# Win a portrait of your horse



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

(mods - you can move to another section if required, I wasn't sure exactly where to put this)

As some may know, I am a professional pet portrait artist. Usually I don't offer any freebies at all, and will occasionally give a discounted price. However, I have recently begun working on a new surface and would like to build up my portfolio on this surface. 
I thought that it might be a good chance for a HorseForum member to get a portrait done - so, I have decided to run a competition for members to win a free portrait of their horse.
The portrait will be a 16"x12" head study in pastel, valued at AU$130. The winner will pay postage costs, but get the portrait for free. I ship worldwide so location is not an issue, and postage will cost approximately AU$20. Postage cost must be paid before I commence the drawing - I will convert to your currency, and you may pay by direct bank transfer, cheque or paypal.


To be in the running, I would like members to post ONE photograph of their horse's head/neck that they would like drawn, and tell me in under 250 words why you think your horse deserves to have a portrait done. 

My website is Home - Horse & Hound Artistry for those who have not seen my work, or check out my art journal in the art section of HF.


Good luck!!


----------



## SocietyJoe (Jan 21, 2011)

Were do we submit our entries?

Thank you.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

On this thread is fine, or if you prefer, you can PM me.


----------



## JamieLeighx (Nov 27, 2010)

I think my horse Dealer should get a free portriate because he is such a wonderful horse. He is my first horse and has brought me on from a almost complete novice to jumping 70cm courses in the space of a few months, at 16hh he is a gentle giant. He is teaching my 5 year old brother to ride and has not put on foot wrong yet! He is such a complient angel of a horse , he takes everything in his stride. He is also a nanny to the yards yearlings and baby goats. He has came a long way from being a neglected little 3 year old to big super-star. He has done everything from Jumping to even a bit on polo. He is a amazing horse who everyone adores ,he has such a lovely personality and for a Heinz 57 is a bit of a looker too! I couldnt of wished for a better first horse and I really hope I have him for years to come!


----------



## Bandy (Jul 15, 2011)

Hey I'm assuming we post in here?
I dont have a favourite head shot but here are 2 to pick from:



















Taj Mahal.
I don't know where to start. He really was one of a kind. He came to me as a free horse because his owner didnt have much time with three kids. He was hard headed and determined.
Together we learnt to work as a team and did grow together in the short time we had. Taj came to me when i was 18 he was 21.
we went everywhere, mustering was a favourite but also the road trips, me and that old man did a lot together.
Five years of faith and trust, i could be 45 minutes from home on dark and i knew no matter what came at us on the blind corner back roads, he would get me home safely.

Recently he was poisoned (accidently apparently they didn’t read the warning labels) by 14%feed lot (cattle feed medicated to help their rumin digestion with Menosin ( ? ))
He was treated by the vet and n expense spared for bags upon bags of feed to help him get better. he was getting better but the property owners dropped more feed and there wasn’t anything that could be done.


Had Taj not gotten sick he would still have had 3-4 years left in him. Taj was only with me for 5 years but they are truly years i will never forget, he was the most loyal trusted animal I have had the pleasure of meeting and I would love something so special to remember him by.


----------



## SocietyJoe (Jan 21, 2011)

I think my horse and I deserve to be drawn because when I was younger I was diagnosed with Bio-cranial syntosis, which makes my head flat, and I can’t do anything that would risk me hitting my head, like horse riding. Ever since I was young I wanted to ride horses, and now my dream has come true. My Pop gave me Joe [my horse] to me for Christmas, and that is a day I will never forget; after many lease ponies, Joe was the first horse to call my own. He was an abandoned OTT racehorse, and I was a 14yo girl with a dream. We have both come so far, even after me being in the hospital from him bolting and rearing, which upset my mum a bit. I think we deserve to get drawn because we both went against the odds to achieve what we have, and that really inspires me every day to live out my full potential and wake up in the morning with a smile on my face. 









The picture is off my mobile/:


Thank you for the opportunity to win a painting, you are very talented.


----------



## Bandy (Jul 15, 2011)

*i deleted the bottom pic but it refuses to be left out apparently LOL


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Great entries guys, keep them coming!

You have until the 31st July to get them all in


----------



## Bandy (Jul 15, 2011)

lol your going to have a hard time picking and going to be FLOODED with them  good luck!


----------



## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

Our boy Trojan.

