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​I never get tired of watching horses, especially in a natural group setting. This painting recalls a beautiful summer day when a friend of mine took me to see her horses. They were like a wild band with mares and foals and yearlings, in a lush pasture at the base of the picturesque hills. Besides several blue roans, there were paints, a buckskin, various sorrels and a black - all gorgeous, of course - a horse lover's paradise. This particular mare seemed to be in charge, leading them all onto greener grass. Her colt seemed to have inherited her personality as he was confident and not a bit shy like the other younger ones. I love to observe horses in groups such as this - an opportunity to study the dynamics and behavior patterns - very interesting! 

Currently available unframed. Please contact Trish for other framing options.

Watching horses in a corral as they jostle for seniority rights to the water or food is a study of their unspoken language of body signals. Ears pin back, nostrils flare, tails switch warnings as the dominant ones push the more submissive ones to the back to wait their turn. As they respectfully accept their positions, a moment of uneasy calm ensues, until the leaders finish up and the jostling begins again. These are traits of the herd mentality that runs deep in their equine veins as a means of survival, as in a wild band, respecting the stallion or alpha mare to lead them to safety, food or water.