This great picture, Cleveland Bays, by John Herring Snr, perfectly captures the spirit and personality of the Bay horse. I took this image at the NGV where the description discusses the strength and vigour of the central figure and continues as follows:
Although untethered, it stands still, demonstrating great discipline,
a quality much admired in a working horse.
My characters often have ‘perfectly matched Bays’ harnessed to their curricles, and particularly prize these horses for their strength and spirit, so I was very pleased to find an artist who had captured the astonishing beauty of these animals.
I also love the Irish Wolfhound, patiently waiting for the horse to move.