# black beauty (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover black beauty. Page: Feed: --- ## [Is a CTA necessary?](https://legs.bearblog.dev/cricket-2/) _2026-08-21 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Having shared a bed with a cicada in France, we're firmly back in Blighty...\] Now we’re all awake and back in Bromyard. And by ‘all’ I mean me and an uninvited house-guest. I’m in post-France online catch up and regrouping mode. Unpacking isn’t a priority. Blogging about my adventures IS. Each post is sent out and uploaded every Monday: ‘Marthe Monday’. Re-reading them, I find the story that… ## [Creepy...](https://legs.bearblog.dev/cricket-1/) _2026-08-20 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[First part of our chapter titled 'Cage' - where I fall in love with my first insect...\] ‘When you wish upon a star Makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires Will come to you’ Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio, sung by Cliff Edwards, lyrics by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline I wonder if the insect you’re about to meet wished upon a star to visit Bromyard in Herefordshire? Or had a… ## [Stupid hen? Think again!](https://legs.bearblog.dev/hens-2/) _2026-08-19 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Introducing you to Aude, mistress of the peep (coop) with me still holding onto an aversion to chickens...\] Aude lived in Paris, but kept a husband and poulet in her apartment. I wondered who she loved best – she adored ‘her hens’. Longtime friend of Marthe, diminutive in size but with a largesse of a heart, she was unperturbed by her friend’s regular berating. Nothing ruffled her feathers unless… ## [Nimrod Brings Tears](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-7/) _2026-08-18 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[It's here - the Interspecies Black Beauty Ballet\] Within this simply converted barn, the vulnerable animal natures of audience and human actors meld with that of the animals. The story of Black Beauty does not cast humans in a shining light. At its most poignant, the two equine stars - Ginger and Black Beauty - contemplate their fates as a horse buyer seals a deal for Black Beauty, leaving Ginger… ## [Hen Aversion](https://legs.bearblog.dev/hens-1/) _2026-08-18 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[A 'break' chapter entitled 'Poulet!' to fly us back to England for a new very small creature adventure...\] ‘Hey little hen when, when, when Will you lay me an egg for my tea?’ written by Ralph Butler and Noel Gay Hens were vital to our survival at La Combe. Their contribution was primarily their eggs, secondarily their manure and lastly – irregularly – their lives if they ventured more than once… ## [The Day the Rains Came](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-6/) _2026-08-17 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[We are a spit away from an interspecies production of Black Beauty as a ballet... it has been boiling hot without a hint of rain... see previous posts. 7 min read - long chapter!\] Leading up to the performance the last members of our group have arrived at La Combe. Over the days that follow by some ecocentric miracle, we weather three out of five of the trending ‘Tuckman’ model of group… ## [A Kiss of Inspiration - from a Sheep](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-5/) _2026-08-15 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Heading towards performing with animals in France, a 'Black Beauty Ballet'... tonight's the night!\] We rehearse again after a day’s break, during which I offer to make a carrying basket for the hens, which a Parisienne hen-like friend of Marthe’s will then let out in the arena and demonstrate that hens, too, are intelligent. There are only two rehearsals to go, one of which is the dress… ## [Eclipse Time Out](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-4-new/) _2026-08-15 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following on from chasing after Velu the cow who'd escaped and learning a bit about 'cow time' (infinite)... TSM = The Sheep Man, Hurricane = a beloved chestnut horse I cared for.\] This is our quick ‘time out’. I’m writing this on 12th August 2026, an important astrological date since it’s not only a New Moon but there’s a partial solar eclipse. All eclipses bring a disquieting silence. It’s… ## [Revisionist History - Velu Lesson](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-3b/) _2026-08-13 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Oops! No wonder I was finding it clunky trying to write 'The Byre' section of The Book, I have just discovered the series of blog posts I wrote at the time, including the Velu escapade. It differs a little from the last post so for the sake of accuracy I'm noting the edited version here. And can I just also note that whoever is reading these excerpts, you are silently goading me on wonderfully,… ## [Velu Lesson](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-3/) _2026-08-13 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[You are waiting to be introduced to Velu - a cow I'm supposed to be performing with...