Horses Making an Entry: Homes Where Equines Stroll Indoors
Horses and Households: A Tradition of English Eccentricity
For three decades, the grand Regency House in Hemyock, Devon has been the unexpected home to a menagerie of equine guests. This unique tradition, reminiscent of English eccentricity, has been documented in a series of anecdotes and photographs, each telling a story of the unconventional bond between humans and their horses.
Clover Stroud, a resident of the house, fondly recalls Candida Lycett Green, who made everything magical. Green's horse-drawn carriage rides on the Ridgeway and ponies grazing on the lawn during family lunches were cherished memories. Green's mother, Penelope Betjeman (neé Chetwode), even took her grey Arab, Moti, to tea with their neighbour, the 14th Baron Berners.
Fast forward to modern times, and the tradition continues. Kirsty Vaughan-Jones, a resident, brought her daughter India's pony into the house after it couldn't dry after hunting on Christmas Eve. Ollie, one of Clover Stroud's ponies, has become a regular dinner companion, known to raid the fruit bowl when left unattended. Rosie, another equine resident, taps on the bin to open it when she wants to be let in.
Not all horses are as frequent guests. Celia Knights's horse Sam, featured in "The Englishwoman and the Horse," enters the house very rarely. When he does, it's usually after lunch, as allowed by Celia Knight, later Lady Vestey. Sam, a domestic horse, has even been known to take a sugar lump from Miss Knight's teeth.
The youngest resident, two-year-old granddaughter 'Toto' (Antonia) and her miniature Shetland, Rosie, are now part of the household. Clover Stroud's children have been accustomed to their Shetland ponies wandering inside their house.
The tradition extends beyond Regency House. The youngest children at the Taunton Vale Harriers' branch of the Pony Club ride through the ground floor of their hosts' home on the last day of camp. Riding around the house bareback, as practiced by Kirsty Vaughan-Jones, helps build a relationship with the pony and teaches balance.
This tradition, while unusual, is considered a treasured throwback to English eccentrics of the past. Lord Berners, who painted Moti in the hall at Faringdon House, Oxfordshire, was said to be delighted by the steed's 'perfect manners'. Horace, a winning point-to-pointer, lived in the house in his old age as he hated being stabled.
India Vaughan-Jones, a four-star event rider, and her assistant trainer, Philippart de Foy, in Newmarket, continue the equestrian legacy. Bringing equine friends into the house and garden is not just a whimsical pastime but a testament to the deep bond between humans and horses that transcends traditional boundaries.
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