Famous horses in ancient history

Horses were domesticated approximately 6, years ago &#; once their speed and power were harnessed, the world was transformed. From pulling wheeled carts, chariots and wagons to their use in herding, agriculture, communication, industry, trade and war, the increased mobility horses provided has played a key role in history.

Here are some notable horses behind some leading historical figures.

1.

Famous horses and their riders My Selection Of The Most Famous Horse Riders. Following is a list of some of the most well known and celebrated riders, their discipline and a little bit of information so you can decide who you want to find out more about. Charlotte Dujardin (Present).

Alexander the Great &#; Bucephalus

Bucephalus was Alexander the Great’s favourite stallion, described as a beast of a horse with a massive head, black coat and large white star on his brow.

Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch wrote that Alexander won the horse after making a bet with his father, King Philip II.

A horse dealer had offered Bucephalus to Philip for a high price, but as he was seen as un-tamable, he wasn’t interested. Alexander took a chance on the horse, offering to pay if he failed. Alexander realised the horse had been frightened by its shadow, and was able to subdue and tame Bucephalus.

Bucephalus accompanied Alexander through many battles, and became known for his courage and stamina, riding in completely undaunted.

When Bucephalus died from injuries sustained at the Battle of the Hydaspes in BC, Alexander founded the city of Bucephala on the spot where he died in his memory.

2.

Famous horses and their riders pictures: From Olympic gold medallists to works of art, famous horses take many guises. Here is Horse & Hound’s definitive guide to the most famous horses of all.

Roman Emperor Caligula &#; Incitatus

Incitatus was Roman Emperor Caligula’s favourite horse. According to ancient historian Suetonius, Caligula loved Incitatus so much that he gave him a marble stable, an ivory manger and a jewelled collar. Incitatus allegedly ‘invited’ dignitaries to dine with him in a house with servants.

Suetonius even claimed Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul &#; the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.

(Historian Cassius Dio recorded that servants fed Incitatus oats mixed with gold flakes, and that Caligula made Incitatus a priest).

The accuracy of these stories is questionable, as writers discredited previous emperors due to political influences or seeking additional readers.

Some suggest Caligula’s treatment of Incitatus was a prank, intended to ridicule and insult the senate.

Famous horses Rugged Lark, famous quarter horse owned by Carol Harris, in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame; Sampson, the tallest horse ever recorded; a Shire; stood hands ( inches; cm) high; Spanker was a 17th-century sire of many important horses. Thunder, Red Ryder's horse; Traveler, mascot of the University of Southern California.

While Caligula was certainly fond of Incitatus, it’s unlikely Incitatus was actually made a consul.

While Braveheart isn't known for its historical accuracy - there is one surprising fact it gets dramatically wrong. In the medieval period, the large foreboding horses often depicted riding into battle, were actually no bigger than a modern-day pony.

This week Cat is joined by Oliver Creighton and Alan Outram from the University of Exeter to discuss their new, fascinating findings into this topic. Working alongside other research teams, they have been able to extract and analyse DNA from horse skeletons at over different archaeological sites to shine new light on medieval warhorses.

Listen Now

3.

Napoleon Bonaparte &#; Marengo

Marengo belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, named after the Battle of Marengo between France and Austria, during which he had carried Napoleon to safety.

Although small at hands (57 inches, cm), Marengo was seen as reliable, steady, and courageous, and was capable of riding up to 80 miles in 5 hours.

He also carried Napoleon from Paris to Moscow in &#; a 3,mile trip.

Marengo was wounded eight times having accompanied Napoleon during many battles, including Austerlitz and the Battle of Waterloo in During Waterloo, he was captured by English nobleman William Petre and sold to Lieutenant-Colonel Angerstein of the Grenadier Guards. He died aged 38, and his skeleton is on display at the National Army Museum, London.

4.

The Duke of Wellington – Copenhagen

Copenhagen was born in , of mixed Thoroughbred and Arabian heritage. Named after the British victory at the Second Battle of Copenhagen, he’d briefly been a race horse before being sent to Spain and then sold to Lord Wellesly, the Duke of Wellington in

Copenhagen became the Duke’s favourite horse, having accompanied him on his hazardous ride to Wavre to liaise with Marshall Blücher.

Most famously he accompanied the Duke during the Battle of Waterloo where Napoleon was defeated, carrying the Duke for 17 hours straight. Copenhagen continued to be Wellington’s main horse during the occupation of France and the horse he rode in ceremonial events after the Battle of Waterloo.

