This popular sculpture was initially installed as part of a 2008 festival focusing on vacant homes available to purchase in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. The annual event, sponsored by Southeast Neighborhood Development, was called Fab for Less and featured rehabbed homes decorated by professional designers using a limited budget. The 2008 festival focused on nearby New Jersey St.

“The Horse” refers to the early history of the community: Madison Ave. was the main stagecoach route to the Ohio River in the 1820s, and New Jersey St. had a lot of stables. The artist was Marti LaMar, who at the time lived in the neighborhood.