Hermes Rodeo PM Charm Horse Charm Milo Lambskin Vert Fizz – Bleu Zanzibar – Gold H064929CAER

Vert Fizz, Bleu Zanzibar and Gold in one small horse sounds like a cocktail order, and it behaves like one: cool, bright and impossible to be gloomy around. This is the Rodeo I take on holiday, when the rest of my luggage is beige. Some charms begin conversations; this one begins holidays.

Four leather colours, all Milo lambskin, all soft: pale green for the body, a zanzibar blue mane, golden accents and a matching tail. Under four inches wide and a centimetre thin, it travels in a jacket pocket without a bulge and clips on one-handed while you are walking to a gate. The dye is even enough that no single panel draws the eye first, and it sits on any handle as if fitted there.

On the beach my charm rode on a raffia tote; at dinner it moved to a small cream crossbody. The blue reads greener than you expect in evening light, which makes the whole thing feel different twice a day. That, to me, is what a holiday charm should do. On a grey day, it is the compromise between the weather and my mood.

Trade-offs to know about: pale lambskin and sunscreen do not mix, so handle it with clean hands, and the light tones will show a nick from a zipper pull forever. Kept away from metal and lotion, it stays as fresh as the first photograph. Hand-assembled in France. If a suitcase could have a mascot, mine is this horse, and it has never once complained about the job.