Horses at Beningbrough

We've had a very horse themed past couple of days at Beningbrough, with two lovely Shire horses on site to take our guests for rides around the grounds. Here they are this morning, being groomed ready for their day's work.

Once the horses were brushed, the metal on their harnesses had to have a final polish. The white metal on these horses' harnesses is much easier to clean than traditional horse brasses which can take up to five days to  thoroughly clean and shine.

Once they're ready the horses look superb, and wait in front of the house for visitors to come and experience some transportation around the grounds, 18th-century style!

Meanwhile, in our afternoon Artrageous! workshops, we were celebrating former Beningbrough owner Lady Chesterfield's interest in horse racing. The children were invited to design their own jockeys' silks, to be worn later on at a hobby horse parade in front of the house. There were two separate workshops, one upstairs in the Learning Centre, and the other on the lawn in the Walled Garden. Great fun was had by all and the children produced some truly Artrageous! creations.