I bought Trojan as a gift for my fiance. Jace had never been horsey until he met me. He was head over heels in love with my horses and I knew he wanted one to call his own. I had heard the words "when I get my own horse..." many times before deciding that it was time to make his dream come true. 

For the next 8 months Jace and Trojan were the terrible twosome. They were both mischievous and hilarious. The time they spent together was always wonderful to watch. TJ was Jace's horse through and through. 

In August of 2010 we noticed that all was not well. Trojan was having tremors and at times appearing to have trouble standing. We had him seen by a vet who discovered that TJ was in a substantial amount of pain, emanating from a spinal injury he had suffered as a youngster. 

We attempted to manage his pain. However, after more observation and another vet visit it became apparent that he was hurting more than ever. He was only going to get worse. We made the hardest decision a horse owner will ever make. Trojan was laid to rest on the 26th of October. 

Trojan was not just a horse. He was a trusted friend. Not a day goes by that he is not deeply missed. What better way to keep him with us than to have him immortalised in a beautiful piece of art?


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Too late to edit my initial post -


**2nd prize will be a AU$70 gift voucher for Horse & Hound Artistry
*3rd prize will be a AU$40 gift voucher for Horse & Hound Artistry

(It's going to be too hard to pick only one winner, so I'm cutting my losses and offering 2nd and 3rd prizes)


----------



## BFFofHorses (Jan 29, 2010)

I think Topanga should win this contest because she was my first horse. She was born deaf, starved by her owners until she came to me. I had her for three wonderful years until she broke her leg two years ago. I would love to have a portrait as a memorial.


----------



## ItzKayley (Jun 8, 2011)

Subbing so I can enter when I'm home from school.


----------



## jessicapworkman (Jul 10, 2011)

Hi there! I am excited for this opportunity but was just wondering when the deadline for entries is? I just wrote up my entry, perfected my blurb and was just putting on the finishing touches when my computer decided it was a good time to restart for updates.  ! SO now I am going to have to re-do the entire thing haha.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Kayty said:


> Great entries guys, keep them coming!
> 
> You have until the 31st July to get them all in


Thats no good that you lost your entry! Think of it as practice so the new one is even better :wink:


----------



## jessicapworkman (Jul 10, 2011)

Meet Ayla. Ayla has only been with me a short while but she is my dream. I had been searching for ‘the one’ for a while and was beginning to wonder if I would ever find that special equine, and then I saw her. Within 24 hours of her being posted for sale I made plans to go see her and the next evening I bought her. Ayla is one of those rare wild souls. She is the most kind and gentle soul, yet fierce and indomitably strong. She is the epitome of all things wild and free, yet her wild spirit is subtle and quiet. If you don’t look closely you’ll miss it entirely but if you REALLY look she’ll take your breath away. It was one of these breathtaking moments that inspired her name. I looked out and saw her standing in the pasture, mane and tail blowing in the wind, standing straight and strong, nose to the wind, and ears pricked foreword watching something across the fields. In that moment she somehow managed to capture the pure essence of nature at its rawest and most beautiful and I instantly thought of the primal heroine in Jean Auels Earths Children series. Jean Auels Ayla is the essence of the wild feminine, and that is what my Ayla is. I believe that Ayla deserves to be immortalized in one of your portraits because of this rare wild essence that is so quickly disappearing from our daily lives.


----------



## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

subscribing - will post soon


----------



## jessicapworkman (Jul 10, 2011)

> Thats no good that you lost your entry! Think of it as practice so the new one is even better :wink:


Thanks Kayty! haha hopefully your right! It was my own fault anyways, should have been paying attention, it gave me a ten minute warning lol.


----------



## lildonkey8 (Dec 12, 2010)

Well, where do I start? Tanoka is the first horse I've ever owned. Although nearly trained, she's been there for me. I love here. She is gentle, loving, and is a very funny little girl. She's the sweetest mare. Tanoka has gone on trail rides, and has a great personality. I believe this photo captures a lot of expression and would be a great choice for a pastel drawing. This would be the greatest thing ever and me (and my pony) would love it. I'd keep it till the day I die. She is my true friend and the only person I know who doesn't judge a book by his color. Is she too cute or what? I would squeal if I could get this drawing


----------



## AngieLee (Feb 20, 2011)

my boys story is no where near as special as the ones i'm reading. so im not even going to enter. but i just wanted to post so i can keep up with everyone else who is entering. its really neat to see the stories of everyones horses


