Getting To Know Shyloh… Again Part 2

Written by Rod Barker on October 13th, 2008

Six years had passed since I last set eyes on Shyloh. I knew I would recognize her immediately because her pretty and refined head, her soft and welcoming eyes, and her distinctive markings – a white diamond on her forehead, snip just above her nose, and Click to continue »

The Decision to Get Back into Horses Part 1

Written by Rod Barker on October 1st, 2008

The decision to get back into horses did not come about as a result of missing them. I received a phone call from the fellow I’d reluctantly sold my quarter horse mare to when I left Santa Fe and moved to Arizona six years ago. It hadn’t made sense to Click to continue »

The Value of Customer Loyalty

Written by Rod Barker on September 16th, 2008

Everywhere you turn these days, the cost of goods is going up. In large part it has to do with increased fuel costs and shipping rates. This is true of everything, but it’s particularly true of Painted Ponies. And especially of the Painted Ponies we offer on our Click to continue »

Boys of Summer

Written by Rod Barker on August 27th, 2008

Although the phone in my office comes with Caller ID, I rarely check to see who’s calling before I answer. Call it a quirk of mine. I would rather recognize the voice than the name. Or, be surprised by someone I don’t know introducing themselves… Click to continue »

The Trail Comes Home to Santa Fe

Written by Rod Barker on August 22nd, 2008

The return to Santa Fe to do a book signing at the local Dillard’s Department Store reminded me of why I lived there for fifteen years. Cool evenings followed warm afternoons. Majestic mountain views, endless skies and scarlet sunsets enchanted the Click to continue »

Would a Rearing Painted Pony Add an Exciting Dimension to The Trail?

Written by Rod Barker on August 14th, 2008

As everyone familiar with the history of The Trail knows, we started out in 2001 with one horse form for artists to paint – the standing horse. The next year we added the running horse. Then, in 2006, a walking horse form (a Masterwork) was introduced in the context Click to continue »

Traveling the Trade Show Trail

Written by Rod Barker on July 31st, 2008

Mid-June through July is the Trade Show Season: that time of year when manufacturers in the giftware industry introduce new merchandise to retailers at Gift Marts in major cities across the country. This summer I attended trade shows in Dallas and Los Angeles to meet Click to continue »

What Happened to the Community Forum?

Written by Rod Barker on July 31st, 2008

Some six or seven months ago we created the Community Forum. It was designed to facilitate an exchange of information and build a sense of community among Painted Pony collectors. It was also intended to give us at The Trail an opportunity to listen in on Click to continue »

Welcome to my blog

Written by Rod Barker on July 31st, 2008

As with most first-time bloggers, I feel a need to explain why I have decided to take up this particular form of communication.

Its roots go back to an interview I gave to a newspaper reporter in 2002, at an early point in The Trail of Painted Ponies public art project. He was calling for my reaction to a sexual discrimination Click to continue »