Metro: The horse that saved his own life by painting

He was once a champion racehorse, but it looked as though ill health would soon mean the end for Metro. Then his artist owner, Ron, had an unusual idea.

It's said that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. So when Ron Krajewski first introduced his horse, Metro, to an easel there was no guarantee he would paint.

After all, this horse had been struggling with health problems since he was adopted by Ron and his wife in 2009. Metro had once been a successful racehorse - as Metro Meteor, he won eight races and $300,000 (£234,000) prize money at the prestigious Belmont Stakes. However, he was retired by his stable after bone chips in his knees caused permanent damage.

"We were looking for a horse Wendy could ride and were probably quite naive," Ron says. "We soon discovered Metro had worse race injuries than we had bargained for," Ron says.

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He had noticed that his spirited horse liked to bob his head to get attention and pick things up in his mouth. A professional artist himself, Ron wondered if he could convince Metro to hold a paintbrush.


Much more: (includes video) http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39628629#






Metro tackles the canvas assisted by Ron. He paints from left to right



Ron sometimes set up an easel for Metro to paint outside