Pair in Powder #13146

The Story

This pair of Arabian horses were excited to be out in the new winter snow after being inside the barn for two days as the winter storm went over. Naturally, they were extra ready to rip and go in the full sun and fourteen inches of powder snow Mother Nature had left behind. With their tails lifted, they kept going round and round this small paddock at a steady trot along the fence line, often side by side just like this image. Being close barn mates, they preferred to be together and that togetherness was important to them.

Many horses are excited by new snow and really want to be out in it just like any third grade kid with a new sled. These two were no exception, it’s the same in the equine world as it in elementary school: they were out to have fun and blow off a little steam. There’s nothing quite like horses in snow making the powder fly as it goes by! Here, the cold crisp air keeps that powder light and lifting and the bright sun lights up all the details.

These Arabian horses are the white stallion and bay mare that appear elsewhere in my work. They’ve been my graceful and poised models many times and are the parents of Allegra, another young horse model that comes up often in the portfolio. See her having her own fun romp in powder snow and sunshine in Allegra #14370 eight years after this image of her parents were made. The picture Affectionate Horses #12396 is another of the stallion and bay mare parents created on the same winter day as this one, when Allegra was only a twinkle in her father’s eye.

Location: Willow Hill, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks