‘Oden’ for Thursday Art Day

For Thursday Art Day I’m featuring a painting done by Marian Duncan of one of the dearest horses we have ever been blessed to own. I love to talk about Arabian horses, their beauty and their intelligence, but more importantly the way they relate to their owners. I’m a self-confessed addict when it comes to this topic. (A topic often referred to in my books.)

Lately, due to the shock loss of a couple of our horses I began to think about the horses in our past. I can hardly believe that it’s fourteen years since Oden’s death and it’s only this year that I’ve finally had this wonderful portrait framed.
Why you say?
Firstly, the portrait was done not long after his death and we couldn’t really face looking into his gentle eyes every day without feeling incredibly sad.
‘I’ll get if done in a few months’ time,’ I told my husband. He just nodded. He’d been unable to even read a tribute to Oden in the Australian Arabian breed magazine. This horse was everything to him and as the few months drifted into years, the painting remained in its cylinder. Time took over, a decade passed and though the stallion himself could never be forgotten, in a way the painting went unheeded.

The stallion was Odenuel ‘Oden’ by *Simeon Samuel (Jamil x Novina of Tersk) from Arjai Lucinda a Ralvon Pilgrim daughter and the 11th of May, 2013 was the fourteenth anniversary of his passing.

Now, with the painting in full view every time I sit on the couch I couldn’t help but remember Oden’s adorable antics, his quirky sense of humour, his patience,  his gentleness and some of his determined – dislikes. Yes, even the most beloved have “moments”! His offence if I laughed at him and how he hardly walked a step. He danced on the end of his lead going to his paddock in the morning and danced back to his stable at night. To lead, he was as light as a breath of air, always in that “H” position, head up and his tail just as high.

I remember following Don when Oden was shown as a youngster in Victoria. I was laden down with brushes and rugs, towels etc. tottering along nearly tripping over myself as I watched him float beside Don. Float is the right word because he seriously didn’t appear to even touch the ground. People stopped plaiting their horses and most stepped aside just to watch him pass by. He didn’t need to win a ribbon for me to know this horse had an aura. He was special. Mind you he won a big class and went on to be awarded Supreme Champion Arabian.

Probably the best memory I have would be of Don riding Oden bareback around one of the yards. Big deal you say. Don was no rider and Oden wasn’t actually broken in but he danced with Don aboard around the yard then stopped when he’d had enough, turning his head as if to say, ‘you’ve had your fun get off now!’

Another hilarious moment was using the house vacuum-cleaner to get the smuts out of his beautiful black-bay coat. His expression was what are you doing to me now! If I laughed at him and he felt it was uncalled for he would turn his head away from me and not talk for an hour or so. I laughed at him a lot that day and yes, he was offended!

I know most horse owners have probably experienced an Oden in their lives; at least I hope with all my heart that they have …

Your welcome to share your experiences below I’d love to hear about them.

To sum up this amazing connection that human being have with horses I’d love to share the relationship of Nijmeh and her owner from “Asil Arabians II – The Noble Arabian Horses” by Klynstra, Wustenadel. I love it and thought many of you would too…

“My Nijmeh gave me an example of the courage a desert mare can possess. One evening we trotted along the edge of the forest. I rode her without any bit, only in a halter. The sun had set and it had become almost dark when we met with a group of soldiers. It was a whole platoon camouflaged for night training. I walked past them when suddenly they began to shout and clap their hands. Nijmeh became excited and started to amble about. Their silly behaviour which for many a rider would have meant real danger made me angry, so I told the trouper what I thought of it. They just laughed at me. I intended to speak to the commander and turned the mare round. As I was furious, perhaps my aids came too abrupt. Nijmeh misunderstood me; she thought we were going to attack the infantry men and dashed forward. She galloped right through the men and turned round like lightning. Some of them fell or took cover, arms clashed to the ground while Nijmeh already carried me away with the speed of an arrow. Some fifty metres away we turned round and saw the troopers, dumbfounded, stagger to their feet and meekly pick up their arms from the ground. Fortunately no none was injured by this attack of my brave little desert mare.”

Klynstra, Wustenadel
Asil Arabians II – The Noble Arabian Horse
Olms Press 1980

Carmel Rowley www.carmelrowley.com.au