Stubbs’s paintings of animals convey a feeling of grandeur and nobility, combined with a sense of exacting realism. This unidentified bay horse probably belonged to Arthur Annesley, 9th Viscount Valentia. The horse’s ears are cropped and its tail docked in accordance with contemporary fashion. Stubbs’s earlier horse portraits usually showed the animal accompanied by a groom, stable boy, jockey or owner. However, in many later works, such as this, the horse is shown in solitude.