Mustang A Day Challenge Painting # 292 Mariah Sharee's Spyder

"Spyder"
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$35.00

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting # 291 Lydia Robinson's Nelson Mandela

Mandella
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
Sold as Commission

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting # 290 Kristy Mills' Twin Peaks Rebel

" Twin Peaks Rebel"
6 by 9 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
Sold As Commission

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #289 Spirit Fund Raiser Part 2

"Spirit"
8.5 by 11 Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
Sold
Prints Maybe Purchased Here: SPIRIT FUND-RAISER

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #288 Spirit Fund Raiser Part 1

This is the first of two paintings I will be doing to help raise funds for this Beautiful American  Mustang: Read why  we are raising funds and "Spirit"'s story below. I will complete the second painting either tomorrow or Saturday.

"Spirit"
4 by 6  inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
Prints Are Now Available. Click here: SPIRIT FUND

Spirit's Story:

He is a 14 year old, untrained Mustang stallion. He was born in a holding facility. He never ran free, but his mother was captured on an HMA in Nevada.

Spirit is currently in Delaware. His current owners adopted him, brought him home, took the halter and lead rope off, set him free in a pasture, and just let him be a pretty pasture ornament for the last decade. He is friendly and curious, but untrained. His owners are moving, can't take him with them, and were going to have him euthanized.

Thankfully Tracey McCartney-Snyder and Ellie Miller stepped up and are  working to find him a new home. He has a temporary foster home lined up and will be gelded soon, but he needs a forever home soon. He is free to a good home under contract. Potential adopters will be screened to make sure he ends up in the best possible forever home.

I decided to paint this beautiful animal because lately on the East coast more and more we are running into situations like this  where the mustang has been adopted, brought home and lived in comfort with the family  sometimes for years like Spirit. However because he has never had any formal training or handling the animal grows up as a pet with no real job or training and because of his size and maturity  he needs some one with experience to handle him.

"Spirit"
Reference Photography
provided by
Tracey McCartney-Snyder
Used by permission

Life circumstances do change.  These last few years especially in the USA we find that many people who were working toward the American Dream and had reached security of sorts, are suddenly  having to down size and move. This places the security of their animals at risk. A horse with no  or little handling  can not be placed just anywhere. They must have training to be safe for new owners, for vetting and for emergency situations. For the wild adopted mustang this is a double jeopardy situation.

This is a situation no one could have foreseen. Least of all his former owners. We do not want to place blame here, but we do want to use it as a learning moment. Every horse, in this day and age, needs minimal handling, if for no other reason but to keep it safe in an emergency situation, such as a natural disaster evacuation or life threatening injury.

Because Spirit is a stallion, he will need to be gelded in order to place him in training and into  a forever home.  Because of Spirit's lack of handling, the cost of a simple gelding procedure is going to cost $800.00. 

  You can help!  I am going to offer  this painting of  Spirit and several signed prints, plus a painting I will be doing tomorrow night, and prints of that one, to help raise the money to offset the cost of Spirit's operation. I will announce the time frame when the second painting is finished.  This beautiful Mustang is due to be gelded on the last day of March so the auction will be soon. Terms and conditions and the percentage to be donated  will be listed just prior to the auction's beginning.

Please alert your friends.  And watch this space for more information.

Special additional thanks to  Shawna Lynn who contributed to this story and to Cie Sadeghy who first alerted me to the situation.

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #287 Jacqui Robertson Crews' Angelo

"Angelo"
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #286 Jenna Nelson's Henry Ford

How Henry Ford Got His Name

"Henry Ford"
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
Sold

In Jenna Nelson's own words:

In the 1950’s the two things that took up the most of my grandfather’s time was his mustang horse and the Ford dealership that he owned. When he heard that Ford was working on a new sport’s car he immediately wrote a letter to the company and suggested that they name this new car the “Mustang!” It was my grandfather, Henry Nelson, who first blessed me with my love of horses. It took years to find him, but when I saw this horse I knew I had finally found the mustang that was meant for me. In my grandfather’s honor I named the horse “Henry Ford.” This is my way to honor my grandpa and the car he named many years ago.

“Henry” was my horse for the SEMM 2010. He has learned quicker than any horse I have ever worked with and he is an absolute privilege to own. Before the competition I had the idea to see if I could get him to ride blind-folded. It took no more than 15 minutes before he would easily ride blinded and do anything I would ask of him. I often refer to “Henry” as the glorious one. I am certain that he believes I was put on this earth for his entertainment and I am happy to oblige."

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #285 TLC Ranch's Kiger Mare Oreana

Oreana
TLC Ranch's Kiger Mare
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

TLC Ranch approched me about painting this mare for the challenge about three weeks ago. Oreana is  between 6 and 7 years of age. She was originally from Riddle Mountain HMA. She has been  handled with basic ground work such as halters, ties, trailers. She has been saddled, however, as of this writing, she has not ridden. No mention was made if she had been handled to the point of lifting her feet for trimming or cleaning.

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #284 Alder Hill Farm Rescue's Honey and Her Foal Branson's Little Davy G.

"A Little Cuddle"
Honey and Branson
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L MartinArtist
$165.00

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #283 Larissa's Banna

"Banna"
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #282 Larissa's Baily

"Baily"
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #281 Alder Hill Farm Rescue's Honey and Her Foal Branson's Little Davy G.

As many of you know the little Branson mustang mare, Honey delivered a foal a few weeks ago. This is a little painting of Honey with her foal, Branson's Little Davy G a.k.a Branson.

"My Littleone"
Honey and Branson's Little Davy G
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$165.00

A portion of the proceeds from this painting will benefit Alder Hill Farm Rescue.

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #280 Alder Hill Farm Rescue's Carmel

Carmel as a Weanling
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$55.00

Tonights painting is of Alder Hill Farm's Carmel.
Carmel was one of  64 foals rescued in 2004 by Alder Hill Farm. His mother was a mustang who was put into the premarin production lines. Foals  produced from this process are rarely left with their dam's more than 4 weeks. Caramel is a special horse that in addition to being a premarin foal, Carmel also has Orphan Foal syndrome.  Earlier in the Mustang A Day Challenge I wrote two blog posts about the condition. The condition is also called Equine Autism.

As a result of his condition Carmel is in permanent sanctuary at Alder Hill Farm. In addition to rescue and rehabilitation, Alder Hill Farm provides a unique opportunity  for those who have no place to keep or adopt a horse through sponsorship of the rescue's permanent residents.   For information on Sponsorship of one of the permanent residents of Alder Hill Farm you can contact them at info@alderhillfarm.org

You can read more about  Carmel here:

Challenge Painting #34: http://mustangadaychallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/mustang-day-challenge-34-carmel-january.html

Challenge Painting #35: http://mustangadaychallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/mustang-day-challenge-35carmel-january.html

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to Alder Hill Farm Rescue. To read more about the rescue and make a donation or application to adopt go to: www.alderhillfarm.org