We all know about that "once-in-a-lifetime horse". That is what 'Ria' was to me. She was a registered quarter horse, 'True Moon Riverdance', and I doubt I will ever find another one like her. She was big, but at the same time, the gentlest horse you could ever imagine. There was something special about her that everyone sensed as soon as they met her even though she was just another bay horse, and wasn't spectacularly beautiful. She did unusual, 'unhorsey' type things that never ceased to astound me. Like leaving her food untouched because she was baby-sitting a lost little calf all night. Or standing stock still for hours because she had accidentally got caught up in a barb wire fence. Or giving people 'hugs' unexpectedly when they were feeling down (time and again).
I always had a feeling that I wouldn't have her for long. I planned her, watched her being born, and was with her almost every moment of her life after that, watching her grow and grow. She was five years old when I lost her.
She passed away last summer, and took my heart with her. I had ordered Elin Pendleton's art DVDs because I desperately needed to keep my mind busy and like usual, I turned to art for distraction and comfort. I wanted to push myself to learn more there. When I opened the box that Elin sent the DVDs in, I was very surprised to find a little painting of hers included in the DVD set. It was of two horses - a bay and a gray. The bay was looking into the sunset, and the gray was looking at me. It brought tears to my eyes because I felt that Ria had just sent me a message. 'She had left, but Vivesa still needed me'.
For some odd reason, Elin never received the email I sent thanking her for the painting, and although I didn't realise it, she didn't know she had included it in the box. Months later, she was looking for that painting (she had sold it from her web site where it was still advertised), never realising that the painting had been in the box that she sent to me. I tried 4 times to email her to tell her that I had the painting that she was looking for, but she never received those emails. It wasn't until she had redone the painting for her clients, that she received my emails and my message (sent through the equine art guild). When she heard what had happened, she gifted me with this painting which had touched me so much.
Strangely enough, this happened right at a time when my husband was trying to convince me that we needed to sell some horses (and Vivesa was among them). I believe my precious Ria was once again trying to communicate with me by bringing my attention to that painting - and telling me that Vivesa still needed me.
In Memory of A Beautiful Friend by Marti Adrian 18" x 24" acrylic on canvas NFS custom portraits available
