Eqxpressionists

The movement of individuals modeling horsemanship as an artistic practice.

Kyley DiLuigi

One of my earliest memories as a child is the day I got my first pony, Oreo Cookie. I was 4 and she was an unwanted 20 something Shetland Pony who had had a rough life, but despite her checkered past, she knew how to take care of me. Oreo and I went on our share of adventures, she went to summer camp with me, took me trick-or-treating, and to my first horse show. I spent most of my childhood helping my mom take care of our family horses. I was fortunate enough to have a mother who taught me that horses were a part of the family, not just a vehicle to get us where we wanted to go. Once a horse enters our family, they are there to stay forever. I think it was this philosophy that allowed me connect with every horse I have ever owned. Its also this philosophy that made me never give up on the troubled ones.

I was 12 when I joined the United States Pony Club and it was there that I discovered my true passion in the horse world, Mounted Games. Mounted Games to me embodied everything that it meant to be a true horseman. It combined the lightness and grace of a Grand Prix Dressage horse with the athleticism and stamina of a racehorse, and the only way to be truly great at the sport was to be connected with your horse. To me the sport has always been about personal goals. I have always loved classical Dressage, and I think it carried over into my Mounted Games Training. I enjoyed perfecting spins, and I envisioned the most amazing sliding stop. And then I met Chincoteague Minnow.

Minnow was a 1993 Island Born Chincoteague Pony, and he was a generous loan from a friend when I retired my own pony. At 13.1 hands tall you would hardly think he could be a handful, but he was. I learned to hang on for dear life as we raced around the arena uncontrollably. When I looked into his eyes I saw nothing, I had never encountered a horse that could so easily shut himself off from the world. I spent 2 years working with him, and for the first time in my life I wasn’t sure if I would be able to help him. Then something wonderful happened.

I received a book on how to teach your horse tricks for Christmas from my mom. In December of 2005 I taught Minnow his very first trick, to give me a kiss. Suddenly Minnow’s view of the world and me began to change. As we mastered nearly every trick in the book I began to see a new pony appear. His eyes glistened and he was excited for my visits. That spring I brought him to college with me, and I spent as much time as I could becoming even more connected to my little Chincoteague Pony. Trick Training began to build a language between us. In 2007 I had nearly run out of things to teach Minnow, so one cold winter day I lugged my paints and easel from art school out the farm. I had decided that I was going to teach Minnow to paint. A few months later, and I was swimming in canvases that Minnow had created. Painting had become a way for Minnow to express himself, and he couldn’t get enough of it. As I began to run out of people to gift his paintings to, I decided it was time to share his gift with the world.

I started the website www.PaintingPony.com and a few weeks later Minnow sold his very first painting.  As more and more paintings began to sell I started to donate some of the profits to charitable organizations. Most of our contributions went to the Chincoteague Pony Association and helped to care for the wild ponies of Assateague Island. It felt good to know that Minnow’s gift was helping his ancestors to survive on the island where he once lived.

Minnow continues to be my main inspiration. I have since added two more Chincoteague Ponies to my small herd, Chesapeake Lightning and Chesapeake Boomerang, and each day I am amazed at what they have to teach me. When I look back over the many years I have been involved with horses I remember the troubled ones the most. Strangely I don’t remember how much of a challenge they were, I remember the connection I made with them in the end. Each horse has made an impact on my life and everyday I am thankful that they allowed me into their lives.

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