Neighing Arabian Stallion Study

This high spirited (and somewhat amorous) guy is featured as a notecard design.

There are a few things that truly take my breath away--and an Arabian is one of them. Noble, spirited, and achingly gorgeous, Arabians are the oldest domesticated breed of horse.

Arabian blood courses through the veins of every Thoroughbred racehorse, and the breed is well-known for their stamina. They are the horse of choice for endurance riders.

But, Arabians also excel at other disciplines because of their intelligence, beauty and strength. Jumping? Yup. Dressage? Heck yes. Driving? Yessirree. Taking all of the Champion ribbons in the halter classes? Affirmative.

The dish nose. The huge, soulful eyes. The fine-boned elegance combined with unbeaten sure-footedness and durability--the Arabian is a sight to behold.

When an Arabian is feelin' the moment, such as my friend featured in this pencil study, they arch their necks, show their eye whites, and puff out their wide nostrils on their teacup muzzles to send a high pitched song whistling through the air. As they whinny and trill, they dance around with their tails held high.

These Arabian studies are leading up to a big project in the studio, a watercolor painting of the three founding Arabian sires: the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian. It will be called "Three Wise Men."

Watch this space!

Equine History Note of Interest:

The most famous Thoroughbred racehorse of all time, Man O War, has the Godolphin Arabian in his pedigree, ten generations back. Cool, huh? The Godolphin Arabian was featured in the award-winning children's book, "King of the Wind" by Marguerite Henry (featuring illustrations by the incredible Wesley Dennis).