Sandra Beaulieu - Art on Horseback Live Painting Demo Benefits Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Program in Maine

Photo credit: Sun Journal reporter Daryn Slover

Rovandio and I performed a live painting demo at the Healing Through Horses Professional's Expo held in New Gloucester, ME. 100% of the money raised from the sale of this painting went to Healing Through Horses. It is a non-profit organization that offers equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). 

This was a memorable experience for me, since it was the first time my mother and grandmother were able to watch me paint in person. I also used my new art easel that was creatively built by my husband. We only had 40 minutes to create a painting from start to finish, with all the extra distractions that come with performing. It was a challenge to figure out all the logistics and I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my friends Elisha Harvey, Holly Baily, Taylor Burdin, and Sarah Kach.

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“In the zen of the moment, living, breathing art, brush stroke upon brush stroke, hoofbeat upon hoofbeat. The horse forms the artist, the artist forms the horse, flowing, living, breathing art.”

— Bethanne Ragaglia

Rovandio Picks Up Brush

Photo taken by Sun Journal reporter Daryn Slover

Thank you Taylor Burdin

Taylor (holding the canvas with me) created the video you see above.

The Messier the Better!

Photo taken by Sun Journal reporter Daryn Slover.

The Paint is Still Wet!

Photo taken by Sun Journal reporter Daryn Slover.

Special Day with Family

My lovely Grandma Jane was able to watch me paint for the first time.

Final Signed Painting

Photo edited by Lydia Rose Spencer.

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Congratulations Holly Bailey for winning the online auction for this painting! 100% of the sale went to Healing Through Horses towards their program and updating their facilities. Holly is one of my close friends in Tallahassee, FL. We had a lovely presentation dinner at Backwoods Crossing for Holly and her family and friends. She is now the proud owner of an Art on Horseback painting.

Visit the Art on Horseback Website to learn more.
Originals for sale, Limited Edition Art Prints, and Videos!
www.ArtonHorseback.com

Related Articles:

Sandra Beaulieu - Art on Horseback Featured in the Sun Journal Newspaper

Lovely article about our (Sandra Beaulieu & Rovandio) live art performance at the Healing Through Horses professional expo in New Gloucester, ME. The beautiful photos were taken by reporter Daryn Slover for the Sun Journal. This was our first outing with the new easel my husband built for me. I was very pleased! It is almost 9 feet tall but much easier to transport than my other easel, which I had to leave behind in Florida. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Photo Credit: Daryn Slover of the Sun Journal Newspaper
Art on Horseback with Sandra Beaulieu and Rovandio

Rovandio was a rockstar as usual. He is the most reliable performance horse I have ever ridden. He knows when he has an audience and completely tunes into me. I don't have to worry about him getting nervous like I do with Douwe. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Photo Credit: Daryn Slover of the Sun Journal Newspaper
Sarah Kaech, Taylor Burdin, and artist Sandra Beaulieu

The finished painting is available to purchase, with 100% of the purchase price going to Healing Through Horses. Healing Through Horses is a 501c3, oranization offering counseling services that involve Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) in New Gloucester, Maine. Their mission is to help individuals, families and groups overcome life’s challenges by safely partnering with the gentle disposition and compassionate power of horses. Email me at beginthedance@gmail.com if you are interested in this painting. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Sandra beaulieu and taylor burdin hold the finished painting before it is signed.

Sandra Beaulieu - Art on Horseback Live Painting Demo Benefits Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation Ranch

Photo credit: Kimberly Chason of chason photos & art

Rovandio and I performed a live painting demo at the "Have a Heart" fundraiser to benefit the Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation Ranch (Triple R) of Tallahassee, FL. All money raised from the auctioned painting went to the Triple R organization. Triple R is a 100% volunteer organization that rescues abused, neglected, troubled, and abandoned equines and rehabs, retrains, and re-homes (or retires) them "in an environment of well-being and trust". Click here to read more about them.

Congratulations to Kathryn Gladwell for placing the winning bid! I got to know Kathryn over the winter months in Tallahassee, FL and I am so pleased that this painting is in her hands. 

This was a special experience for me since it was the first time Rovandio and I have painted before a live audience. We only had 45 minutes to create a painting from start to finish, with all the extra distractions that come with performing. It was a challenge to figure out all the logistics and I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my close friend Marsha Sapp. Thank you Marsha!

“In the zen of the moment, living, breathing art, brush stroke upon brush stroke, hoofbeat upon hoofbeat. The horse forms the artist, the artist forms the horse, flowing, living, breathing art.”

— Bethanne Ragaglia

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Visit the Art on Horseback Website to learn more.
Originals for sale, Limited Edition Art Prints, and Videos!

photo credit: kimberly chason of chason photos & art

Related Articles:

Art on Horseback & Baroque Horse Art featured on equine art blog The Flying Shetlands!

