Ella Wall teaches her horse, Tuff, to paint abstracts. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

By CKOM News - Mia Holowaychuk

Unique talent

Saskatchewan girl teaches horse to create abstract paintings

Nov 25, 2023 | 5:05 PM

He’s not an old paint, but he is an artist.

Tuff, a retired race horse from Kentucky, gets excited when Saskatchewan teen Ella Wall brings out the canvas and paint.

Because of Tuff’s health issues and nervous habits, he is unable to do the same activities that most horses enjoy, Wall explained. So, when she saw a video about a horse that paints on TikTok, she said she and Tuff had to try it out for themselves.

Wall said she lets Tuff choose the colours by holding paint bottles up to his nose.

“If he touches the colour with his nose, I take that as a yes,” she said.

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She said the horse’s favourite coulours are blue and yellow, because horses can see those two colours clearly.

Wall said she squirts non-toxic paint onto a canvas, covers it with plastic and puts camelina oil – a joint supplement Tuff takes – over the plastic.

“It tastes good, apparently,” Wall said. “I’ve tried it and I don’t like it, but he likes it!”

Tuft’s tongue acts as the paintbrush, swirling the paint around to create his art.

“When I take the plastic off, there’s a nice painting under it,” Wall said.

Some of the abstract works produced by Tuff the horse. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

She sells the horse’s artworks online for up to $60, and all of the money goes back into his care, helping to pay for his pain medication and joint supplements. So far, she said the horse has crafted about three dozen paintings.

“My goal is really to just make enough money to keep him comfortable,” Wall said.

Breanna Deilschneider, the owner of Road to Serenity Farm northwest of Saskatoon where Tuff stays, said the two have an understanding of each other and share a special bond, especially when it comes to Wall’s Tourette syndrome.

“Sometimes she comes to the barn and she is unable to speak completely; it’s one of her ticks,” Deilschneider said, adding that the horse helps her get over the “stuckness” she sometimes feels.

Wall agreed the pair share a special bond, and said they are truly best friends.