The Tin Horse ‘Highway’ is not actually a highway, but rather, Lake Grace Road – a 15-kilometre stretch of sealed road in Western Australia’s wheatbelt that heads east from the town of Kulin out to the location of the Kulin Bush Races Track at Jilakin Rock.
The small town of Kulin is 280 kilometres east of Perth, just a short detour south of the most direct route to Hyden and well-visited Wave Rock.
The town is a thrivng agricultural centre with a population of around 350 people, with wheat and sheep farming as the main activities, and it was once best known for its horse races: the weekend-long Kulin Bush Races held in October every year.
A hoofing good marketing plan
In the 1990s, when Kulin Shire Council thought the races could use some promotion to draw more visitors to town, local farmers and residents took it up themselves to start their own community marketing campaign. Why not erect some wacky horses made of scrap and give those passing by a laugh, and even a reason to stop and take photos?
One tin horse appeared without too much fanfare on the side of the road, and from there, the horsing around caught on like wildfire.
Sooner than you can say Phar Lap, the main road out to the race track was busy with tin horses made out of scrap metal, spare parts, and well, anything that was hanging around the farm really.
Ever since that first horse went on display, the roadside paddocks in Kulin have become a living, galloping gallery of bright, quirky community creations, and the tin horses are as much of a drawcard as the races they originally promoted. Now, the Tin Horse Highway has become one of Western Australia’s most popular and unique self-drive tourist attractions.
The horsey ‘highway’ provides a seriously entertaining drive and a fun alternative route through to Hyden and Wave Rock. The hilarious horse characters are made of everything from corrugated iron, to 44 gallon drums, tin cans, farm equipment, old toilets and other bits and pieces from the scrap heap. With a little bit of paint, and a whole lot of equestrian-fuelled imagination, they became amusing, larger-than-life sculptures.
Farmers with a sense of humour raise the bar
Some have signage that would cure any long face. Witty puns abound: there’s ‘Fillypoosis’ – a play on the tennis player Mark Philippoussis, and Usain Colt –Usain Bolt’s equine relation.
There’s horses doing handstands, playing bagpipes and one cheeky creation reading ‘Playhorse’ while sitting on the loo. There’s a seahorse, a horse and stage coach, and horse speeding through the paddocks in its boat.
Every horse has a story behind it, including some local legends.
Stop along the way to truly enjoy the details, creativity, humour and ingenuity behind each sculpture – selfies with these horsey creations are definitely a must. With close to 100 horsey artworks in town and on the highway, there’s plenty to see!
The horses are now there year-round, but new ones will occasionally be seen unexpectedly popping up on the roadside. These new tin horses are constructed in great secrecy, between farmers who have developed a friendly rivalry with fellow tin horse creators. When new additions pop up, they are often larger, more colourful and cheekier than the last.
On the western side of town, you will find the biggest tin horse in the region: the ‘West Kulin Whoppa.’ This tin horse is a reflection of many years of friendly competition between East and West Kulin farmers.
A boon for tourism and town growth
The region is also now known for having the largest waterslide parks in WA outside of Perth (re-opening in November 2025), as well as Blazing Swan, a Burning Man-style festival held at nearby Jilakin Lake.
The tourism that these events, as well as the Bush Races and the Tin Horse Highway, bring to the town has been a great boon to the area, encouraging more people to experience the country life, hospitality and unique experiences on offer.
You never know what you might see the next time you drive the Tin Horse Highway.
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