A penil and wash darwing of a horse eating hay. This is one of a series of eight drawings of horses made by Gilpin and issued by him as etchings in 1760-61. The title is taken from the published print. Gilpin, who specialised in animal portraits, was encouraged to draw horses by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, and these drawings may have been among those drawn at the Duke's stud at Newmarket and Windsor from 1758, They were certainly in the collection of George III and are recorded in the manuscript 'Inventory B' of that monarch's collection: 'Gilpin's Horses. 8 drawings with the prints engraved from them, oblong quarto'.