OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2023

24 OklahomaHorses • September / October 2023 six or seven were a total loss, and one was blown off its concrete stand except for its legs, she added. Could there be a new horse stampede afoot in Shawnee? Local businesses, artists, and supporters are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to compile a list of what needs to be replaced and whether insurance might help to cover the cost. Although fiberglass has traditionally been the source of material for most man-made horses, the Shawnee storm might serve as a wake-up call. This time, Shawnee leaders are recommending that artists and contractors use cast aluminum as the basis for replacement sculptures. Other Equine Sculptures In Lindsborg, Kansas, horse lovers can view a quaint collection of Dala horses scattered across town. Corey Peterson of Hemslöjd, Inc., a Swedish gift shop in Lindsborg, isn’t worried about the stability of the Dala horses, although they are fiberglass. “They’re pretty unique and hold up,” he said. The structures are fashioned by a company that manufactures oil and water tanks for oil fields. The 30 Dala horses in Lindsborg stand five feet tall. The colorful statues pay tribute to the town’s Swedish heritage and resemble the wooden toy horses that loggers and miners whittled for children in the 1800s. Life-sized fiberglass horses can be found in many places. One stands at the southeast corner of Pine Street and Rosedale Avenue in Tulsa. Although it’s not dressed or painted to the nines, it’s meant to draw attention to a nearby smoke shop. This fiberglass horse triumphantly survived the Shawnee tornado of April 19, 2023. Photo courtesy of the City of Shawnee Department of Tourism. This black fiberglass horse has found a new home at Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee. Photo by Andrea Chancellor.