A horse, of course!

I was going through my closet today, and I came across a box of old books - one of which was my favorite as a little girl.  The book?  Walter Farley's The Black Stallion, which is inspired loosely on the story of Alexander the Great and his horse, Bucephalus.  For those unfamiliar, the Black Stallion is about a boy (Alec), and a wild Arabian stallion who become stranded together on a deserted island.  They eventually become friends, and at one point the boy rides across the island's beach at full gallop (no saddle or bridle, mind you) with his arms held out to his sides like wings.

Now, I've loved horses since the very first day I laid eyes on one as a young child, and when I turned eight, my parents bought me my first horse.  Well, one day I decided to try that stunt from the story, and fell off... resulting in a broken arm.  Though it scared the daylights out of my mother, it didn't stop me from getting right back on.  Riding was just too much fun, and I loved my horse more than anything.

This drawing is inspired by that love of freedom, power and beauty that every little girl dreams of.