HATTINGDON HORSES

Nat’l Cherry Day

07/16/202511/03/2025 Blog HattingdonLeave a comment

AT this time of summer, the cherry harvest is at its peak. Today is the perfect time to celebrate all things “cherry”. It is July 16th, National Cherry Day.

Many farming communities celebrate with a harvest festival. We don’t have to tell you what is in the baked goods for those celebrations.

The Hat

Hattingdon can wait no longer to join the festivities and show off her new hat — designed especially for her for this day. How cool does she look? Ain’t she sweet?

Variety of cherries

Cherries are a fun and tasty fruit. There are sweet cherries for eating fresh. There are tart or sour varieties that are best for baking. There is even a yellow variety. Yellow varieties are quite sweet. In addition to tasting good, cherries are healthy eating.

Super snack

Pop a few into your mouth and feel guiltless. Why!? Simply because they are good for you. While they are sweet, they are also low in calories.

Cherries are high in fiber. They are high in vitamins A and C. Their high level of antioxidants helps to fight free radicals. It contains anti-inflammatory properties, too. And, they have lots of potassium. Cherries are gluten-free.

Studies show that they help to lower blood pressure. And, if you have trouble sleeping, have a few pieces of this magical fruit in the evening. They contain melatonin, a natural chemical that helps to induce sleep.

Even diabetics can enjoy the natural sugars in cherries. But, don’t eat a whole bunch at one sitting. Rather, eat a few at a time.

Cool facts

• The first recording of the cultivation of cherry trees goes back to ancient Mesopotamia in 300 B.C.
• Ancient Romans and Chinese dynasties also cultivated them.
• Prehistoric caves in Asia and Europe contained cherry pits.
• Cherry blossoms are a symbol of beauty and renewal.
• Cherry trees are not native to N America. Early settlers brought them to the New World in the 1600s.
• According to legend, George Washington chopped down the family cherry tree. But, when confronted by his father, he could not tell a lie. The rest as they say is history.
• The first time cherry turnovers were made was in 1440. At the time, cake was banned in some European countries.
• The average mature tree produces approximately 7,000 fruit each year.
• Japanese cherry trees do not produce fruit. Rather, they are ornamentals.
• On August 30, 1909, Japan announced it was donating 2,000 cherry trees to the United States for planting along the Potomac River. The trees arrived in the United States on January 6, 1910. Today, millions of people visit D.C. at Cherry Blossom time just to see them in bloom.
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You see. We are more than just pretty hats. Wink. See you again soon. Love, Hattingdon.

• Featured Image: Red Cherries. Freepick.com.

Nat’l I love Horses Day

07/15/202508/06/2025 Blog HattingdonLeave a comment

Featured image featuring Dee Dee Hattingdon.

On July 15, “National I Love Horses Day,” we express our love and gratitude for that marvelous and magnificent creature — the horse. With over 200 breeds, these spirited animals give humans much to love. Their loyalty and devotion throughout history is a fraction of the many reasons we love them.

Their contribution to mankind has been incalculable. Thus began the horse’s unrivalled historical influence across millennia to the present day. “Civilization was built on the back of a horse.” (Podcast).

Did you know . . . ?

• In the course of 55 million years, the horse has developed from a small animal the size of a cat, into the many varieties of horses we have today.

• The use of horses by humans began roughly 5,500 years ago on the windswept grasslands of the Pontic-Caspian Steppe.

• Today there are more than 600 horse breeds.

• Horses come in all shapes and sizes, and hundreds of different horse breeds exist today. Before being domesticated, horses ran wild. Over time, humans caught and trained horses, and then they started to strategically breed them to refine certain desirable traits.

• Horses “lock” their legs to avoid collapsing while sleeping standing up.

• Horses have a “stay apparatus” in their hind legs that allows them to lock their legs without having to use their muscles to support themselves.

• According to Equus, horses have a 350-degree view of the world, compared to a human’s view of about 90 degrees. Since a horse’s eyes are positioned on the sides of their head, they can see almost everything around them without turning their head. Horses can’t see a very narrow area directly in front of and behind them.

• Horses use several different types of communication. They use body language to communicate with other herd members, and everything from the twitch of an ear to the position of a horse’s tail can carry a message.

• Horses can use their eyes together in a form of binocular vision, but they can also use their eyes independently in monocular vision. Essentially, a horse can look at an object using their right eye while also looking behind themselves with their left eye. Each eye delivers information to a different half of the horse’s brain, and those brain halves work independently.

A hatful of smiles

Hattingdon was created to raise money to provide for the protection of horses. We are retired now, but we thought you might enjoy seeing “the hatted one” here from time to time. We hope it gives you “a hatful of smiles”.

Updated 25 July 2025.

Happy 4th with Sammie

07/04/202508/16/2025 Blog HattingdonLeave a comment

July 4th Flag and Firework art featured image.

We are celebrating the 4th of July this year with our vintage Sammie Hattingdon top hat, inspired by the stars and stripes of the United States flag. Wonderful.

Sammie Hattingdon wears Uncle Sam inspired top hat. — *Sammie Hattingdon*

We have created a few hats over the years inspired by Old Glory, but this may be the best. Hattingdon certainly looks darling in her Uncle Sam top hat.

Have a wonderful, safe and happy 4th.