----------



## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Stan unfortunately passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in august 2010. For 10 years he was my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, my relaxation, my rosette machine. He took me from nothing to top level competition, he taught me all about quirky competition ponies. He got me through some very hard times, without him I may not still be here.
He was my pony of a life time, an absolute saint who could turn on the sparkle in the ring for me and yet still be safe enough to go on the leadrein and give a young disabled girl her first ever experience at a show. Everyone loved him, he had manners in spades and no one ever had a bad word to say about him. His favourite trick was giving kisses and he was happy to spend an hour lying in the stable with me for cuddles. He truly had a heart of gold.
He fought so hard for me, when the vets wrote him off after an accident as never being rideable again, he kept fighting, he spent 6 months locked in a stable and never hiccupped about it. He came back into work with a smile on his face and a kick in his gallop and he went back to doing what he loved which was going to shows! 
I truly think that this pony deserves a portrait done as he was one of Gods special little horse, who gave me everything and asked for nothing in return









And this photo below is my favourite photo of him, it shows his character and just how stunning a pony he realy was.


----------



## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I'm in floods of tears having written all that. 250 words is no where near enough to say how much Stan ment to me,


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

You lot are making this harder by the minute!! Some very touching stories coming out, it's beautiful to hear just how much a horse can do for us, physically and emotionally. And shows the very reason why I love working on pet portraits, every pet has a story behind it, and hearing how they have changed their owners life is such an inspiring thing.


----------



## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

Well, when I first rescued my Arab he was broken spirited, and skinny, and ugly and yet somehow, through all of that he shone through to me
as the most georgous horse I had ever seen. He is my first horse, and a life long dream and since he has gotten healthier he has turned out to have 
quite the spirit. I have always wanted a horse and when I rescued him, it was if my whole world changed, another door opened in my life.
I share my life with him, I cant imagine my life without him. He always lets me use his shoulder to lean on, when Im sad, when I happy, when
I am depressed, it doesnt matter, he is always their for me. He always lest me use his back as a resting place, always his mane as a place to cry into,
always his tail to play with, always his beauty to admire  But the thing that amazes me the most is that even though he was abused, starved, neglected 
and ignored, Somehow, he STILL put his trust into me. He still trusted humans, even though they treated him horidly. And put his whole trust into me.

Hes my life, my love, and he deserves more than I can give him <3


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

6 days left to get your entries in


----------



## AztecBaby (Mar 19, 2009)

*Spenit.*

Well I could spend hours trying to write up the perfect paragraph but really sometimes a picture means more than words and I could never get across how beautiful my boy is inside and out. He means the world to me.


----------



## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

reading some of these I was tearing up, some inspiration horses we have on here  have to add mine of course.

Well, Buzz the man in my life is everything I could have ever wished for in a horse, he wasn’t in the beginning, he bucked after jumps, bucked when worked away from his friend, I think I had been bucked off him more times then I fell lol. Nowadays we are successfully competing at ODE’s not placing but getting there, he will carry me around for 2 hours on Endurance rides, takes me to Pony Club at which we play games, jump and do flat. He will try anything for me.
He is the one thing that got me through high school, I knew he would always be there and I could let go of all my stress when we went on our rides or just brushing him. Just seeing him made my day a whole lot better and still does. J


----------



## SocietyJoe (Jan 21, 2011)

*Got permission to re-do mine. LOL.*


I think my horse Society Joe and I deserve to be drawn because when I was younger I was diagnosed with Bio-cranial syntosis, which makes my head shape a lot different, and the chance of me being born with brain damage was very high. I can’t do anything that would risk me hitting my head and such a sport is horse riding. Ever since I was young I dreamed of riding horses, and now my dream has come true. 

Joe was given to me for Christmas, and I can still remember sitting in his stall for hours trying to firgue out if i was in a dream. After many safe lease ponies Joe was the first horse to call my own. He was an abandoned OTT racehorse with no hope and I was a 14yo girl with a dream. We have both come so far physically and mentally, even after me being in the hospital for days from him bolting and rearing, and me pleading to mum and dad that it wasn't Joe's fault. I think we deserve to get drawn because we both went against the odds to achieve what we have, and that really inspires me every day to live out my full potential as a person, and strive for my goals, because you can rise up to challenges and succeed - which is what Joe teaches me everyday, and for a 15year old girl, thats a big lesson in life to learn.















