photo credit to Megan Kruse Photography
Nicole contributed all of the watercolour designs and technical diagrams to our upcoming book project, Sharing The Now: Connecting With Your Horse through Mindfulness. We first met Nicole through her business, Tonic Equestrian, and purchasing items from the line, including amazing artwork from Hand Gallop Studio. She also completed a commissioned portrait of Stella for Shreyasi a few months prior. She has crafted stunning imagery for the ideas we want to portray to the world and captured what we find so significant in being connected to our horses. As a graphic designer and artist, she creates original artwork and design, custom branding, small business print and offers marketing and editorial solutions through her company, Hand Gallop Studio.
Spirit Farm (SF): Can you tell us how and when you first fell in love with horses?
Nicole: I’ve always been in love with horses. Before I could even speak I was obsessed with them and have gravitated towards them for as long as I can remember. There are still drawings of horses on the undersides of my mother’s coffee table and on the basement floor under the carpet in the home I grew up in.
SF: Do you have a favourite breed to photograph/draw/paint? If yes, what makes this breed stand out to you?
Nicole: I love Arabians but I am also drawn to Andalusians, Icelandic horses and working ranch & rodeo horses. Odd mix, I know. I am often inspired by anything with a unique presence, something that tells a story or creates a strong emotion visually.
SF: Who is/was your heart horse?
Nicole: My very first horse, Phantom Night. I purchased him as a foal and had him for his entire life. He passed not long ago.
SF: What do you consider your greatest achievement in the horse world and what would be your legacy?
Nicole: Riding a hunt course in Southern Alberta with the Calgary Hunt Club was probably my greatest personal achievement on horseback, to date. In the horse world itself, my contributions through my writing, artwork and graphic design are something I’m quite proud of. My time as editor of the Canadian Arabian Horse News magazine and my articles and photos that have appeared in other equestrian publications are all feathers in my hat. I would love to continue to see my designs and artwork end up with people who love and appreciate them for years after I’m gone.
SF: If your horses could talk, what would they say about you?
Nicole: That I overthink everything and that I worry about them more than necessary, especially in terrible weather.
SF: How have horses changed your life?
Nicole: Horses are the ultimate teachers. They have taught me such a vast amount about myself and what I’m capable of, what my strengths are and where I need to grow. They challenge me constantly to be a better rider and a better horsewoman and they help me to be more mindful and grounded. My energy transfers directly to them whether on the ground or in the saddle and most of my horses will remind me very quickly if I’m not in a place of balance. It’s a constant state of learning for me.
They have also been instrumental in bringing numerous amazing experiences and people into my life over the years that I am incredibly grateful for.
SF: What would be the horse’s message to mankind?
Nicole: Mind your energy and practice being subtle, first.
Thank you Nicole for taking the time to share your experiences with Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs and their followers.
