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HISTORY
The architect Jean Aubert was commissioned by Louis-Henri de Bourbon, 7th Prince of Condé, to build the grand stables. Legend has it that the prince thought he would be reincarnated as a horse, so he wanted stables that would reflect the majesty of his rank. Thanks to him, France boasts an architectural masterpiece of the 18th century.
At the time, the stables hosted 240 horses and 500 hounds, split in different packs for the daily hunting sessions that took place all year long. Louis-Henri was so proud of his architectural wonder that he organised sumptuous dinners under the monumental dome which soars 28 meters high. Louis XV, the future Tsar Paul I and Frederic II of Prussia attended some of these dinners which were usually accompanied by hunting horns.
The French Revolution put an end to these princely times; however the grand stables were miraculously spared thanks to the army who used them as barracks. Only two statues were destroyed: the statue and fountain of the "Kennels Courtyard", and the "Renommée" at the top of the dome. Their lead was used to make bayonets. Two centuries later, in 1989, Yves Bienaimé organised a patronage operation, replaced the "Renommée" with a copy, and donated it to the Institut de France.
At the end of the 19th century, in 1886, the last owner of the grand stables, the Duke of Aumale, fifth son of King Louis-Philippe, donated his domain (the château, the hippodrome, the stables, the forest, the Condé Museum.) to the Institut de France, providing its state would be preserved.
Living Horse Museum
In 1982, Yves Bienaimé, a rider and instructor, created inside the grand stables the Living Horse Museum (Musée Vivant du Cheval ®). In July 2006, the museum was bought by the Foundation for the Safe-keeping and Development of the Chantilly Domain, presided over by His Highness the Aga Khan.
Since its creation, the museum has supported many artists and helped the public to discover the world of horses. Since 1982, the museum has become an internationally-renowned institution and a must-see for all horse lovers. The 31 rooms of the museum span over a surface of 4,000 square meters, and 800 m of circuit.
With an average of 160,000 visitors per year, the museum is one of the most visited equestrian places in the world.
This success is due to its living, educational and cultural aspects.
To be knowledgeable about horses, it is necessary to observe them first. From the entrance of the museum, about thirty different horse breeds are present.
Every day, the horses follow a specific routine, and three times a day, they take part of an « educational » demonstration where rider, dressed in the museum's costume, has his horse perform « airs » for visitors.
MUSEUM ROOMS
The museum is meant to be both educational (with the demonstrations) and enriching. Its thirty-one rooms are dedicated to horses and their morphology, and to the different equestrian disciplines throughout the world. Many visitors have already discovered with interest and amazement the variety and wealth of its horse-themed presentations
THE ARTISTS
- Antoine de LA BOULAYE
Movement and sense of colour are the features that stand out most in this painter's works. Degas and Lautrec were strong influences on de la Boulaye and his painting style reflects their influence.
- Vincent HADDELSEY
The greatest of the so-called naive painters, Haddelsey resembles 19th century miniaturists in his attention to detail and precision.
Nothing is left to chance, or ignored. He used an extremely varied, yet well-chosen palette. He often painted intimate scenes, even portraits. His large, outdoor scenes feature many animals in extremely elaborate compositions, while still managing to appear alive.
- Robert LADOU – 195 ouvres
His body of work is prodigious, educational and extremely impressive for the sheer diversity of subjects including: the seasons, horse science, horse-related trades, care, breeding, their different poses and gaits.
His paintings range from very small to very large; he was never afraid of undertaking large canvases. Ladou's work is the cornerstone of the Living Museum of the Horse.
- Alexei GLOUKHARIOV
assisted by his wife GLOUKHARIOVA
His palette is bursting with colour and horse races hold no secrets for him. He makes the riders' clothes shine and plays with the horses' musculature, whether they are at rest or in action.
His slightly naïve style bestows his work with the exoticism that inspired so many painters at the turn of the last century.
- Marine OUSSÉDIK – 140 works
Marine Oussédik never painted stationary, lifeless horses. On the contrary, they are always dynamic and remarkably expressive. Whether they are decorated with intricate harnessing or simply running free, her detailed brushstrokes always endow the horses with magnificent precision. Fine lines and sharp contours provide her horses with anatomical realism, without affecting the impression of movement.
- André LENOIR
Peasant painter.
Passionate about draught horses and agriculture, he reproduced the harnessing and equipment corresponding to each task in great detail. His palette is strong in colour and he worked on large canvasses (trade fairs, agricultural work.).
