!”

Rist was born in Reykjavík but has lived in Norway, France and Denmark. She studied tourism in Paris and veterinary medicine in Copenhagen. She moved back to Iceland in 2005, and in 2010 she received her diploma from the University of Iceland as a tour guide.

She opened her business in 2011, and her riding tours range from scenic riding treks to specialty tours that view whales and puffins.

ince 2008, Life Between The Ears founder Kristine

picturesque Vashon-

Dahms has posted stunning photos shot by riders in

Maury Island.

all corners of the world with one hand on the reins

Dahms has taken

and the other on the shutter. Dahms mines photos with the

some of the Life Between

hashtag #lifebetweentheears, contacts the original poster of

The Ears images from

the image, then features the photo, complete with educational

cyberspace to print,

details about the place that’s portrayed.

creating three lines

Life Between The Ears photos appear on a LBTE

of greeting cards with

Facebook page, an Instagram feed, a dedicated website

selected photos from her

(lifebetweentheears.com), a Twitter feed and a Pinterest page

social media pages. A

(all under @lifebetweentheears account names).

portion of the proceeds

Dahms—who lives in Vashon, Washington, with her Welsh

RICK DAHMS PHOTO

S

SHARING LIFE BETWEEN THE EARS

from the card sales goes to the Equine Land Conservation

Cob, mini horse, pygmy goats, two dogs and two cats—

Resource (elcr.org). Cards are available at

rides dressage and takes quite a few photos herself on the

lifebetweentheears.com/retail.

662 CONESTOGA RD | VILLANOVA, PA 19085 215 - 410 - 6 8 3 4

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