The five subjects of the Frieze of the Small Horses all face right, i.e. towards the entrance to the Axial Gallery. They are of modest size, 75 cm long by 44 cm tall. For some of the animals, the very fine grain of the rock has allowed the artist to lay down relatively fine lines, for example for the tails.
The first horse, starting from the right, is unfinished. Its very sketchy shape stands in contrast with the other animals in the group. The yellow form enclosed by black shows the contours of the head, neck, back, hindquarters and tail.
The second horse displays all of the standard graphic elements associated with horses, except for hooves, and despite the thickening of the contours of the hindquarters. The outline of the third horse has a full set of anatomical elements, despite a certain simplification of the details (ears, tip of the nose, chin, etc.). The presence of a thickened mane, limbs and tail are not, however, enough to allow us to attribute a certain massiveness to this animal. This perception is offset by an undulating and slender rendering of the body, an effect that is heightened by a subtle motion that is sufficient to remove any ambiguity.
The fourth horse has a more conventional shape with, among other things, a pronounced convexity in the line of the belly. The fifth and final horse is a complete figure, and fairly meticulously painted despite a rough-grained surface.