Painting pony showcased at Blenheim Palace exhibition

A pony that uses a brush held between its teeth to paint abstract artwork has been featured at a new exhibition.

Teddy, a chestnut roan, has appeared at Blenheim Palace to showcase the importance of horses in the history of the famous Oxfordshire country house.

Charlotte Marshall, who owns Teddy, said the pony learned the skill after about 30 minutes of training as part of a university project in 2019.

It is hoped the artwork created will help raise money for animal charities.

Ms Marshall told the BBC that the 14-year-old was trained to paint by a student at Oxford Brookes University, where some of Teddy's artwork later went on display.

"As soon as Teddy's holding the brush he starts to make movements with his head - either up and down or side-to-side," she said.

"And when he's had enough he just literally drops the brush."

She added: "He paints and that's fantastic - but I'm afraid the skill level… is kind of pre-school."

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