- Thierry FAURE
Talented watercolourist, he knew how to create the impression of movement, using lively brush-strokes and shadows which make the colours come alive.
- JOYEUX
The caricaturist of the horse world. The main character is presented to us in all his poses in order to be able to comment on well-established themes (relating to horse racing in general): 'run-out, colours, outsider, top weight'. His drawings are in ink and the humour of the captions fully compensates for the lack of colour.
- Frédéric JAGER
Light is the most striking aspect of his work. He makes the colours dance and the thickness of his materials gives his paintings a particular depth. His background in sculpture is apparent in his accuracy in representing the horses' bodies and the way the riders sit so naturally in the saddles.
- José Maria OVEJERO
He juggles with his brush strokes and dances with the wash. His work on paper is extremely modern, while remaining figurative. 'The heavenly horses' is inspired by the mythological sculptures that can be found throughout the city of Paris. His work has similarities to 19th century Chinese ink drawings.
- Yvan FREDRIC
He discovered horses at the age of seven, when a friend lent him an unbroken Shetland pony. His passion for horses was limitless and throughout his time as a skilled saddler and amateur trainer, he never stopped drawing and developed a deep understanding of the world of horses. Dominated by the influence of the classical masters both in painting and dressage, his life was divided between horsemanship and visual representation of horses. The artist's talent appears even more impressive with the knowledge that he produced his paintings from numerous s
ketches made from real life, without the use of photographs. Working in the stables at the Château de Champlâtreux (95), thanks to the faith that Hélène de Noailles had in him, Yvan Frédric continued to seek out the invisible connections between rider and mount.
- VICTOR
Painter, drawer and sculptor from Marseilles, he is one of the key figures of contemporary equestrian art. Finding his inspiration in the equine and bull fighting arenas, he has no particular technique for creating his works, which, according to him, are born out of the 'subconscious graphic representation' of what he feels. He frequents the horse fairs of Provence, the arenas of Arles and Nîmes and it is the Latin American cultures and the famous bistros that can be found in the villages throughout Provence that provide his inspiration.
Also
Charles HÉRISSEY
Gilbert MICHAUD
G. PECHAMBES
Xavier de PORET
S. PORTJE
Nadine RAMELOT
and Hubert de WATRIGANT
THE HORSES INTRODUCTION
The horse, the donkey and the zebra belong to the same Equidae family. They are herbivores who, in the wild, roam in herds in search of pastures. Horses live on average 20 to 30 years, but some ponies can live to 35-40 years of age.
It is thought that horses first appeared on Earth approximately 50 million years ago. Over time, changes in vegetation and climate influenced their development and size.
Originally standing at a height of 40cm with each of the four limbs possessing three digits, the horse gradually evolved to having only one digit, five million years ago (the period at which humans appeared on Earth).
250,000 years ago, they had reached a height of 1.40 m, which is the Equus, the ancestor of the horse with which we are all familiar. There are around 3,000 breeds of horse throughout the world, including wild horse breeds such as the Mustang and Préwalski horses.
• Temperament
Horses are prey, which means they are conditioned to run away from danger. Their sense of smell is much more highly developed that that of humans; they can smell water, fire, or a mare on heat at a distance of almost a kilometre. The flehmen response is a pose that is common to the whole horse family and which makes it possible to sense and analyze odours in depth; it consists in curling back the upper lip and stretching the neck. Their ears are used for hearing, but they are also a means of communication. The tail is also an indicator of horse behaviour.
Neighing is used to call other members of their species, to warn of danger or to intimidate other horses.
Horses have 180° vision. They recognize shapes and movement to the front. To the sides and behind, they only see movements. The tactile hairs on their chin (chin groove) enable them to recognize that which they cannot see.
If they are afraid, they may react suddenly. This is why we request calm and respect for the horses' environment (please do not shout or run in the stables, nor touch or feed the museum horses).
• Reproduction
Mares undergo an 11 month gestation period before giving birth to their foals, usually between February and June. They usually only have one foal at a time. Horses become physically adult at around five years.
Male, castrated horses are called geldings. The French term, 'hongre', is derived from the French word for 'Hungarian', due to the fact that the Hungarians were the first to castrate their horses. Castrated stallions lose some of their reproductive instincts and become easier to handle for humans. However, the unbowed, spirited character of the full stallion is sometimes desired.
