Ponies become living art in equine show near Totnes

Horse lovers in Torbay are being offered a unique chance to see anatomy come to life – painted directly onto live ponies.

The demonstration, Painted with Purpose: The Skeleton Key to Best Horse Care, will take place at the Coombe Park Education and Equestrian Centre near Totnes on the evening of 26 June.

Equine anatomy expert Gillian Higgins will lead the event, using water-based, non-toxic paint to illustrate the bones, muscles and ligaments beneath each pony’s skin. As the animals move, she explains how their bodies work – from posture and movement to areas of strain or imbalance.

Ms Higgins, a lifelong horse lover and former competitor in eventing, dressage and show jumping, founded Horses Inside Out in 2006. The award-winning organisation teaches owners, trainers and vets how to better understand horses and improve their wellbeing through science-led care.

As a massage therapist early in her career, Ms Higgins felt the best way for clients to understand their horses was to create, on top of their skin, a visual image of what lay beneath. Painting horses ‘inside out’ soon became her signature.

She now offers educational courses, workshops, and specialist training programmes worldwide and is a highly respected speaker, author, and educator.

The event at Coombe Park will focus on posture, Pilates and pole work, with in-hand exercises designed to improve comfort and performance.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, which is hosting the evening, said it was “delighted” to welcome Ms Higgins to Devon. As her organisation is based in Leicestershire, this is a rare opportunity for audiences in the South West to see her work in person.

Proceeds will support the charity’s efforts to rescue and rehabilitate ponies, as well as fund education and therapeutic outreach programmes in the community.