Pictured here is a photo of Smoke and me in 2003. In 2004, I did a painting of this scene (pictured below) because I thought it depicted a perfect partnership. I tied Smokey to a tree so we could eat lunch and I unloaded my saddle bags. As I was deciding which apple to eat with my banana, Smoke was pondering the same dilemma. Of course, he got the apple that I gave him -- or was it both?
I've been very lucky in my life to have had 3 great partner horses over the span of almost 50 years: Misty, a Quarter Horse; Gai, an Arabian; and Smokey, a Foxtrotter. They're the ones that read your mind, are joined at the hip with you, and will do anything they can to take care of you. If you ask them to do something new or different, they say "sure, is now soon enough?" If you ask them to run a barrel race, or do some dressage maneuvers the first time, they throw themselves at the task joyfully -- and they're full of enthusiasm. No matter what you ask, they do it because it's you that asked -- and you're their human.
Respect can be earned but partnership has to be granted. It takes a horse that's extremely conscious of himself and how he relates to those two-leggeds around him. Lots of thoughtfulness and awareness. If you're lucky enough to find one with that nature -- and you spend enough time and training and you love them enough -- he or she may grant you a partnership.
I feel there's a high percentage of horses with the necessary disposition & awareness for "partnership" in the old-style Missouri Foxtrotter and Mountain Horse (Rocky, Kentucky & Spotted) breeds. They form bonds readily, seem to genuinely like their human counterparts, and go out of their way to exude friendliness.
To see more "Cowgirl Moments" paintings of horses, and hand painted hides and drums go to my other website at www.cathanson.com
