Penetangore, the horse, being refurbished in Stan Kern's workshop

Penetangore, the horse, is relaxing in the workshop of her creator, Stan Kern of Kincardine, as she undergoes repairs.

The full-scale, solid-wood Arabian horse is two years older and needs some refurbishing.

"She has enjoyed the Kincardine summers and gets put into the shop for the winter months," says Kern. "The weather is hard on her coat, the hot summers and cool autumns makes her joints swell. She prefers to hang around the green grass around the shop."

During the winter, Kern plans to repair Penetangore's coat. He has had to use black caulking on her to fill in some gaps on her side and face.

"Lots of people have a look at her in the yard and I move her around so I can cut the grass."

Kern got the idea of building a full-scale horse after a trip to Ireland. When he returned home, he embarked on the lengthy process that began with a 24-inch, 3-D cardboard model, to a full-sized, one-quarter-inch plywood 3-D model, and then the full-scale, solid-wood Arabian horse.
 
Completed in March, 2016, the project took 104 hours, and 240 feet of 2X10 spruce. Kern used softwood so he could shape it with grinders and chain saws.”

Penetangore weighs 200 pounds, stands 10.5 hands high, sits on a cart. and in the summer, graces the front gate of Kern's home at the corner of Penetangore Row South and Saratoga Road.
 
“The funny part in all this,” says Kern, “is I don't know anything about horses, so I had to research everything on Google."