The Trail of Painted Ponies celebrates the magic of the horse as an artistic canvas, the rich culture of America, and the unique talents of independent artists. The artists behind this exquisite collection come from all different backgrounds, and the inspirational stories behind each design are as heartfelt as they are beautiful. In the past, Native Americans did not communicate through writing as we know it. Instead they told stories through pictures and symbols drawn on rocks, hides, and other surfaces with natural pigments that were mixed to produce a palette of yellow, white, red, green, black and blue. Some of these “picture writings” recorded important events of a tribe, and some had meaning only to the individual who made them. The meaning of others is no longer known, but respected for belonging to those-who-came-before.