I will add more along the way :)

If these are your first tries getting back into sketching - you are on the right track! Before I started dabbling in photo manipulation I was a traditional artist. First of all, your horse anatomy and muscling is lacking. I would recommend leaving off the coloring for the time being and really focus on proportions. I think it is beneficial to first start with shading a horse with a plain pencil and then transitioning into color. It really helps you get down the lay of the muscles! When I first began paying attention to anatomy, I would focus on a certain body part of the horse and draw it in different positions. Definitely use references when learning anatomy. Eventually, you won't have to use references anymore! Once you get basic anatomy down then the fun part of developing a style begins! When I became comfortable with anatomy, I started developing my own style. For example, I lengthened the legs and face to give my traditional art a cartoon look.

I think if you first learn anatomy and shading with a pencil, you will be able to take your art to the next level!

Good luck and if you have any questions - feel free to PM me!

WildWillow