Trail of Painted Ponies

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World in the 16th century, they brought their unique customs, tools and modes of transportation along with them. Prior to this introduction, natives of North and South America had never seen a horse before. As the Spanish and English continued to establish and fortify their separate civilizations in the Western Hemisphere, more and more horses were bred and shipped to America.

By the mid 1700s, Indian tribes in the Southwest had mastered horsemanship in their own right; they became adept at taming and training the wild horses that had proliferated west over time. Today, the image of the wild mustang remains a symbol for uninhibited freedom. Artists craft and paint pony figurines to approximate and reflect the energy and splendor of these awe-inspiring creatures.