On a trip to Round Top, Texas, I discovered an oil painting of a mare, her foal, and a mischievous barn dog. Later framed by my husband, this rustic scene speaks of simplicity, care, and hope. Beyond its beauty, the painting symbolizes my own journey through infertility to motherhood, a reminder of the miracles that bring life into this world, for horses, humans, and all creatures

The Mare, the Filly, and the Dog: A Round Top Treasure

Round Top, Texas is legendary among antique lovers. Twice a year, in spring and fall, the little town transforms into one of the largest antique fairs in the country. Vendors line the highways, barns become showrooms, and treasures wait behind every dusty door and tents.

My husband and I decided to make the trip one season. Part of the joy of Round Top isn’t just the fair itself, but the little towns and roadside sellers along the way. We love to stop, stretch our legs, and poke through the unexpected finds. That’s where I saw her.

The Painting

Unframed at the time (my husband added the beautiful black frame later), it was an oil on canvas of a gray mare standing in a rustic stall with her foal. I like to think of the foal as a chestnut filly, bright-eyed and still leggy, tucked closely under her mother’s protective neck.

The mare is calm, watchful, and healthy. Her coat glows, speckled with dapples, and her tail swishes quietly in the dim light of the stable. The stall isn’t fancy, rough wood walls, a half-open door, hay scattered across the floor. But it feels safe, warm, and lived-in. And then there’s the little dog. Playful, nosy, absolutely unconcerned with boundaries, darting across the hay as though he belongs there too. It makes the whole painting feel like a captured moment of real barn life, unpolished, full of personality.

Why I Love It

What drew me in wasn’t just the horses it was the place. The stall is plain, but it speaks to care and simplicity. Horses don’t need chandeliers or polished brass. They need hay, shelter, and someone to look after them. And that’s exactly what this mare has. It reminded me of countless barns I’ve walked into over the years, humble spaces that hold the most extraordinary lives. Horses don’t ask for luxury. They just ask for fairness, for feed, for a safe place to rest. The addition of the dog makes it even better. Because anyone who’s been in a barn knows that animals don’t exist in isolation. Dogs, cats, chickens, even the birds that live in the near by trees, they weave in and out of the horses’ world, adding chaos and charm.

The Journey

Buying the piece was easy. Adding the frame later turned it from a canvas into a statement. Now it hangs on my wall as part of my collection, a reminder not just of the horses I love, but of that day in Round Top, taking the time to wandering small towns, chasing adventure with my husband, finding treasures where I least expect them.

But this painting also holds a deeper meaning for me.

I have never bred a horse. I don’t feel I know enough about it, and the anxiety of pregnancy and birth, the million things that could go wrong, keeps me from ever taking that step. And yet, this painting, with the mare and her foal, represents hope. You see, I suffered from infertility. For three long years, I felt alone, like my body had failed me. I wanted a child so badly. Yes, there were options, we even considered adoption, but in the end, we were blessed with a pregnancy. It was not an easy journey, but it was a miracle.

And that’s what this painting reminds me of: the miracle of life. Horses, humans, cats, dogs. We all exist because against impossible odds, a million things went right. For me, this image of a mother and her foal is a reminder of being a mom myself. Of hope. Of miracles.