In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Horse in 5 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Horse.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Horse - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Start with a crooked "U" shaped head. At the very bottom of the "U" add a small line to make the lower jaw. Add a short curved line halfway up the bottom line to make the round cheek.
Step 2: Just above the mouth line add a small nose. At the top of the snout draw a tiny eye. There are two pointy ears at the end of the top head line.
Step 3: Draw a long line for the back. There is a curvedown, then slightly up and down again at the rump. Add another line to this line just behind the ears to make the mane line. Under the jaw line draw a straight line down on a diagonal to make the long neck.
Step 4: Continue the back line down into the hind leg. The hind leg is slightly wider at the top and narrows toward the hoof. Draw the front of the hind leg line back up and across to make the belly line. Curve the belly line down and across to the front leg. The front leg is the same length and width as the back leg. The front part of the front leg comes up and joins the neck line. Don't forget the black hooves at the bottom of both legs.
Step 5: At the top of the rump draw the long hairy tail almost to the bottom of the hooves. Draw another hind leg just in front of the first hind leg. Finally, add the bottom of the other front leg just behind the first front leg.
Interesting Facts about Horses
The very first family of horses, called Equidae, roamed the earth over 50 million years ago. Zebras and donkeys are cousins to horses.
Back then, horses were about the size of a dog! They even had hoofed-toes with pads underneath, much like a dog does.
For over a thousand years, horses and humans have interacted with one another in many ways. Horses were first used by humans during wars, for riding and pulling various vehicles, such as chariots and wagons.
Today, horses are used around the world as work-horses, in competitive sports, for therapeutic purposes and they are enjoyed simply for fun and leisure.
Did you know?
- The eyes of horses are the largest of all land mammals, with excellent vision, both during the day and at night.
- Horses can focus both eyes on one object, or focus each eye on a different object.
- An average horse can gallop at about 30 miles per hour, while the world record for a short sprint gallop is 55 miles per hour.
- Horses are quite intelligent and with training, are able to learn and follow commands, and group and compare objects. Some horses have even learned how to count as many as four objects!
- Horses can sleep while standing or lying down, yet unlike humans, they only need about two and a half hours of sleep a day.
- Horsehair from the mane and tail is used to make brushes, musical instrument bows, furniture upholstery, horsehair fabric and horse plaster.
- There are over 300 breeds of horses and three general categories of horse breeds. “Hot-bloods, “cold-bloods” and “warm-bloods.” “Hot-bloods,” are fast with high endurance and can often be very spirited. “Cold-bloods” are built for heavy, slow work. “Warm-bloods” are a cross-breed of the hot and cold-bloods and are used for specific types of riding.
- For the first year of its life, a horse is called a foal. Fillies are young female horses. Colts are young male horses. An adult male horse is a stallion. An adult female horse is a mare.
- Horses can sleep while standing. After a while, humans get tired of standing all day, but not horses. They spend most of their time standing upright. Horses lay down for less than an hour a day.
- They have a strong sense of smell. They have a wide range of sight because their eyes are located on the sides of their heads. Their ears can move back and forth, which makes their hearing keen.
- Horses are herbivores, and that means they do not eat meat. They feed on grass and other kinds of vegetation. They sometimes drink almost 10 gallons of water everyday.
- Tails keep horses’ backsides warm. They are also used to swat away flies and other insects.
- A horse’s heart weighs 9 pounds.
- A horse’s foot is called a hoof. It is made up of the same material as our fingernails.
- A horse can run between 35 to 40 miles per hour. Racehorses can run between 40 to 45 miles per hour.
Horses are very social animals. They enjoy being in groups with other horses and getting caring attention from people. When stabled horses don’t get to visit with other horses or have good human companionship, they can become very sad or angry – just like people!
How to Draw A Horse – Quick Step-by-Step Tutorial