Horses in Snow (Transparent Watercolor)

Horses are fascinating and beautiful animals. Early humans were captivated by them, as is evident in many cave paintings. They also were a source of food. The modern horse that we are familiar with is Equus ferus caballus, which is at this point a highly domesticated species. No population of the original “wild type” horses exists. Only the endangered subspecies Przewalski’s horse of Mongolia (Equus ferus przewalskii) has never been domesticated.

Early domestic horses came from the Eurasian Steppe. Eventually they were used for pulling chariots. Most were too small to be ridden. Humans who possessed the horses pulling chariots had a huge tactical advantage over those on foot, which changed world history. Horses were an important part of the earliest Arms Race!

Continued selective breeding allowed humans to breed bigger, stronger horses. The invention of yokes eventually allowed these bigger animals to be used as draft horses. Bits and harnesses allowed humans to ride directly on the horse. This was a huge advantage on the battlefield over armies using chariots. Rider and horse were much more maneuverable. Mounted archers could ride and shoot at the same time. The conquests of the Huns, Vandals and Mongols demonstrate the advantages of mounted soldiers on the battlefield.

Although substantially smaller than the massive horses needed to carry the armored knights of the Crusades, the Arabian Horse gave a tactical advantage to the Muslims due to its great maneuverability. Years ago I read John Keegan’s book “A History of Warfare,” which includes some fascinating facts about horses and their place in world history.

This was a commissioned watercolor done as a Christmas present. Now that it has been delivered to the final recipient, I can finally post it without fear of spoiling any surprises! This painting was a bit of a departure for me. The most stressful part of the project was adding the snowflakes at the end. The painting looked fine without them, but I thought it really needed the falling snow as a finishing touch.

The smallest flakes were sprayed in with an airbrush, while the larger ones consist of white paint flicked off a toothbrush. Over the years I’ve occasionally had an airbrush spatter paint all over a painting and ruin it… and a toothbrush isn’t exactly a precise tool on a good day. After half an hour of tests, I felt confident enough to add the snow—and breathed a huge sigh of relief when everything went as planned. WHEW!