The Horse Statue Code

There is a commonly held belief that equestrian statues follow a sort of code, which essentially dictates how the rider died. While it seems like it could make sense, all it takes is stopping to consider just how many equestrian statues exist in this world of ours.

Sorry to Break it to You, But…

While the notion is rather romantic, there is no universal code for equestrian statues. The scope of that would be impossible on a number of levels. Consider the passionate temperament of artists, this would mean that artists the world over would need to have met, discussed & agreed on such an rule.

The Lore Itself

The idea is that equestrian statues follow a code which signifies how the rider fared in battle by how many of their mount’s feet are raised from the ground.

One Hoof – If one hoof is raised they were wounded in battle, but may not have died as a result of those wounds.
Two Hooves – If two hooves are raised the rider died in battle.
Four Feet on the Ground – All feet on the ground indicates that the rider survived battles unharmed and died another way.

It Came From Somewhere

The idea is purely folk wisdom as it is transmitted today, however it stems from something very real. This code does apply to (some of the) Gettysburg equestrian statues in Washington D.C., although maybe only 1 in 3 actually fits said rules.

Avoiding Trends

Just to prove my point, here are a few examples of equestrian statues around the US that don’t follow the ‘traditional’ code.

Don’t Shoot The Messenger

One of me earlier posts was a list of 10 horse facts and this was by far the most disputed fact, so I thought it was worth a quick article. The only way people will know the truth is if it’s placed in front of them & if you don’t believe me, perhaps Snopes will convince you.