Daniel Boone's Horse

Wander south from the parking lot in Lower Arroyo Park along the east side of the wash, and you'll soon come across this equine sculpture leaning against a tree. In the couple of years I've been traipsing about the Arroyo the sculpture has evolved: a stick here, a bit of bark there. But it's the same horse I've come to know.



You may remember Dave Thomson. In the early days of this blog, Dave sent me a couple of pictures that ended up as posts: Bad Stunt Weather and It Was Something Special. Both were photos I could never have gotten because I don't have a decent telephoto lens and because Dave's a good photographer. Here's another photo from Dave I could never have gotten, this time because it was taken before I discovered the Arroyo.

Dave's words about this photo:

"I would say that was taken at least 3 years ago. Remarkable the hoss has hung in there so long."



Well, yes and no.



The only things the same on this horse, as far as I can see, are the right hind leg and a stick that goes across its left side horizontally. The rest I can't be sure about. I don't know who created the original sculpture (it reminds me of Deborah Butterfield's work), but it's a communal artwork now. The denizens of the Arroyo keep it together, one stick at a time.



I think next time I'm down there I'll relieve its belly of a stick or two. Poor thing has put on so much weight it can hardly stand up.