The best in show: My top 5 favorite horse designs

Hey there! I’m back with another fun best in show post! In my previous posts, I highlighted and ranked some of my favorite dog and cat designs. If you haven’t done so already, I suggest you go back and read through those as soon as you’re finished with this one. I think that you’ll be impressed. For this post, we’ll be sticking with four-legged creatures who stand a bit higher off the ground and are best known for their speed, grace, intelligence and beauty. 

That’s right, while I was looking around the site, I noticed that we had more than a few horse (and unicorn) designs that are just begging to be shown off. And that’s just what I decided to do. As always, I based my ranking of these designs according to several factors, including the use of colors, imagination and detail. 

With that being said, let’s start trotting through these vibrant designs together!

5. UNICORN GARDENS

Designed by Big Vision Publishing

If you can’t find peace and harmony in Big Vision Publishing’s Unicorn Gardens, you won’t find it anywhere! I don’t even want to know how much time was spent on the background and flowers alone, but I can say that it was definitely worth it, as all elements featured in here really help to bring this design to life. And don’t even get me started on the colors. It may just be me, but doesn’t this remind you of The Wizard of Oz, with its colors and terrain? I don’t know, but that’s what it makes me think about. All things considered, it’s hard to get lost in this beautiful work of art!

4. NECROMANCER NO TIME TO SLEEP

Designed by Petri K

I will admit that I was a bit hesitant about putting this dark design from Petri K on my list. But, after a few closer looks and further consideration, I think it would have been a mistake not to have it in here somewhere. Sometimes the most beautiful things can be found in the darkest places. I guess you can call this one a dark horse, both literally and figuratively. I think my favorite part has to be the skull and horns on the horse, coupled with those blazing purple eyes. It’s menacing, yet kind of beautiful at the same time. It reminds me of an evil version of a unicorn. 

Overall, Petri K’s Necromance No Time to Sleep design is cool and features all of those key elements that we spoke about earlier. It has style, good colors, and imagination all rolled into one. Petri K even says in their bio, “My main passions are fantasy and sci-fi genres, though I usually find my self working on dark/high fantasy paintings.” I’d say that they nailed it with this one!

3. DARE TO DREAM

Designed by Kari-Ann Anderson

This isn’t the first time Kari-Ann Anderson’s work has been featured in a Best in Show post, and it probably won’t be the last time either. Kari-Ann actually began her career as a wildlife artist and it definitely shows, not only in this sweet Dare to Dream design, but in all of her work. I love the little details that come out in the hair and the horn as well. Specifically, I like the shadowing and the use of texture that appear in both of those elements. It’s even to the point where the whole thing looks more like a real-life photo. Colors, structure and perspective are key to bringing any art to life, and nobody understands that better than Keri-Ann Anderson. This is beautifully done!

2. PAINTED HORSE

Designed by Alena Lazareva

Now, this is definitely a horse of a different color and one that I’m proud to have in my #2 spot! Alena Lazareva never ceases to impress me with her work. Each design seems to check all of the boxes when it comes to colors, style and detail, which as I mentioned in the intro, is exactly what I’m looking for when ranking these arts. In fact, it was a close race (a photo finish, so to speak) between this Painted Horse and the design that I have at #1. It could’ve gone either way. 2nd place isn’t bad though, especially in this crowded field of great designs! 

1. KNIGHT OF THE NEW WORLD 

Designed by Evocative Experiments

Talk about hot to trot, huh? Let me begin by saying that I LOVE this design from Evocative Experiments! I think I’m most impressed with how they present the horse as more of a mechanical being (or machine) that’s been built with gears and other moving parts, which essentially makes up its anatomy. I know that I’ve said this before in other posts, but I’m going to say it again because it is so true and essential to how I rank my picks. This is one of those designs that features so many great, little details that force you to take a close look at it. In doing so, you notice something that you didn’t notice the first time. 

Again, I search for arts that are different and sort of out of the box. And that’s just what Evocative Experiments has accomplished with their Knight of the New World design. Simply put, this design is awesome to look at! Each time I come across it on the site, I can’t help but stop and do a double-take. And that’s why it lands at my #1 spot on this list!

I must say, ranking these particular designs was hard. Don’t get me wrong, ranking all of the designs featured in this best in show series is a challenge, which is really half the fun. But for this showing, It was double tough for me to pick only five and rank them to boot. 

Just like the other Best in Show lists, I would like to get your thoughts on these designs and whether you agree or disagree with my rankings. So, be sure to leave me your list in the comments, along with any other horse designs you may have seen on our site that didn’t make this list!

Until we meet again,

Vince the Prince