Spirit was born on the open sea of grass that stretched over the hills and to the mountains. She spent most of her young life racing the wind and exploring the wide fields around her. Her world was wild and free, and every string of her heart sounded with freedom's call.

Then, when she was only two years old, Spirit's world changes. Men came on horseback and gathered up the herds that lived on the preserve. The horses were driven into small pens where the pawed and snorted, watching uneasily as the men circled outside. They didn't understand fences, or saddles, or people; they wanted their trees and fields and open sky. They couldn't understand that from this day on, they would never see that land again.

Each horse adopted would be given a new home with a loving family; it was the only way to preserve the roaming herds of wild horses, to round up and sell the young, or they would overpopulate. The money from the sales also went back to caring for the land, preserving the wilderness for generations of horses to come.

Spirit swirled and circled, racing from one end of the coral to the other. A person watched her, his eyes never leaving the spotted horse. At last he nodded slowly, and beckoned to the waiting men. And Spirit was sold.

It happened so quickly; she didn't know quite what had happed! Spirit was surrounded by the mounted horses, tethered, and taken away from the others. She balked and pulled, her ears back, but firm hands were laid on her, and the voices that spoke were calm. There was a brief jab as a brand slid across her backside. The men spoke some more. And then, suddenly, she was loose – free! – for the harness was gone and the men were just standing there, making no move to catch her. The paddock door was open, and beyond the mountains were calling.

With a snort and whicker, Spirit kicked up her heels, beating the dust with sound hooves as she galloped towards those mountains. Somewhere out there, her call was answered. For, as always, a very few number of special horses are allowed back to the wilderness. On their rump they bare the brand of the National Park, and they are protected, so that generations may see the horse still in its natural state.

Spirit had won her heart's song, a lifetime's freedom.

Spirit was made from a badly scuffed Selle Francias mare. I was delighted to have the chance to experiment with such a great and expressive model, and the colours and were really born out of search for the piece's true "spirit"! I also love appaloosas, and am very please with the way she turned out.

She is painted using artist's grade acrylic paint, hand detailed with a brush. I studied many pictures of appaloosas before I began, drawing both from real horses and other models (she does bare resemblance to Breyer's gorgeous "Prairie Flower" ;) I am looking forward to taking more pictures of her as the weather improves!

I am currently taking orders for Custom painting on all types of model horses! Prices vary depending on the detail of the job. You can see some of my other peices in Whimsy's Stables.

Neena Bickram, 2002