Horse and Train was inspired by both J. M. W. Turner's 1844 painting Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway,[1] as well as a couplet excerpt from South African poet Roy Campbell's 1949 poem: Against a regiment I oppose a brain And a dark horse against an armoured train.

In 1953, Colville met Campbell at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, during a North America tour.

In March 1954, Colville created a study sheet, in which his sketches contained a notation of Campbell's poem.

[4] Horse and Train was described by Ray Cronin as being "among the most recognizable images in Canadian art",[2] and is further described by Encyclopædia Britannica as a notable example of the "meticulous and time-consuming methods" Colville was known for.

[5] The painting was used as the cover art for Bruce Cockburn's 1973 album Night Vision, and was additionally used during a scene in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 psychological horror film The Shining.