From the Track to the Canvas: Capturing the Motion and Majesty of Horses in Art

There is something about horses that always poses a challenge for artists. Over the years, we can see that horses were a common art subject, but the question is, why are they so popular?

Well, first of all, as we mentioned, horses pose a challenge to artists. They have a unique physique and nailing a horse in motion sounds like an impossible task. Next, horses have always carried a lot of symbolism, which is why artists used them to deliver a message.

But how difficult is it to draw a horse in motion? Well, if we have a scale from 0-10, 10 being the most difficult, we’d say that horses fall somewhere around 8.5 to 9. So, yeah, capturing the true spirit of a horse and getting all the proportions right is difficult.

Let’s look at some of the most popular horse art throughout history and talk more about how the artists made them feel so realistic.

The Pre-Race Tension

When we talk about horses, we must turn to horse racing. One of the most popular horse racing works is The Parade (1866-68), captured by Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist, which is currently housed at the Musée d’Orsay.

He decided to paint the true spirit of a horse race, which not only includes horses, but also jockeys' moments before the race.

He nailed the anatomy and proportions of both the people and the horses, and the painting perfectly captures the drama of the sport.

The Wild Race

What’s more difficult than capturing a horse in motion? Well, painting a couple of them racing together. But for the British artist Sir Alfred Munnings, this was a piece of cake as he presented his skills with the moving Up for the Start, Newmarket (circa 1940s) painting. This is a beautiful painting that uses bold oils to show a couple of Thoroughbreds lunging forward under a cloudy sky (being Britain, such a scenario is expected).

He was really good at painting horses, and he used to sketch horses on-site at British tracks. His style is instantly recognizable due to the bold oils and striking colors that still look good to this day.

Horse’s Pose

We cannot talk about horse paintings without mentioning George Stubbs’ Whistlejacket (1762). This is one of the most breathtaking horse portraits that captures a horse in motion (on its two feet), but the most impressive thing about this painting is that this is a life-sized masterpiece.

Yes, it is a huge painting, almost 3 meters tall and 2.5 meters wide, and it is currently housed at London’s National Gallery.

Considering that Stubbs was an anatomist (self-taught), it is quite understandable why he decided to capture the true physique of a horse on a huge scale.

Horse Racing Event

There is something about capturing the spirit of a horse racing event that many people who haven’t been to one wouldn’t understand. We have the perfect painting to explain this - Rosa Bonheur’s The Horse Fair (1853-55), which is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is a painting that swaps the track for the Paris horse market, with the same energetic spirit.

The most impressive thing about this painting is the motion of the horses and the coordinated chaos that all around the scene. It is like trying to see the Preakness results and payouts seconds after the race without a clear view of who finished first.

You have a couple of people on horses, one horse is running at full speed, while another one is on two feet, while people are walking their horses nearby, and the crowd is cheering. Looks like pure chaos, but that’s the true spirit of a horse racing event.

You also have the incredible attention to detail, especially in the horses’ manes and people’s clothes. This is, without a doubt, a painting that tells a story, a story about a horse racing event.

How to Capture a Horse In Motion?

Alright, let’s talk about capturing the wild, heart-pounding motion of a horse in a drawing—it’s like trying to bottle a lightning bolt, but so worth it.

Start by studying the horse’s anatomy, focusing on how muscles ripple and legs stretch in a gallop; Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 motion photos are gold for this, showing every phase of a stride.

Sketch lightly with a pencil, using loose, flowing lines to map the horse’s arc—think of the body as a wave, with the neck curving and legs flicking out.

Don’t get stuck on details early; nail the gesture first, letting the mane and tail whip for that sense of speed.

Watch race clips on YouTube to catch the blur of hooves, then exaggerate angles slightly for drama, like tilting the torso to show thrust. Charcoal or ink works great for bold, dynamic strokes, blending smudges to suggest dust or wind, pulling the viewer right into the action.

So, would you be able to do it?