Saddlebred Bronze - Horse Art by Patricia Crane

Saddlebred Bronze work has long been the passion of sculptor Patricia Crane. This particular work is a great favorite of the collectors of Crane's work , other than her life size bronzes, and also seems to be favored by the public in general.

A Saddlebred bronze must capture the essence of the subject with great and exacting detail, infused by the lofty grace, spirit, and constant willingness "to do" that the American Saddlebred horses possess. The Saddlebred breed is living art, so a bronze of this magical breed must portray the heart, as well as the form. The creation of a Saddlebred bronze is an accomplishment of long standing skill and pleasure by this sculptor. Life size Saddlebred bronzes are installed outside the doors of two museums in Kentucky while other larger works are privately owned and displayed. Crane has also completed many smaller Saddlebred bronze portraits, treasured by many owners and breeders. Her work is in private collections throughout many countries of the world.

Saddlebred Bronze in History

As far as Saddlebred bronze work is concerned, Patricia Crane began sculpting when she was very young and continues a decades long passion combining love of the horse with sculpting. History in general shows that artwork and Saddlebred bronze art, began even before the Saddle Horse had an offical breed registry. The "type" was in place you see, and was highly valued in the very formation of the nation. The history of the "American" Saddlebred horse kept pace with the development of the country and it is no strange step that artwork of the breed was spontaneous.

Saddlebred bronze work was very evident in the aftermath of the Civil War, as many war heroes were depicted astride their Saddlebreds! Post Civil War as breeders settled down to their favorite job of producing the best animals, artwork and bronze continued to depict the favorites of owners. As horse shows became more prevalent, Saddlebred bronze works became more prevalent too.

In today's world, the art of Saddlebred bronze is very widespread, from monumental and life size to tabletop scale. Many champions have been the subject of many a Saddlebred bronze, all around this country as well as many other countries!


When viewing the Bronze Horse Sculpture Gallery, most are of the American Saddlebred.