After this, he was retired and died in &#; allegedly from over-indulging in sweet treats, but more likely from old age.

The Duke oversaw Copenhagen’s burial but when asked by a museum to donate Copenhagen’s skeleton for display alongside Napoleon’s Marengo, he refused, pretending not to know the burial site.

Dan Snow's History Hit is revisiting its very first episode, on the Battle of Waterloo with Dan's dad, veteran broadcaster Peter Snow.

Listen Now

5.

Famous horses and their riders pictures

Famous horses and their riders for sale

Famous horses and their riders song

Simón Bolívar &#; Palomo

Palomo accompanied Simón Bolívar, known as the ‘Liberator of Latin America’, during most of his campaigns. Palomo was white-grey and tall with a long tail, and been gifted to Bolívar ahead of the Battle of Boyacá in

Allegedly, when Bolívar approached the town of Santa Rosa in (on his way to Tunja) his exhausted horse refused to move any further.

He asked a guide to take the horse and lead him into town. The guide didn’t know who Bolívar was, but told Bolívar about his wife Casilda&#;s dreams, including one where she gave a new-born colt to a famous general as a gift.

Famous horses and their riders youtube Van Grunsven has won numerous honorary awards including , , , and “Rider of the Year” in the Netherlands, “Sports Woman of the Year” and in she was named “Rider of the Century”. Famous Dressage Horses 1. Valegro.

When due to leave, Bolívar asked the guide to tell his wife to keep the horse for him.

On his return to New Grenada five years later, he received Casilda’s horse while fighting in the Battle of Vargas Swamp, and stopped off on his way back to Venezuela to visit Casilda to thank her.

Palomo died after a gruelling march after Bolívar lent him to one of his officers.

6.

General Robert E. Lee &#; Traveller

Traveller was a grey American Saddlebreed, and the favourite stallion of General Lee, a Confederate Army Commander in the American Civil War. He was 16 hands (64 inches, cm), and renowned for his speed, strength and courage in combat.

Traveller was difficult to frighten and had great stamina.

However, at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Viriginia, while Lee dismounted, Traveller became frightened from enemy movement and plunged, pulling Lee down on a stump which broke his hands.

After the Civil War, Traveller went with Lee to Washington College in Virginia, where admirers would pluck souvenir hairs from his tail.

Traveller was buried near Lee, and the campus stable where he lived traditionally stands with its doors open to allow his spirit to wander freely.

7.

Famous horse names

Famous horses in mythology

Famous war horses in history

Famous horses in movies

10 most famous horses in history

Ulysses S. Grant – Cincinnati

Before becoming president, Grant served as the commanding general who led the Union armies to victory in the American Civil War. He was an avid horse lover, having rode bareback and trained horses since childhood.

Grant rode ten large and powerful horses throughout the civil war, but his favourite was Cincinnati, a bay horse, hands ( cm) high, and the son of Lexington &#; considered then to be the fastest thoroughbred in America.

Grant considered Cincinnati &#;the finest horse I have ever seen”, only allowing two other people to ever ride Cincinnati &#; one being Abraham Lincoln.

Grant refused an offer of $10, for Cincinnati, and when he became president, three of his horses including Cincinnati were brought to the White House stables. Cincinatti died in Nearly all depictions of Grant on horseback in paintings, drawings and statues are astride Cincinnati.

8. Sitting Bull – Rico

In , Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West circus as a performer. Bill Cody presented Sitting Bull with a horse called Rico when he left, which had been trained to dance and fall to the floor when hearing gun shots.

It’s said that when Sitting Bull was assassinated outside his cabin in December , Rico danced and fell to the ground.

Those watching believed it was a sign that an Indian Messiah was coming. Chief Arvol Looking-Horse from the Lakota tribe believes “it was the horse taking the bullets”.

Claudio Saunt joined Dan on the podcast to discuss the United States' expulsion of Native Americans from the East to territories west of the Mississippi River.

Justified as a humanitarian enterprise, the undertaking was to be systematic and rational, overseen by Washington’s small but growing bureaucracy. But as the policy unfolded over the next decade, thousands of Native Americans died under the federal government’s auspices, and thousands of others lost their possessions and homelands in an orgy of fraud, intimidation, and violence.

Listen Now