Rowdy
Behind the Scenes Look at Rowdy from Printed Ponies
MODEL HORSES
9/14/20252 min read
Rowdy Print and Paint
Rowdy
I had the honor of working this wonderful boy for the better part of a year. He and his owner moved recently, and Celene from Printed Ponies was kind enough to choose him for her August Subscriber Sculpt.
I printed and painted both versions for his person as a gift for trusting me with her boy during his rehab.
He's printed in a high-quality white resin and painted in acrylics.
This is copy from his story that I had submitted to Celene for her socials:
" Rowdy— Disorderly Conduct—isn’t just another horse. He’s one of those rare souls who walks into your life and leaves you changed forever. I can’t call him mine, but for a brief and beautiful season, I was lucky enough to be part of his world. His story crossed my path at a time when I needed it most. Fourteen years had passed since an accident shattered my confidence. I’d been aching to return to the horse world but wasn’t ready—financially, mentally, or even physically. Riding lessons felt far away, but the desire to reconnect was burning inside me. Then, one day, I saw a simple post from his owner asking for help. That call for help became my lifeline. Rowdy is now 16, with the heart of a Mustang, the grit of a Quarter Horse, and a past full of adventures across the U.S. But what makes him unforgettable isn’t just his toughness—it’s his mind. He is sharp, opinionated, and unafraid to tell you exactly how he feels. His owner, who loves him beyond words, gave him something most horses never get: a voice. Through patient R+ training, Rowdy learned to communicate his needs, his stress, and his joy. He can target objects, free lunge in a correct frame, and—most importantly—he’s been given the agency to say no when something doesn’t feel right. That’s where the “Resting Rowdy” pose came from. For him, it isn’t just a stance—it’s a safe space, a reset button, a way to return to the present moment and breathe again. Watching him reminded me that rest is as sacred as work, for both horse and human. In the past, I was taught to focus on the physical, rarely pausing to consider the horse’s mental and emotional world. Rowdy shattered that for me. What began as a plan to help build his topline after a kissing spine diagnosis turned into something much bigger: a lesson in empathy, patience, and trust. He showed me how deeply horses reflect our emotions, how brilliantly they learn when given the chance, and how healing true partnership can be. In less than a year, Rowdy rekindled something in me I thought was gone. He rebuilt my confidence, reminded me of my love for this work, and prepared me to take the leap toward helping another horse someday. Though his person has since moved, and he is now with her on their next adventure, Rowdy will always remain one of those once-in-a-lifetime horses—the kind that change the course of your story in ways you never see coming."
