With 205 bones and 700 muscles the horse is a challenging animal for anatomy students to study. That was until champion rider Gillian Higgins came up with the novel idea of showing people how it all works. Rather than bog them down with dusty diagrams and skeletal sketches, she hit upon the idea of painting the inner workings of the horse on the horse itself.
Now veterinary students, race horse trainers, eventers, pony club members and dressage judges are flocking to her lectures to see the horse painting in action. Ms. Higgins uses water-based hypoallergenic paints which are easy to wash off afterwards. She takes four hours to apply the equine make-up painting the skeletal structure on one side and the multi-colored musculature on the other.
"Painting the skeleton and musculature on the other side of the horse really helps to bring the subject to life," she says. "You discover how to get the best of your horse by seeing exactly what happens as it moves."
Normally her models are her 12 year old eventer Freddie Fox or six year old Henry- although if she travels further from home she relies on schools and colleges to provide a horse for her. Greys are best because the colors show up more clearly. Click here to learn more.
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