*I would just like to say thank you Joe, you are my hero. *


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

2 days left...


----------



## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

This is my baby, Wantley Wildcard (Wildey):










Wildey has been my best friend for ten years. I got him as a green broken Arab and a green 11 year old kid – It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. He has looked after me my whole riding life. He has won everything he could win. But I don’t love him for his skills – I love him for his heart. He has done everything I have asked of him; Been a therapy horse at an RDA; Taught beginners to do speed events while looking after them. When I first started Mounted Games I fell off him and was underneath him while he was galloping – A man came up to me afterwards and said “That horse must think a lot of you because he tried as hard as he could not to hurt you then”. I was bullied through school and have always had a hard time with learning/concentration. Wildey has taught me perseverance, resilience, loyalty, and the value of friendship. I truly believe that I owe a big part of who I am today to this incredible horse who has been such a big part of my life. Wildey will always be my heart horse, and I don’t think any other horse will be able to live up to the times I’ve had with him and his incredible soul.


----------



## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Oh no, I forgot to add this bit!

A few years ago, my half-brother committed suicide. We found out the night before we were due to drive to Sydney so me and Wildey could try out for the NSW Mounted Games squad. The next morning we woke to find one of our dogs had died during the night. Needless to say we were devastated. it was a long drive to Sydney, and I was an emotional wreck all day. Wildey carriedme through those tryouts, and we were selected for the squad. I remember standing there with my dad and Wildey, all hugging each other and just crying our eyes out when we found out I had gotten in.

Ugh. Now I am crying! Horses. What would we do without them.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Well, after much deliberation, I've decided on my winners. Everyone had such brilliant entries, it is fantastic to see how much horses mean in all of our lives. Choosing the winners in this competition was harder than I thought, as there were quite a few standout submissions. The placings are as follows, however because of how difficult a decision this was, I have also slipped a couple of extra prizes in to those who I was really struggling between on decisions!


1st Place (Head study pastel portrait): Faye and Stan. I couldn't go past your entry, Faye you made me tear up reading about Stan and how much he meant to you. A worthy winner! I will send you an inbox shortly regarding your prize - congratulations 

2nd Place (AU$70 Horse & Hound Artistry gift voucher): Jessicapworkman and Ayla. I will inbox you details of your prize shortly. Congratulations  

3rd Place (AU$40 Horse & Hound Artistry gift voucher): HowClever and Trojan. I will inbox you details of your prize shortly. Well done  


And the 'runner ups' - I had such a hard time choosing between everyone, and the following two entries really caught my attention, so congratulations to:
-Bandy and Taj
-Wild_Spot and Wildey 
I will inbox you both with your prize details 

Well done everyone, it was a difficult contest to judge!


----------



## Ashley at Rivermont (Aug 18, 2011)

Is there still time to submit an entry?


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

No sorry, this was judged some time ago


----------



## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I am very very excited and massivly anticipating it's arrival.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Glad to hear Faye  And sorry it's taken a while - I had a couple to do at once and was waiting on more postage material so now that they're all together, they'll be posted out to everyone tomorrow


----------



## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Kayty, If I were to order one as a gift for christmas for my sister, when is the latest I would be able to?


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Preferably by October at the latest, I'm starting to get quite a few bookings coming in for Christmas, plus the time needed for postage. 
If payment was an issue - I will work off a deposit to cover the material costs, and am happy to accept a payment plan, however cannot send the portrait until paid in full.


----------



## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Sounds brill Kayty. will keep that in mind.


----------



## FLACKA (Sep 18, 2011)

*Why Ri and Ginger...*

I think Ri and ginger should win because they show the truest form of love. COMPLETE TRUST. Ginger is about, we think 16. She is a rescue we got 3 weeks ago. She really loves my 2 year old Ri,and he really loves her. Hopefully she will heal completely and he will have his longtime buddy to learn how to ride. I would loveto havethe portrait to oneday explain to him what true love is......


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

DAmmit, didn't see this before, but now I'm sitting here in a soggy mess of tears having read the stories and seen the pics, sniff sniff, they are all worthy to win.

My entry, well I couldn't of entered because she wasn't even born when the competition was going, but would be the beautiful little Angel that I now have :lol::lol:


----------