\] ‘Velooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!’ She is not where we left her, tied up on the shady side of the barn. We are running down the knobbly track, away from the barn-about-to-be-a-theatre, away from the tensions, away from the shouting of commands and the gloom of rehearsing-not-getting-any-where… … into the… ## [Retro Grid Dungeon Crawler (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/Rr67DW8GTL3o) _2026-08-13 · **Sponsored**_ Retro grid movement with first-person combat, loot and skill-tree progression. ## [Scant Portions](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-2/) _2026-08-12 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following on from arriving at La Combe - an Eco-Research Center\] Although everything is parched, the air of La Combe is different – infinitely clear with a hint of freshness. It tastes like the cloudless blue above us. It is this we will be drinking from, water is precious. I am already taking in my new home-for-a-week, in large gulps. I do this every day, every morning, at home, here, now. And… ## [Already Lost in France](https://legs.bearblog.dev/byre-1/) _2026-08-12 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ THE BYRE ‘Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle the cow jumped over the moon...’ Heads and horns up, the task we’re presented with amounts to a tad more than getting a cow to jump over the moon. Twenty-five in the druid animal deck, cow (or Bo) arrives just before horse, paying homage to all things mother. She also helps us recognize what is unhomogenized ‘whole fat milk’ – both metaphorical… ## [Winging It](https://legs.bearblog.dev/wildgoose-2/) _2026-08-05 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following on from serendipitous moments relating to geese...\] The other thing about geese is their migrating, probably leading to being associated with Travels to Legendary Place. They go back and fore… and so will we as that’s the talent of the wild geese we’re going to embody. We can do this with consummate ease and not feel the slightest bit giddy. In time we are flying back to September 2013.… ## [serendipitous honking](https://legs.bearblog.dev/wildgoose-1/) _2026-08-04 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following on from leaving the stables of beloved horses and preparing to wing it in France'. Chapter Break entitled 'Wild Geese'\] ‘Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings these are a few of my favourite things…’ from ‘My Favourite Things’, Soundtrack The Sound of Music How does life orchestrate serendipitous and synchronous moments? The writing of this brief interlude happens over a long… ## [Black Beauty - 30 A Thief](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/black-beauty-30-a-thief/) _2026-08-03 · Gem · International Horse College_ My new master was an unmarried man. He lived at Bath, and was much engaged in business. His doctor advised him to take horse exercise, and for this purpose he bought me. He hired a stable a short distance from his lodgings, and engaged a man named Filcher as groom. My master knew very little about horses, but he treated me well, and I should have had a good and easy place but for circumstances of… ## [Good Byes](https://legs.bearblog.dev/larkin-horse-9/) _2026-08-03 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following from Hurricane finding his new family of circus 'horse whisperers' and being given the new name 'Han'\] There was one more chance to see Han again at the farm. I woke before dawn to hear the sound of hooves – many hooves - in the field. Not quite conscious I wondered if it was fierce rain beating down on the roof, then thought it might be escaped sheep or horses from the stables down the… ## [Gone](https://legs.bearblog.dev/gone-horse-8/) _2026-08-02 · legs · Legs from the Dregs_ \[Following on from Hurricane the chestnut circus horse recovering from mud fever and dancing with me in the field for a further year... TSM = The Sheep Man\] ‘Can we go and see Hurricane?’ It became the first question on the lips of the four sisters, part of a circus family who regularly visited. And Hurricane would amble across the field leaning his head of the fence to nuzzle, snicker and take… ## [Black Beauty - 24 The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/black-beauty-24-the-lady-anne-or-a-runaway-horse/) _2026-01-23 · Gem · International Horse College_ The Lady Harriet, who remained at the hall, was a great invalid and never went out in the carriage, and the Lady Anne preferred riding on horseback with her brother or cousins. She was a perfect horsewoman and as gay and gentle as she was beautiful. She chose me for her horse, and named me “Black Auster”. I enjoyed these rides very much in the clear cold air, sometimes with Ginger, sometimes with… ## [Are Your Students Struggling With the Basics? Have a System to Teach Them](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/are-your-students-struggling-with-the-basics-have-a-system-to-teach-them/) _2026-01-05 · Gem · International Horse College_ Are Your Students Struggling With the Basics? Have a System to Teach Them When students struggle with simple horse-handling tasks, it’s rarely because they’re incapable—it’s usually because they haven’t been given a clear, repeatable system. Something as basic as haltering a horse can quickly become confusing for beginners when straps are tangled, instructions are vague, \[…\] ## [Outdoor Horse Care: A Guide to Keeping Paddock Horses Safe and Healthy](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/outdoor-horse-care-a-guide-to-keeping-paddock-horses-safe-and-healthy/) _2026-01-05 · Gem · International Horse College_ Outdoor Horse Care: A Guide to Keeping Paddock Horses Safe and Healthy Caring for horses that live outdoors requires time, commitment, and a good understanding of their daily needs. While paddock-kept horses enjoy a more natural lifestyle than stabled horses, they still rely heavily on humans for safety, nutrition, and monitoring. Whether you're a new \[…\] ## [Find what they just said (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/18ZMeyP41qWA) _2026-01-05 · **Sponsored**_ Surface recent public signals so you can send policy-aware, relevant outreach ## [Black Beauty - 23 A Strike for Liberty](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/black-beauty-23-a-strike-for-liberty/) _2026-01-02 · Gem · International Horse College_ One day my lady came down later than usual, and the silk rustled more than ever. “Drive to the Duchess of B----'s,” she said, and then after a pause, “Are you never going to get those horses' heads up, York? Raise them at once and let us have no more of this humoring and nonsense.” ## [Why Looking Up Transforms the Way You Ride](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/why-looking-up-transforms-the-way-you-ride/) _2025-12-18 · Gem · International Horse College_ Why Looking Up Transforms the Way You Ride Every rider has been reminded at some stage to lift their gaze. Perhaps, like me, you heard it from a parent, an instructor, or an old poem shared by a grandparent. While we don’t need to stare permanently between our horse’s ears, keeping the eyes up plays \[…\] ## [Mastering the Basics: How to Use Natural Aids When Training Your Horse](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/mastering-the-basics-how-to-use-natural-aids-when-training-your-horse/) _2025-12-12 · Gem · International Horse College_ Mastering the Basics: How to Use Natural Aids When Training Your Horse Understanding how to apply natural riding aids is a core skill for any rider, whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your horse’s training. Natural aids—your legs, weight, reins, and voice—are how you communicate with your horse. Used correctly, they create \[…\] ## [Regaining Confidence Around Horses: A Simple A–B–C Guide](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/regaining-confidence-around-horses-a-simple-a-b-c-guide/) _2025-11-17 · Gem · International Horse College_ Regaining Confidence Around Horses: A Simple A–B–C Guide Horses are highly intuitive animals, often communicating their emotions and intentions through subtle body language. While many horses may appear calm and quiet, it’s essential to recognise when they’re feeling uncomfortable or unsettled—especially before they react with natural flight or defensive instincts. For riders and handlers,… ## [101 Lessons to Teach Beginner Riders Free eBook Download](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/101-lessons-to-teach-beginner-riders-free-ebook-download/) _2025-11-14 · Gem · International Horse College_ 101 Lessons to Teach Beginner Riders Free eBook Download A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Confidence in the Saddle Dreaming of riding with confidence, balance, and ease? This FREE ebook is designed to help you overcome fear, build trust with your horse, and develop the skills you need to ride safely and confidently. 101 Lessons to \[…\] ## [Black Beauty - 22 Earlshall](https://www.internationalhorsecollege.com/black-beauty-22-earlshall/) _2025-11-04 · Gem · International Horse College_ The next morning after breakfast Joe put Merrylegs into the mistress' low chaise to take him to the vicarage; he came first and said goodbye to us, and Merrylegs neighed to us from the yard. Then John put the saddle on Ginger and the leading rein on me and rode us across the country about fifteen miles to Earlshall Park, where the Earl of W----lived. There was a very fine house and a great deal of…