My
kingdom for a horse!” This cry from William Shakespeare’s Richard the
Third underscores the connection of humans and horses. What better place
to explore this connection but at the block buster exhibition
The Horse at the
International Museum of the Horse on the grounds of the
Kentucky Horse Park Oct. 22, 2011-April 6, 2012.
The exhibition, developed by the American Museum of Natural History,
illuminates the timeless union between humans and horses. From the
horse’s earliest ancestors grazing on the plains of what is now
Nebraska, to a magnificent contemporary Deborah Butterfield horse
sculpture, the eternal bond between horses and humans is explored in the
largest equestrian traveling exhibition ever assembled.
The Horse graphically portrays the horse’s impact on trade, transportation, labor, warfare, culture, and sports.
The New York Times called this exhibition "charming and illuminating"
and "an uplifting example of how horses enrich our lives." The New York
Post said, "You absolutely must see it."
The Horse is divided into six major sections: The Evolution of
Horses; Horses and Hunters; Domesticating Horses; The Nature of Horses;
How We Shaped Horses and Horses Shaped Us; and, An Enduring Bond. These
themes are illuminated by more than 140 artifacts and cultural objects
from around the world including a complete Samurai saddle from Japan, a
full suit of 15th-century German horse armor, and Native American horse
accoutrements. Bringing the exhibit to life are a stunning 220-square
foot diorama that depicts the horse’s ancestors, a high-definition video
that captures in slow motion the rippling muscles of a Thoroughbred
race horse, and an interactive video of a life-size horse where visitors
can investigate a horse’s pulmonary and digestive systems and other
biological traits.
For more information on
The Horse, collaboration between the
renowned American Museum of Natural History in New York and the
International Museum of the Horse go to
amnh.org/exhibitions/horse,
imh.org, or
kyhorsepark.com.