Trail of Painted Ponies

There are various ways to appreciate art. Even if we do not know it, the world we live in showcases art, both in its natural and man-made forms. Some people appreciate art more than others. Creative ability can be expressed through various forms of art. It could be through painting, dance, pottery, photography, or song.

Children can be exposed to art at an early age. This way they will grow up appreciative of their surroundings. They can be brought to an art museum, or to watch a ballet. They can also be given a painted pony to appreciate, which in itself is a beautiful, handcrafted collectible.

Before girls had dolls they had horses. Horses provided the entertainment adventurous girls craved. For these young girls there was nothing better than riding through the open fields, feeling the wind in their hair and tasting the sea in their mouths.It is for this reason that horse gifts are so popular among women. Women love to remember the horses of their childhoods through special mementos like horse figurines and portraits. Most women who didn’t have a horse growing up wishes they did. Horse gifts can allow them to imagine the memories they were never able to make.

Little girls love to collect beautiful collectible objects. They love porcelain dolls, animal figurines and glass tea sets. If you’re having trouble deciding what gift to get for the little girl in your life it’s always a safe bet to choose a pretty little figurine.Painted pony figurines make great gifts for little girls who love horse. These delicate, hand-crafted ponies will make even the most somber child smile. Many grown women also collect these pony figurines. It’s also a great idea to buy them a hand-painted set of shelves to display their figurines on.

I am lucky in the fact that I have the best of both worlds,

I love the live horses that I have, as well as the the Painted Ponies collection, it seems they both are continuely adding to the herds.

I have 5 live mares that are all in foal, due in May 09, and just about every six months, the Trail of the Painted Ponies adds new ponies to the herd….

I really like the the new pony “Wounded Knee” this pony is very well done!!!!

In 2001, a breathtaking artistic innovation was introduced in Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Trail of Painted Ponies model horses.Back then, the horses were life-sized fiberglass figures - massive spectacles to behold and amazing achievements. The only problem with them was they weren’t exactly designed for being collectible items.

The Trail of Painted Ponies models of today, however, are made to be collected. They’re small figurines that capture the same “wow” factor as the original-sized models, but only in a much smaller design. There are 132 different figurines to collect, incluing five exclusive models and 20 holiday designs. Twelve of the ponies also was released as a large figurine and four was release as bust figurines. A few of the ponies are retired annually, thereby making those models far more valuable to collectors.

The ponies have also captured the attention of collectors on eBay, which has become the purveyor of places to find the ponies outside of trade shows and other special events. New models are announced twice per year, with the holiday varieties being announced as early as June. Additionally, Native American designers lend their talents to Trail of Painted Ponies for special designs that display their culture’s rich heritage.

A full grown horse is a huge time commitment, especially if you’re interested in riding. It means finding a place to board your animal. It means finding and supplying feed, and it means cleaning out stalls. All of these activities also add up to a massive financial commitment. In short, owning a horse is not the best idea for the casual horse enthusiast. For these reasons, horse owners, more so than most animal lovers, can be fanatical about their pets.

All the horse owners I know choose to express this love of horses through home décor. And that décor can range from decorative, hand painted plates to elaborate horse figurines. Whatever the style or preference of the horse lover, these decorations help to alert others that they’ve entered an equine friendly zone. But these decorations also serve an essential function for the owner. They are constant reminders of the animals they love so well, and this makes the home feel that much more personal.

The Trail of Painted Ponies all began in Santa Fe in 2000 as part of a Public Art Exhibition that invited the very best artists to transform life-size horse sculptures into works of art.  At the end of the Exhibition these lifesize works of art were auctioned off for charity.

Since the Art Exhibition in Santa Fe, artists have continued to transform horse sculptures but this time as  collectible-sized figurines that are replicas of the original Painted Ponies.  These miniature works of art have quickly become one of the hottest selling collectibles in America.