Horses as an Art Form

Dorothy and Painted Forest

By Dorothy Snowden

As an artist, I am often asked, “How long did it take you to do that?”, when an observer examines a piece of my work. My reply begins, “Forty years and a couple hours.” While that statement might be a simplification of a lifetime studying art and sharpening my skills at the easel, it usually elicits a laugh and sense of appreciation from the questioner.

My paintings certainly don't always turn out as masterpieces by anyone's standard, but a feeling of accomplishment comes from knowing I've applied myself to the best of my ability, with the tools available to me, on a given day and set of circumstances.

I like to think of my horses and their training in similar terms. My responsibility as an owner and rider is to utilize the resources and skills I posses to realize the vision I have for each animal. As in my artistic endeavors, it is a challenge I place on myself, fully knowing the outcome might not yield the desired results, but is a process of personal development and enrichment for both me, and hopefully, the equine.

With this in mind, I consider myself fortunate to participate in the retraining of my off-track Thoroughbred, Painted Forest. Known around the barn as “Gump”, he is my work in progress, or “paint over”, referring to my re-purposing old paintings.

Gump's sales photos from the CANTER website.

His name and flashy markings caught my eye, as I perused the trainer listings of horses for sale at Beulah Park. I needed another horse as I needed a hole in my head, but the artist in me latched on to the outward appearance of this cute little guy, and prophetic name. Out of the mare, “Take Me Home”, that's exactly what I did.

A career as a racehorse meant he wasn't a blank canvas. He had been shaped in the vision of those before me, to be a competitive athlete on the track. Early on, he fulfilled that purpose, but with age and infirmities, could no longer meet those expectations. I saw in Painted Forest an opportunity to create a pleasure mount, and possibly, a show-ring partner.

Using my somewhat modest horsemanship skills, I hope to transform him into my vision for his future, being mindful of the elements he currently possesses and his willingness to molded to this new form. While the outcome may be the result of compromises on both our parts, the journey will certainly be rewarding.

Painted Forest at home, April 2015.