MANELY ART.

Fleet of foot, noble in stature, both helpmate and playmate to man, the horse for eons has been an object of fascination for artists. Prehistoric illustrators limned equine figures on the walls of caves at Lascaux, Leonardo da Vinci sketched horses and 20th-century artists as diverse as Franz Marc and Susan Rothenberg have found them of abiding interest. For many collectors, however, it is equine sporting art dating from the early 18th century to the present that is of special appeal. William Secord, president of the eponymous New York City gallery, feels the market for equine sporting art may be ready for the fast track. Last year, Secord a specialist in canine art, hopped into the paddock, figuratively speaking and held his first exhibition of horse paintings.