Tina's Carousel Bio

Horses! Horses! Horses! From the first time I picked up a crayon to color, I started drawing horse shapes.  I was obsessed with horses, and it was my great fortune to be born into a famous equestrian circus family.  This gave me an early hands-on immersion into the world of horses.  I spent more time with the horses than anyplace else.  Growing up in such a visually fertile environment my childhood was also influenced by a variety of menagerie animals. In addition to my animal friends, a group of antique circus wagons decked out with rococo-style carvings in gold and silver leaf were an everyday sight in the landscape of my youth.

In my 30’s (during the 70's) I was living in New York City.  I began to long for the animals and carvings that were once a part of my childhood, so I decided to look for a carousel horse to fill that void.  I thought it would take months to find one, but within a week I found a figure in an antique shop that needed lots of repair.  It was stripped of paint and had no saddle.  The antique dealer called it a funny looking horse, but I knew it was a zebra. Later that month, I found an outside row Dentzel stander in old paint.  Those figures were the beginning of a 20 year chapter in my life restoring, painting, collecting and selling carousel art.

Through my 30’s and 40’s I restored lots of carousel figures for my own collection and for others.  I did lectures and demonstrations on my methods of painting and restoring, and helped to promote existing carousels and educate the public about carousel art. Some of my figures are featured in the book “Painted Ponies” by William Manns & Marianne Stevens, and a rare PTC wolf I once owned & restored was featured in the book “Carousel Animals, Artistry in Motion” by Tobin Fraley. 

In my early 50’s I devoted myself totally to the training and breeding of my Andalusian & Lusitano horses. It was during that time that I sold my carousel collection to pursue classical horsemanship.  I loved working with my living horses, but still missed the carousel figures.  In Jan. 2020 I brought carousel horses back into my life! I am now enjoying both my passions, that of riding & training my wonderful Iberian horses, and that of infusing life back into the beautiful carousel carvings that come my way.  I look forward to sharing this carousel journey with you!  To learn more about me, check out my Facebook pages: Tina Cristiani Veder, Ethereal Equestrian, Baroque Equestrian Games, and Carousel Showcase