This Is the Ultimate Guide to Equestrian Style

We will admit to a tendency toward Anglophilia, that is to say a weakness for all things English from Range Rovers to dry gin, tweed jackets and everything in between. Which is why we've always dreamed of owning a proper English country estate, that most gentlemanly of residences replete with crackling wood fires, oriental carpets, oil portraits and hunting dogs.

While there are various versions of this English idyll, the most appealing of all is the equestrian estate, where the rich, aristocratic tradition of horsemanship is on full display and informs every aspect of life. Which is why Equestrian Life: From Riding Houses to Country Estates, new from Rizzoli and available via Amazon, is such a vicarious thrill. 

Author Lavinia Branca Snyder and photographer Mark Roskams capture several extremely gentlemanly abodes in all their glory. From tack, trophy and portrait rooms, to coach houses, stables and wood-paneled libraries, there is enough inspiration here for any lover of classic design, and you may find something you can incorporate into your own interior scheme no matter how modern.

This book would make a great gift, but of course it's also the perfect addition to your own coffee table. So pour yourself a single malt and settle in by the fire for some serious reading.