Robert Pile, who was responsible for the Alton Barnes white horse also produced this one about 1785. It is cut into the western slope of Pewsey Hill, looking over the Vale. The first horse, reputedly with a rider was almost entirely lost from view. It was superseded in 1937 by the most detailed and beautifully proportioned horse in the county, designed by George Marples and cut by members of the Pewsey Fire Brigade.

The horse was commissioned by the village committee organizing celebrations for the coronation of King George VI. It is close to the site of the original, about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the town at a steep incline in the minor road to Everleigh. It is 66 feet (20 metres) long by 45 feet (14 metres) high. Just east of Pewsey Hill is the Giants Grave long barrow.