I wanted to share this equine art blog that recently shared my work. The Flying Shetlands blog was created by a young woman named Shya who is an aspiring artist and horse enthusiast. She started blogging at age 13! I think it is wonderful to see someone so young sharing their passion with the world. She has almost 100 artists featured on her blog including amazing photographers like Sabine Peters from Germany,  sculptures like Gustavo Aceves, and painters including Tony O'Connor. I wish her all the best and I want everyone to send her blog some love!  

https://theflyingshetlands.wordpress.com/

Click on the image to read her blog post about equine photographer Sabine Peters. 

Click here to read Shya's blog post about equine sculpture Gustavo Aceves.

Click here to read her blog post about equine artist Tony O' Connor.

Please click here to visit Shya's blog The Flying Shetlands.

Bareback Dressage, Safety Tips To Get Started and My Top Bareback Pad Choices

Sandra & Rovandio. Photo Credit: Kimberly Chason

I have many people ask me how they can start to incorporate bareback riding into their dressage work. I wanted to share some of my advice for getting started, including safety tips and also bareback pads to try.

Before You Begin

How Is Your Balance?
Before you try riding bareback you should be able to comfortably, and confidently, ride in a saddle without reins or stirrups at the walk, trot and canter! Do you have independent balance from the reins? If you ever catch your balance with the reins, it is not a good idea to try riding bareback.

Does your horse have a good "WHOA"?
If you have a horse that is hard to stop, rushes, or is resistant or disobedient, I do not recommend riding bareback. Make sure to refresh your horse's response to your "whoa", on the lunge line or on the ground, before you ride bareback.

Has your horse been ridden bareback before?
Some horses have sensitive backs and may react the first time they are ridden bareback. Do not assume that your horse will behave the same as he does with a saddle. Have an experienced rider test out your horse if this is your first time. You may also want a person on the ground to hold your horse when you mount and to lead him in the beginning.

Things You Might Need

• Full Seat Breeches: I recommend wearing full seat breeches to help you "stick". Horsehair can be slippery so you may feel more secure wearing full seat breeches.

• Mounting block: Unless you are super flexible and have the ability to leap onto the horse from the ground, then you will need a mounting block. Try a three-step for extra height. You need to have good balance and confidence to mount a horse bareback.

• A helper. Make sure you have someone with you to hold the horse when you first get on. They could even lead you around at the walk to see how it feels and to help keep the horse relaxed and slow.

• A helmet. If you don’t normally ride with a helmet I would recommend wearing one when you are riding bareback.

• Enclosed riding area. PLEASE do not attempt riding bareback for the first time in an open field or arena with no walls. The best place to start is in a small indoor arena or a round pen.

• A bareback pad. A good bareback pad helps with padding and "stick". Having a bareback pad works well for horses that have pronounced withers. Usually the material on the underside has some stick to it, like a synthetic rubber. Be careful with the all fleece pads because they may slide around on a well-groomed horse. Do not use a bareback pad that has stirrups! The tree of a saddle distributes the stirrup pressure and without it you will be placing all of your weight into one spot on the horse's back.

My Favorite Bareback Pads

ThinLine Bareback Pad

ThinLine Bareback Pad:

I currently use the ThinLine bareback pad. It has a rubbery material on the underside of the pad and the girth to keep it from sliding. It is simple and elegant with enough padding to be comfortable but not so much that you lose the bareback feel.

I have been using this pad for my Art on Horseback performances with Rovandio for many years. This pad is currently only available in Black. You can purchase this pad from my sponsors Adams Horse Supplies. Click here for more details.

Sheepskin Bareback Pad

Sheepskin Bareback Pads:
Sheepskin will be a lot softer for the rider than any other bareback pad options. This particular brand (Engel) uses 100% Merino Wool Sheepskin. The saddle seat area is removable so that it is easy to wash the cotton quilted pad. Sheepskin is temperature compensating and reduces skin irritation.

This particular brand also comes in an English style pad as well. Colors include Black, Brown, Charcoal, and Natural. It also has a handy grab strap. You can find top-of-the-line sheepskin bareback pads on Amazon. Click here for more details.

HILASON Suede Leather Pad

HILASON Suede Leather Bareback Pad:
I like the shape and look of this bareback pad and it has the same non-slip surface on the underside that my ThinLine pad has. This pad would work well for a performance routine because it comes in a variety of colors such as Purple, Black, Tan, and Turquoise (shown). It also has a handy strap to help you carry the pad to and fro.

You can use your own girth with this pad which may be a plus or a minus depending on what you prefer. You can purchase this beautiful bareback pad on Amazon. Click here to see all the color options.

Benefits of Riding Bareback

Improve Balance:

Riding bareback will help improve your balance and reveal weaknesses in your riding that can be hidden by the saddle. The horse's spine will help you feel when you are sitting centered or not. I love to feel the horse's back muscles and check that I am sitting evenly on my seat bones. You may also notice if your pad tends to slide to one side or the other, indicating that you also lean or shift too much to one side.

