Of all man's fellow-creatures, the horse, with its inherent gracefulness, intelligence, speed, resilience and courage, has inspired the strongest feelings of empathy -- an affinity reflected in more than 30,000 years of artistic representation in both East and West. This stunningly illustrated history of the horse in art documents the creative journey from prehistoric cave painting to the war horses of Uccello, the thoroughbred portraits of Stubbs, the enigmatic prints of Elisabeth Frink and beyond. It explores the role of the horse in Eastern imagery and as the subject of myth and legend; as a symbol of power and an ally in war; as the subject of anatomical scrutiny and the Romantic embodiment of human feeling; and as the emblem of sporting pleasures and prowess. The book sheds particular light on man's relationship with the horse, and on the story of equine evolution from the stocky primitive to today's thoroughbred.

Tamsin Pickeral is a writer specializing in both art and horsemanship. Her books include The Horse Owner's Bible (forthcoming), Turner, Whistler, Monet (2005), Charles Rennie Mackintosh (2005) and The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (2001).