STABLE HOMES
A new volume illustrates how equestrianism is integral to the grand houses of our islands BY CATRIONA GRAY
Horses have always found their way into the stateliest of homes – sometimes quite literally. In 1938, the famously eccentric Lord Berners was photographed having afternoon tea at Faringdon House with a white mare name named Moti, while rather more recently, Town & Country’s launch issue featured a Shetland pony in the entrance hall of Firle Place in East Sussex, poking its dappled nose into a contemporary family portrait. Now, a new book celebrates the equestrian influence that pervades so many country houses across the UK and Ireland.
Some of the properties are open to the public and already well known – be it the magnificence of Chatsworth, the rugged romance of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire or the extensive grounds at Badminton, home to the famous equestrian trials. Each of these buildings possesses spectacular stabling, a homage to the historic reliance upon the horse as the primary means of transport. There are also an assortment of stud farms and training yards, which remain primarily working premises, with the tack-rooms and stalls taking pride of place. And although the outbuildings are pictured frequently in every chapter, what’s fascinating is how horses make their presence felt in the interiors as well. Rows of neatly paired leather riding-boots line the halls, alongside exquisite Persian rugs; hard hats are propped precariously above priceless umbrella stands; and walls are hung with oil paintings of steeds, their names and dates recorded as carefully as any ancestral portrait. Look closer and there are even more details to be spotted, from little porcelain hounds coursing across a cabinet to a Dick Francis novel sandwiched between a couple of auction catalogues.
Patrick Beresford, who wrote the book’s foreword, grew up in Curraghmore in south-east Ireland, one of the 18 featured properties and home to his family for 800 years. ‘Even during my own wartime childhood, there was a shortage of petrol and cars, so you had to go everywhere by pony and trap,’ he recalls. Although those days are long gone, the stables remain in operation, with a riding school and a local racehorse trainer both leasing space on the vast 2,500-acre estate. ‘There are still thoroughbred heads poking out over the stable doors, which is wonderful,’ says Beresford, describing the breed as ‘the best-looking animals on Earth’. This passion for horses is the shared link that connects all these houses, and despite the undeniable grandeur, they are underpinned by a practical, grounded element that prevents them appearing too haughty. For no matter how expansive the grounds or how breathtaking the interiors, these houses are a tribute to a shared passion that dates back generations. While for most people, the heart of the home is the kitchen, in these cases, it appears to be the stables. ‘Equestrian Life: From Riding Houses to Country Estates’ by Lavinia Branca Snyder, with photographs by Mark Roskams (£42.50, Rizzoli), is out now.