Splash Horse

Advice of the day-- never eat half of a football sized Chipotle burrito right before you run 5 miles. That is all.

On to more pleasant things.

I was so happy with little horse I began making another one right away. The plan was to use another technique, so the style would be a little different, and I was hoping it would go faster. One out of two isn't bad I guess. This one took four days too.

When I was making this one I kept thinking about the only horse I ever owned- A "National Show Horse" (half-Arab, half-Saddlebred). He was a total nutball and I had no business buying him. (As you can see in this shot I initially had some neck issues. That was like revising-- yep, that's a neck alright, but it's not HIS neck. Keep tweaking until it fits.)

This horse was only about three, and totally green. He'd been raised mostly as a poorly-behaved, spoiled pet. I was taking jumping lessons and had just moved from the inner city (ok-- the hood actually) to the sticks. This horse was always playing around and getting into stuff, and was way too smart for his own (or anybody elses) good. One time he broke into the barn in the middle of the night (because I only paid to pasture board him), went around opening all the other horse's stalls, then broke into the latched feed room. Yeah. They were pissed in the morning.

He like to play chase, and was always following me around like a dog in the pasture. Sometimes he'd get rowdy and absolutely tear ass all over the place bucking like he was a freaking rodeo bronc. When the hoof trimmer came he'd try to stand up on the little thing he was supposed to politely place his hoof on. That guy hated him.

He wouldn't even stand tied. Well, he would for about two seconds then turn into a chestnut tornado of hooves and a giant whipping around head. When I'd ride him he'd jam his head back into my face (one time he gave me a fat lip with this trick), run backwards (yep, even with a crop), rear (had to martingale him w/ a tie down), scoot sideways (he had crazy knee flexion, probably a killer polo horse), spook at his own farts, birds, imaginary things only he saw. He was super unpredictable and as a newb jumper I wasn't up to the task. Turns out 1200 pounds of goofy, undisciplined, playful horse, who doesn't think anyone should be able to boss him around is pretty dangerous.

I Made this guy splashing, -- playing around like I remember seeing my guy do. (I actually got him a kiddie pool once.) As I was working I couldn't stop thinking about my characters and story either though. It's kind of hard to leave that for now (the writey thing), but I have to be super productive. (and I haven't heard back from the beta's yet anyway)

Near the end I was thinking "This guy kind of reminds me of Dave" (a favorite character). I'm not going to be the one to tell him he isn't real. This little horse definitely took on a life of his own.

I think I got his feisty personality down. This goes back to how horses would be if they could get away with it. I'll never own another one. I'm over it, and kind of conflicted about them. We kind of oppress them, bend them to our wills, and I guess I identify too much with that. No judgement on anyone else. I'm certainly not opposed to anyone else having them. It's just my own thing. They are beautiful and I'll always love watching them and making them.