Pratt Draws On Equestrian Inspiration

If you found yourself wandering the grounds of Pratt Institute's Clinton Hill campus Wednesday, chances are you saw some four-legged creatures that looked a tad out of place. 

Two horses took over the lawn behind the Pratt Library from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., giving students and community members the chance to admire and draw from the graceful beauties. 

The long-standing Pratt tradition brought the horses from Fair Hill Farm in Pennsylvania to campus "so that the Institute’s city-bound art students could sketch [their] movements and gestures," the school noted on its website.

"Photography professor Sarah van Ouwerkerk, who organizes the annual event, believes that—for all disciplines—drawing a cantering horse creates a different learning experience than depicting a still model," the site noted. 

The pair took a break around 2 p.m. to eat, drink and escape the sun, but the school's equine enthusiasts were not to be turned away, as many students took the opportunity to feed and get an up-close look at the horses. 

"Stopping by to speak to students and admire the horses, President Schutte attended this event which has become a Pratt tradition since the mid-1990s."