90 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Susan Becker
I
t is an obvious fact that life is better from the back of a horse.
Yet, here is the story of how my horse, Double Scotch, taught
me that life can be just as sweet in front of an easel creating
horse portraits as it is in the saddle.
The Horse Life
It wasn’t until my 30th birthday that I was able to make my
dreams of owning a horse come true with my first horse, Double
Scotch. So many years of longing and finally there he was on the
other end of the reins. With great enthusiasm but zero experience,
I studied every horse book in the library, begging the librarian to
order more. My first naive but exciting purchase of bucket, brush
and hoof pick turned out to be but grains of sand in the vast ocean
of saddles, truck/trailer, mountains of tack and so on.
I’ve always been a hard worker, but this horse taught me to try
even harder. Because of him, I began to study and observe other
riders in great detail, take notes after each clinic and class, ask
questions, repeat the dressage test until it was smooth and walk
the cross-county course twice. This diligence and close attention
to detail of what I loved would later influence my ability to create
equine art.
Scotch was my mentor as he encouraged this passion to
become a reality. My physical and emotional strength grew.
Perhaps I was imagining how full early life could have been, had
there been horses in my youth. Now as an adult, I was able to
submerge myself in this deep desire, limited only by my job and
the need to eat and sleep.
I entered other athletic events because I wanted more stamina
and strength to ride better. Over four years of entering the adult
Paintings of
Intense and
Intimate
Moments
A Look at My Life in the World
of Horses and Equine Art
e
My Story
“My Story” is a first person account of life in the equestrian
world. Would you like to write your story for Sidelines
Magazine? To be considered, send a brief description of
your story to
.
Continued on page 92
“First Spring Grass,” oil on canvas 60 x 20
All photos courtesy of Susan Becker
