like most girls i like horses. i never wanted a pony when i was a girl, though. i never closed my eyes and wasted a wish as i blew out the candles. no, i was way more practical than that...i wished for a swatch watch or ooh la la sassoon jeans instead. regardless, (or irregardless, depending on which part of the country you live in) i have always loved horses.
my cousins who lived in vermont had them when i was growing up. driving up there on long weekends from inner city boston (go sox!) was always so exciting for me. i loved the way the horses smelled, a woody smell like hay and timber and murphy's oil wood soap. their nostrils and ears were like velvet, i probably would have rubbed them forever had the horses let me....i always loved feeding them carrots which in turn allowed me the ability to touch theirs snouts.
i've always been pretty tactile.
now i'm older and rarely ever get to see real live horses. last year i went up to portland for a long weekend.
as we walked over to stumptown, i noticed there on the cobblestone curb was a horse ring w/ a miniature horse ring attached to it.
i was so excited. what was this? a friend of mine who lives in pdx told me that there is a whole movement going on called the horse project. it was started by this guy/artist scott wayne indiana,
(wonderful name.) who felt that it was a shame the rings were no longer
in use. we have the same rings on a lot of our older streets in boston
as well. as a girl i would always imagine what sorts of horses had
been tied there...
i love street art, and some of my favorite kinds of street art is absurd street art. the combination of whimsy and public space is what makes this whole project so wonderful.
it calls attention to history and how long those streets have been there. not to mention the horses are miniature, which as i've pointed out before just makes it instantly adorable and fascinating. because the horses are so small their presence and statement is pretty unobtrusive, making it really sweet and fun. it's such a great idea...and what's even better is you can help. the website encourages you to get involved. so break your barbie's hearts and set those horsies free.
