The most common way that Nissho composed and painted a horse was from its left side. He used a painting knife to carefully reproduce the intricate patterns of the horse’s coat hair and even large blood vessels. Can you see where the hair has been worn away slightly on the belly and the shoulder of the front leg? These spots are the signs of a draft horse that has worn a harness for many years to pull a plow or a sleigh. This painting was commissioned by the Kita-Shikaoi Shrine, whose parishioners were represented by Nissho’s stepfather, and it was offered in prayer on a votive tablet. Families developing new farmland in Hokkaido relied heavily on horses, sharing both good times and bad with them. From this painting we can understand how deeply a horse was appreciated.