Riding bareback is a great way to loosen your hips, as you allow your legs to relax and drape around your horse the movement of the horse’s back will gently open your hips more and more. This is similar to riding without stirrups in a saddle except that you will also feel the muscles working underneath you.

Improve Transitions:

When you are riding bareback you will feel when the horse is lifting his back. This is particularly helpful for upward and downward transitions. Even if you just practice at the walk, incorporate transitions into the halt and see if you can feel whether the back stays lifted. If the horse starts to drop his back that will cause him to come against the hand, above the bit, and lose connection. You can improve your ability to feel the moment your horse loses his balance and help correct him/her before it becomes a problem.

Improve Steering & Lateral Work:

Practice riding serpentines, circles, and lateral movements to improve your ability to move your horse with your body and not your reins. See if you can get your horse to turn just by looking with your eyes and turning your body so that the horse feels your shoulders, hips, and legs guiding him in a new direction. If your horse does not turn or he actually goes the wrong direction then you will know there is a missing piece to your aids. Perhaps your outside leg is coming off the horse? Perhaps you are turning your shoulders but your hips are stiff and they are not allowing the turn.

In your lateral work try to notice if you slide to the wrong side of the horse or any spots of tension that crop up when you change movements.

In Conclusion

Be mindful of whether your horse is enjoying the bareback experience as you are going along. Some horses are overly sensitive and can get “cold-backed” being ridden bareback. If your horse has back problems such as kissing spine, alignment issues, is underweight, has skin problem like rain rot, or doesn’t like to be brushed, these are reasons you should probably not ride him/her bareback. When you are riding bareback you will be sitting directly on the spine so you want to be sure that your horse is comfortable.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or email me at beginthedance@gmail.com. Be safe and have fun!

Sandra and Rovandio working on an Art on Horseback painting together. Click here to learn more. Photo Credit: Kimberly Chason

Related Blog Posts

First Art on Horseback Painting

In 2012 I was inspired with an idea. Could I blend my riding skills and art skills together? Could I actually create a painting while I was riding a horse? It was in my mind for about two years before I tried it. It took that long to work out the logistics, how to hang the painting, what size to use, what types of brushes, tack for my horse, etc. I practiced with a few other canvases and this is my first official piece, "Prancing Water Horse":

This painting will always hold a special place in my heart. <3

This painting is made of two 36"x48" canvases to make a full 4'x6' canvas. The background was created with a paint roller at the trot and canter, using the movements of the horse to help mix the colors. I rubbed the paint onto the canvas directly with my hands and created the drips with a water bottle. I let the canvas dry and turned it upside-down before I painted the horse. My painting partner, Lipizzan/Andalusian gelding, Rovandio, and I had to work together in the collected movements so that I could paint while remaining in motion. We used piaffe, Spanish walk, collected canter, and rein-back. This painting is an expression of my passion for the art of riding. Please help me share my story so that I can help inspire others to turn their dreams into reality.

Click here to see more photos of the painting.
OR
Click here to visit the official Art on Horseback page.

Sandra Beaulieu Painting on Horseback

"In the zen of the moment
living, breathing art
brush stroke upon brush stroke
hoofbeat upon hoofbeat.
The horse forms the artist
the artist forms the horse
flowing, living, breathing art."
                              -Bethanne Ragaglia

Two years ago I was inspired with an idea... a way to combine my two passions, dressage & art. I wondered if it was possible to create a painting from the back of a horse. Hard work, creativity and patience brought my dream into reality! It is so amazing to see the results of a vision come to life. I hope that my journey will inspire others to follow their dreams. This video was made by a small group of amazing interns at the Innovation Center run by the University of Maine. Thank you to Matthew Bullard, Christine Le, Courtney Norman and Jacob Pelkey for their hard work and enthusiasm!

Related Art on Horseback Videos:

Painting for Have a Heart Fundraiser to benefit Triple R Horse Rescue: To learn more about this painting, click here.

Creating a commissioned painting, "Nicole's Dream". To request a commission, email: beginthedance@gmail.com

Originals and more information available at ArtonHorseback.com

(or click the image below)

Art on Horseback - First Day Painting on Horseback!

What an exciting day! In 2012 I was inspired with an idea- a way to combine my two passions, dressage & art, into one. The first painting from horseback day I wanted to get Rovandio, a Lipizzan/Andalusian gelding owned by my mother-in-law, used to the hanging canvas, the table of paints, and the idea of going back and forth in front of the canvas. In addition to basic walk, trot, and canter I also use the piaffe and rein-back to work on the canvas. Rovandio is well-suited for this project because he is compact, smooth to ride, and sensitive. My Friesian gelding, Douwe's stride is too big and he isn't fine-tuned enough for me to do this.

I will be starting my first real painting soon and will be taking plenty of photos & video of the process to share with everyone. I am so excited to bring my vision into reality!

Practicing my brushstrokes while Rovandio does the piaffe.

Working on my technique with Rovandio at the Spanish walk.

Done for our first day!!! Can't wait for my next painting session!