In these days of over analyzing everything, I’m going to begin my post today by saying that when I call someone a 'Horse Girl' it’s the biggest compliment I can give. So there. In my universe, horse girls are bad-ass women of any age, from 8 to 80 and many times several years either side of that span.
Many words could be used to define Lady Anne Blunt... linguist, musician, artist, author. However, the one that would probably describe Lady Anne from her childhood throughout her entire life is 'horse girl'. Or to use the more posh term, equestrienne. She published multiple books, illustrated with her own sketches and watercolors. She played the violin and one of the best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence, once owned by her, is called the Lady Blunt.
However, despite the excellent volumes she published and wonderful art she created of scenes from her travels, it's her love of horses that created a legacy that touches the most people today. It would be an almost impossible task to find an Arabian horse today that doesn't contain at least one of Lady Anne's horses in their family tree.
By 1906, tired of dealing with her rakish husband she separated from him and eventually lived the rest of her life surrounded by her beloved Arabian horses and the apricot trees of her Sheykh Obeyd estate outside Cairo.
In the photo above she is shown riding a traditional side-saddle, but wearing desert attire. In Lady Anne's case, this was not an affectation as she was known for easily adopting to native languages and customs. The chestnut she's riding is her favorite riding mare Kasida, who was bred by Ali Pasha Sherif and imported by the Blunt's to England in 1898.
There’s no shortage of articles on the internet about her fascinating life, so check them out!
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