The Grass is Always Greener

Mr P is a Quarter Horse gelding born in Feilding, New Zealand in December of 2003.

Before discovering his passion for art, Mr P enjoyed a successful competitive career as a Western performance horse, including qualifying for the AQHA World Show, earning numerous high-point trophies and capping his career with victories in his final two classes.

Alongside this, he led a balanced and relaxed life, spending much of his youth trail riding through the scenic New Zealand countryside with his long-time companion and guardian, Jacqui Hardy. Jacqui has been part of Mr P's life since he was three and a half years old, and for nearly two decades, there has rarely been a day they were not together.

From the moment they met, Jacqui made a commitment to prioritise Mr P's happiness and wellbeing. This promise is reflected in the consistent care and enriching home life he has enjoyed, including expansive paddocks and the companionship of other horses.

In 2019, Mr P retired from ridden work due to arthritis. Rather than an ending, this marked a gentle transition into new forms of enrichment, creativity, and connection, guided and supported by his liberty trainer and friend, Ramona Berndt. He continues to live an active and fulfilling life through daily movement-based activities such as line dancing and Pony Pilates (liberty-based strength and mobility sessions), long walks, and strong social bonds with both horses and humans.

Mr P's artistic practice centres on abstract painting, a skill he learned through positive reinforcement, treat-based training. He paints freely, always unrestrained and able to disengage at any time. His ongoing, voluntary participation reflects his genuine enthusiasm for the process, he consistently approaches the easel as soon as it is set up, ready to create.

Through art, movement, and connection, Mr P embodies a life shaped by care, choice, and joyful expression.