Australian Horses Series no. 2: Colonial Arabian

I did mean to write this post a little earlier, but was interrupted by the arrival of our beautiful little boy, Will. He decided to give us a scare and stayed in the hospital in intensive care for a week, but is now very well. My first question for the physio - how long can you ride after an episiotomy?  They looked a bit surprised that I would even be daydreaming about something so uncomfortable ...

‘Colonial Arabian’ describes those Arabians (mostly Crabbet bloodlines) sent to the colonies. Some of these bloodlines are still bred today. The Australian colonial Arabian is very tough and well-suited to endurance. They should have good solid bone and their beauty is on the elegant and tough side rather than the hyper-pretty (in my opinion!). To use an Americanism, they are very far from being all hat and no cattle. The first Arabians arrived in Australia very early, along with the first European settlers and are beautifully suited to the hot Australian conditions and our love of riding out in the bush. I always love to be handed the reins of an Arabian type on a long trail ride – you are pretty much guaranteed a smooth, responsive, untiring ride, and they might like to go googly-eyed at things from time to time – but that just adds to the spirit!

I always loved seeing photos of the stallion Fenwick Phantom as a teenager and he’s what I picture when I think of an Australian Arabian type. Check out those clean, powerful legs!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Australian-Colonial-Arabian-Horse-and-Endurance-Riding&id=2078251

arabian head study in ink

An ink painting of an Arabian horse. Art Spectrum Ink on watercolour paper. Through my detailed drawing practice I have improved my quick and gestural paintings. I love using rich, dark ink.

need holiday reading?

I highly recommend the fascinating late nineteenth century journal of Lady Anne Blunt (including her sweet watercolour sketches). The journal details her (often adventurous) travels amongst the Bedouin tribes and elsewhere in search of Arabian horses for the Crabbet Stud (many of whom were to become wonderfully influential dams and sires of the breed).  Among the many lovely horses she imported to England were Skowronek (Poland) and Mesaoud (Egypt). Her journal entries are always entertaining and include tales of woe relating to over-exuberant camels and some lovely descriptions of horses.

There is a lovely blog (at Clouddragon) on Lady Anne Blunt here, by the happy owner of a Crabbet descendant (note that the story also continues at the bottom of her page). 

chestnut arabian - oil sketch

A sketch of an Arabian horse on Colourfix paper.

byerley turk I

First phase of a pastel drawing of the Byerley Turk, one of the three legendary foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred.

work in progress - rearing horse II

See Feb 25 post for the first phase. I have began working in more light/shade contrast and adding some detail. I like to put the eye in at an early phase, because then I really feel that the image has began to develop its own presence - its own spirit!

imagination

I remember thinking, when I was thirteen, that I wanted to stay the same age forever. I was aware that the ability to dream and imagine seemed to become more elusive the older I got. I was not willing to give up these imaginary worlds that were as rich as the everyday one. As Ursula Le Guin puts it, rather starkly, 'The creative adult is the child who has survived.'

dreaming

Today we're all dreaming of a hopeful future.

Arab horse in ink

Arabian horse in ink. This was a reasonably quick sketch (due to how quickly the ink was drying). I wanted to get that floating feeling across, that is so typical of the way Arab horses move. Also the way they can appear to be gazing serenely into the distance while thundering over the ground!