Carriage Horses (detail) – coloured pencil, one of a number of studies I made of carriage horses at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

The horse has appealed to artists throughout history.

Two paintings that fascinated me as a child, long before horses came into my life, were Horse Frightened by Lightening, by Theodore Gericault, in the National Gallery London, and Lion Attacking a Horse, by George Stubbs in the Tate Gallery. Neither particularly nice for the horse! But both with a sense of drama.

(left) Horse frightened by lightning, Theodore Gericault, the National Gallery, London. (right) Horse attacked by a Lion. Enamel on copper, George Stubbs. the Tate Gallery, London

• According to the Tate Gallery George Stubbs, perhaps most famous for his studies of horses, was obsessed with the theme of a lion attacking a horse and made at least seventeen works on it. Mostly oils on canvas. In preparation he made first-hand drawings of the lions then kept caged at the Tower of London. The theme was said to have been inspired by a scene he reportedly witnessed in North Africa during his return by sea from Italy. To have observed such an dramatic event which could well have made a significant impact on this lover of horses.

I now enjoy looking at the many sketchbook studies of horses made by Leonardo Da Vinci (below).

There is a wonderful energetic painting by the French female artist, Rosa Bonheur called The Horse Fair. I recently discovered a delightful preparatory drawing for part of it (below).