ARTIST Catriona Taylor will lead art and outdoors enthusiasts on a walk up a Peeblesshire drove road on Sunday.
The free Hoof Tramp up The Glen is part of the summer-long Fetlock Deep project involving artist Catriona, dancer Claire Pencak, Jedburgh composer James Wymess, Stow photographer Dougie Johnston and the Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre in Peebles.
Catriona and Claire went to a wide range of horse events – from Hawick Common Riding to the Festival of the Horse’s competition day in St Boswells – to ask people the names of their horses and what they think their horse’s most vivid memory might be.
Catriona then screen-printed the names, drawings and some of the memories onto slates with which she set up an installation on the Drove Road above Traquair.
Retired ranger Mike Jones will co-lead the walk, talking about droving and local history.
At the horse events, Catriona and Claire also asked people to make clay models of their animals which Claire collected, forming a 400-strong herd which Mr Johnston photographed at venues such as Carter Bar, an old stable block at Chesters and Smailholm Tower where 100 horses were once stolen from the Pringle family.
The 17 images form part of the finale of the Fetlock Deep project, the free Diamonds and Hoof Oil exhibition and performances at the Eastgate on Sunday afternoon, when the herd will be placed on a map of the Borders on the floor and there will be ceilidh dancing from Fiona Henderson School of Dance performers accompanied by fiddlers and field recordings by Mr Wymess, who has arranged the music.
There will also be short talks from an equestrian vet, a representative from Riding for the Disabled, a farmer talking about the history of the horse locally and a stunt rider.
Claire said: “The project has engaged people in lots of different ways which was the whole point of it and is something that has been made from and come out of the Eastgate itself in collaboration with the artists.”