Thirty horses of different breeds welcome visitors to the typical, warm stable odours. Friesian, Appaloosa, Spanish, Portuguese, Boulonnais, Thoroughbred, Barb, Shetland. All day long they can be seen in motion, being led around or mounted inside the Dome or in the Cour des Chenils (Kennels' Courtyard), which has been transformed into an outdoor training area.
The Andalusian and Portuguese horses are selected to resemble those that were ridden by the princes of the 18th century, the period during which these stables were constructed.
You can also see:
Dilraj (10 years old) – the first (and only) Marwari horse in Europe.
He was born in Dunlod, in the north of Rajasthan (India), and offered by his breeder, Francesca Kelly, to Sophie Bienaimé for her show, 'On the Silk Road'. The Marwari are the horses of the Rajputs, the warriors who founded the royal lineage of Rajasthan. They are descended from the purebred Indian breed, the Kathiawari, and were selected for their courage in battle and their beauty. They are easily recognized from their curved ears which sometimes join up, the bearing of their noble head which has something aquiline about it, and their extremely expressive eyes.
Ramsès le Grand, Moustique, Champion, Louki, Kalin and Kefir
THE HORSES RIDER
- An exceptional moment in a horse rider's life
Training to become a professional horse rider at the Living Museum of the Horse remains an exceptional moment in one's life. The experience is unique, formative and enriching. The training at the museum is nothing short of extraordinary in its preparation of young riding instructors. What riders learn at the Grand Stables is unique, like nowhere else.
In order to wear the red tunic -the work uniform of the museum, applicants must have elementary knowledge of the art of dressage, an elegant figure and also a nice position on the horse, as one of their tasks is to take part in the shows. This however, is the only aspect of their daily routine which is visible to the public. They are in permanent contact with the horses.
Before being exhilarated by the applause of the public, the riders must learn how to live with the horses assigned to them. In the morning, they have to groom them, in the same way as the French Republican Guard, where each person is responsible for the well-being of their own horse. Then, after spending 12 hours in their boxes, horses are given their first warm-up exercises. The horses have two daily outings: a relaxing morning walk, and either an exercise session or a physical (and mental) preparation, usually carried out on the wonderful paths of the Chantilly forest.
Text by Pascal Renauldon, excerpted from: "The Living Museum of the Horse turns 20"
LODGING
See the listing of the Hotels in Chantilly
See the listing of the Hotels in Picardy
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
Opening/Closing
- Opening hours for the Château
The Château is open every day except Tuesday.
From 1 April, 2007 to 4 November, 2007: from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
From 5 November, 2007: From 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
- Opening times of the grounds
The grounds are open every day except Tuesday.
Ticket booths close at 5.00 p.m.
From 1 April, 2007 to 4 November, 2007: from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. Ticket booths close at 6.00 p.m.
From 5 Novembe
r, 2007: from 10.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Ticket booths close at 5.00 p.m.
- Opening times for the Living Horse Museum
Winter: from 1 November to 31 March: The Living Horse Museum is closed on Tuesdays.
During the week: from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m
Weekends and public holidays: from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Museum closure 1 hour later.
During the week: from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m
Weekends and public holidays: from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Museum closure 1 hour later.
Summer: from 1 April to 31 October: The Living Horse Museum is closed on Tuesday except in May and June.
During the week: from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Week ends and public holidays: from 10.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Museum closure 1 hour later.
- Opening times of the library
From Monday to Friday, 9.15 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
NB: access by reservation only.
Contact: Mrs Toulet, Chief conservator of the library.
Tel: +33 3 44 62 62 69
Email: etoulet@chateaudechantilly.com
Access
- Timetables for the boats and little train
The train and boats run from early April 2007 to 1 November, 2007.
Getting to Chantilly by car
Chantilly is less than one hour from Paris.
Autoroute du Nord (A1)
– From Paris: Chantilly exit
– From Lille: Survilliers exit
Or take the RN 16 or RN 17
- Getting to Chantilly by train:
Paris-Chantilly
– From the Gare du Nord SNCF Grandes lignes (27 minutes)
РFrom Ch̢telet les Halles RER line D (45 minutes)
Download train and RER timetables from
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Picardie/V2/carte_horaires/index.asp
Telephone for information about rail networks : +33 8 92 35 35 35
- From Chantilly Station to the Château :
– Taxi from the station (cost: about €6)
– Cariane coach for Senlis (free in Chantilly): departure from the bus station (at SNCF railheads), alight at the « Chantilly, église Notre-Dame » stop
For bus timetables, telephone +33 3 44 53 25 38
Walking to the Château from the station should take about 35 minutes.
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