What do you consider art? What do you consider “the art of horsemanship?” Is it a painting, a photo or a sculpture? Or is it that fleeting moment during a ride when you and your horse are in perfect harmony? Maybe it’s the permanent depiction of that moment in paint or bronze. Among the many art galleries, art shows and artist exhibitions, where do you start?
In my ongoing surfing expedition through the world of online equestrian information I discovered two sites that offered different but related views of the art of horsemanship. Visit them with me here in print, and then visit them online. I know you’ll discover something beautiful.

Kentucky Horse Park
What’s the Kentucky Horse Park doing in a California publication? It’s featured here because its web sites, www.kyhorsepark.org and www.imh.org for the International Museum of the Horse, offer extensive education and entertainment in and of themselves. That’s something every Californian can enjoy – even without leaving home.
I confess that I started by visiting the International Museum of the Horse site first. I was curious to discover what the museum had to offer, remembering that a few years back they had an exhibition, All the Queen’s Horses, that I would have loved to see.
This summer at the Park, two exhibitions are featured at the museum. The first is, Pony Expressionism--the Horse as Art, which runs through Sept. 9 and tells the story of The Trail of Painted Ponies, a public art exhibit in Santa Fe that began a remarkable collecting phenomenon of desktop-sized reproductions. The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives and the Kentucky Connection, runs through Oct. 21, it utilizes 66 rare nineteenth century Currier and Ives lithographic prints to bring history to life, along with many objects from Kentucky’s past that help complete the story.
Online, there is even more to experience. Three online exhibitions have extensive flash presentations featuring information as well as extensive artwork to educate, entertain and delight the senses.
Breeds of the World depicts the many breeds of “Equus” throughout the world, organized by continent and featuring breeds both familiar and rare.
Legacy of the Horse illustrates a chronological history of humans and their relationship with the horse, by utilizing historical artifacts and famous equestrian artwork of centuries past from throughout the world.
Horse in Sport & Recreation gives viewers a comprehensive look at equestrian sporting activities from rodeo to racing, illustrated with contemporary artwork and photography.
But wait … there’s more!
Click-and-view presentations (not flash presentations, but equally interesting) include:
Buffalo Soldiers, based on the experiences of African Americans in the Civil War, began as a temporary exhibition, led to the most extensive bibliography ever compiled on the subject and a documentary film, and finally to a permanent exhibit in the museum.
The Draft Horse in America, the online version of the permanent exhibit in the Francis W. Eustis Gallery of the Draft Horse at the museum, explains and celebrates the interwoven history of man and horse at work.
Horse Racing in Japan might seem an unlikely subject in Kentucky, but not when you consider that the worldwide sport of horse racing unites people across all geographic, political and social boundaries.
Calumet Farms: Five Decades of Champions brings the racing story back home, describing the history of the farm that dominated Thoroughbred breeding and racing like no other. The history of American racing is intimately intertwined with the history of Calumet Farms.
Another online feature I recommend is Sculpture at the Park, which gives a virtual tour of the many memorial bronze sculptures commemorating famous horses from the Arabian stallion Bask++ to Thoroughbreds Secretariat and Man O’War, as well as representatives of the Morgan, Standardbred and American Saddlebred breeds, among others.

Artists at Work
After viewing so much history, I wanted to find out more about the state of equine art today, and where better than the web site of the American Academy of Equine Art, www.aaea.net. Ironically, the Academy is located at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Surfing their site, I recognized many of my favorite artists: Werner Rentsch, Veryl Goodnight, Lesley Humphrey and Roy Miller, among others. Beyond the stellar list of members, however, I found a dynamic roster of inclusive artistic activities.
The Academy’s Artist-in-Residence Program at the Kentucky Horse Park allows park guests the opportunity to visit with a working equine artist and observe their work in progress.
Academy workshops are open to anyone interested in equine art, whether beginners or more experienced artists, who wish to sharpen their skills with instruction in drawing, painting and sculpting from nationally renowned artists.
This month, the Academy’s Fall Open Juried Exhibition and Sale opens on the 22nd at the William G. Kenton Gallery at the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse … but you can view the online catalog from the comfort of your California computer.
So you see, Kentucky and California are closer than you think!
Here’s to Surfing and Horsemanship
From my little bit of California to yours, here’s hoping that you enjoy surfing these web sites in your search for the art of horsemanship. Here’s wishing you happy reading, happy surfing and happy riding!