There’s something about a horse.
No matter where you’re from, when you see a beautiful horse standing out in the open, running across a field, or galloping up to greet you, their mane lifting in the wind — you feel it.
Strength. Freedom. Beauty.
Take a moment and savor all the detail and design in this piece that honors both the horse and the storytelling tradition of the Navajo.
See all Lavern Barber Weavings
Horses have long been seen as symbols of power, spirit, strength, and prestige in many cultures worldwide. From my perspective, and I assume for many of you, they are also a lot of fun! In the Chinese zodiac, the Horse stands for energy, endurance, independence, and a love of wide-open spaces. For all of these reasons, horses seem to ignite a passion in most of us. Those born under that sign are said to be spirited, courageous, and always ready to move forward.
In the Year of the Fire Horse, as it is this year, those qualities burn even brighter. Fire adds boldness, passion, and a willingness to blaze a new trail. It’s not quiet energy — it’s the kind that stirs things up, lights the way, and pushes us toward what’s next.
Today, we are featuring some special equine-focused items that possess that beauty and energy.
In gold, we’re featuring an 18kt bracelet of running horses — graceful and powerful all at once — along with a striking reversible inlaid running horse pendant by Ben Nighthorse Campbell. One side glows with rich purple sugilite; turn it over, and you’ll find luminous white opal. Two moods, one strong spirit.
Here in the Southwest and across the Great Plains, horses changed everything after they arrived in the New World with Spanish explorers.
They reshaped trade, travel, hunting, warfare, power, and wealth. They were cherished and respected. As with many societies, owning a band of horses indicated great wealth. In many cultures, horses were often buried with their warrior owners to accompany them into the afterlife.
Dean Haungooh's original acrylic painting depicting Native American warriors on horseback is full of movement and history—the kind of piece that draws you in and keeps you there.
We have some really special bolo ties for the horse enthusiasts in our audience or in your family, including an amazing Zuni inlaid Appaloosa bolo tie.
It is a wonderful vintage inlaid Appaloosa bolo tie that carries a bit of old-school Western swagger.
Alongside it are classic silver bolo ties by Jimmy Jackson — strong, clean designs that feel right at home on the range or at a formal gathering.
We’re also proud to share an Oglala Lakota pottery piece by Randall Blaze, decorated with horses and Native figures — a work that feels grounded, storied, and deeply connected to Plains tradition. And for those who appreciate carving and ceremony, we have a Hopi katsina by Aldrick Mooya — a reminder that the horse’s spirit finds expression in many forms of Native art.
Each of these works carries a bit of that Fire Horse energy — movement, strength, and a sense of forward motion.
If horses have ever stirred something in you — or if you simply appreciate what they stand for — we’d love to have you come by the gallery or take a look online. There is a lot of good horsepower here right now.
And by the way, his book Hoof Beats: How Horses Shaped Human History (2024), by Dr. William Taylor, our dear friend at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, contends that the evolutionary ancestors of horses originated in North America approximately four million years ago! It's a fascinating book available in print and audio. I highly recommend it.
