Image from Adri08
Horses manage to permeate popular culture relatively often. Equinest or not, most people enjoy looking at the horse and there are many horses, both fictional and real, that have captivated hearts through the years.
Similar to my famous racehorse series, this series is dedicated to famous fictional horses. You may know them all, or you may learn something new, either way you can pay tribute to fictional horses all of us love.
Bayard
The first noteworthy horse is Bayard, a bay horse of legendary spirit and strength. Bayard’s reputation has him adjusting his size to suit his riders.
Owned initially by Renaud de Montauban (or Rinaldo) in the 12th century, Bayard was said to be normal sized when he only carried Rinaldo and Bayard’s back would extend when Rinaldo ride with his two brothers.
Based on his courage and spirit, and swiftness, Bayard made his way through epic poems and fictional works as time wore on, making him one of the first famous horses ever. Even Chaucer gave him a nod in his epic poem “Troilus and Criseyde“.
Bayard Rock
In Dinant, Belgium there stands to this day a Bayard Rock, a cleft rock formation said to have been shaped by a slice of Bayard’s hoof as he jumped accross the Meuse river.
A piece of myth made real by more than just stories, but physical a symbol of a brave horse.
Image from Visit Belgium.