Although there is a historical relationship between horses and law enforcement -- think Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Texas Rangers -- the partnership today is limited primarily to search and rescue missions and crowd control. Nevertheless, out of respect for tradition, the creative team of Dwayne and Ginger Ulibarri has created a "poster mount," smartly tacking up their Pony in an officer's uniform with badge and belt, black boots, campaign hat, handcuffs (in his mouth), shades, and the classic imperturbable expression that makes you wonder if he has eyes in the back of his head.

After distinguishing himself in the field of graphic design in Colorado, Bob established a name for himself in the fine art field with a signature style that borders on the abstract, yet reflects a true image. "I look at animals and try to strategically place color and design elements that help define their anatomy in a different way." His painting are part of permanent museum collections in Poland, Finland, Germany and Japan, and were displayed in special shows at the White House and Smithsonian Institution.

Natasha's travels abroad and around the Southwest have fueled her love for interpreting the "magical landscapes" she has witnessed. A dawn seen through mists hovering over the Rio Grande River that flows through a bird sanctuary in southern New Mexico inspired this work of art. Natasha used color, contrast, and countless glazes to create a sensational work of equine art. Whether she is painting on a canvas or a Pony, this artist has a unique ability to create a spiritual luminescence that invites the viewer to enter a meditative space that seems to live inside her art.

The unity and harmony of the feminine spirit resound in the vibrant art of California-raised Patricia Wyatt. As with her paintings, her Pony tells a story that speaks to the timeless themes of companionship and the collective power, wisdom and beauty of women around the world. Animals and lush flowering plants surround the figures on the artist's Pony, emblems of the natural world that pay tribute to the Earth, whose mysterious power awakens us all to life and connects all things.

This work of radiant and unusual beauty was created by a New Mexico artist nationally known for using the floral form as a means for exploring the relationships of color and value in painting. Riotous displays of multi-hued roses in bud and bloom, with not a single flower repeated, sprout from earthen hooves and thorny branch covered legs. "I dubbed her Rosie," says Marianne, "and as she departed her first stable on a warm day in May, three real rose bushes by my studio door bloomed more profusely than any past spring."

It was not solely for his grand vision - combining imagery of the early Spanish explorers who brought the horese to America five centuries ago, with representations of the Native tribes whose culture was radically changed by the horse - that this former fashion photographer turned pop artist received the award for the most ambitious Pony. To give his artwork monumental impact, George Monfils cover it with over a million and a half tiny Indian seed beads, applied one at a time! So impressive was the outcome, which took the artist over 1,400 hours to complete, that it was nominated for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Many of the Painted Ponies carry messages or themes, and this is one for our time. It was inspired by a poem Kathy wrote after the events of September 11: "I will not forget those who sacrificed on the altar of freedom. Precious freedom, give me wings to soar beyond my dreams and touch the stars." As a child of the Southwest, the artist was raised on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation, where her father trained Indian police forces.

This tribute to the Dutch master, which combines two of his most recognizable paintings with a humorous rendition of his facial appearance, complete with a missing ear, was created by the sculptor who designed the actual horse forms used in The Trail of Painted Ponies art project. As talented at painting as she is at sculpting, Star, who also breeds horses on her New Mexico ranch, knows her horses, and playfully named this piece after the famous racehorse, Go Man Go.

A former fashion designer from New York City, Nevena wanted to create a horse that reflected the style and costumes worn by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers - '30s and '40s cowboy retro, in other words. It's no mistake that her Pony looks as if it is fashioned and tooled leather, with a vintage saddle cinched on its back. Nevena now lives in El Paso and runs Rocketbuster Boot Company, where some of the wildest cowboy boots you will ever see are handmade.

Nancy, who has a Fine Arts Degree from the Kansas City Art Institute, is known as a collage artist who artfully incorporates found object into her artwork, usually in some sort of repeating pattern. "I can't throw out junk mail without first removing the cancelled stamps," she says, by way of explaining how she came to cover her original full-sized horse and base with 77,000 iridescent and multi-colored sequins.

Experimenting with the design and dimensionality of an actual quarter, and the sculptural form of the horse breed that goes by the same name, this former Art Director for a national magazine found the coin's features lent themselves to the existing contours of the horse. "I particularly like how the eagle's wings flower into the horse's mane and tail," Kathy says. "By focusing on the eagle and selected words of a quarter, it also offers an opportunity to reflect an additional theme of national allegiance." A silver finish, appearing "aged" for contrast, gives the appearance of the horse a feeling of having been crafted from metal.

There are personal reasons why this artist prefers to be known by the moniker, Mister E. They are suggested in the poem he provided in place of a biography: "Adopted here, adopted there. So many names, not one my own. A father a day, not one there to stay." Though his identity remains a "mystery," his talent is evident and extraordinary, from award-winning oil portraits to comic book illustrations, with this tribute to Carousel Horses, this emerging artist is making a new name for himself.