Hello Travelers!

Over the years I have been on a lot of tours and I have frequently heard the same information about equestrian statues (i.e. statues of people on horses).  The spiel goes like this: “when one of the horse’s hooves is raised it indicates that the rider was wounded in battle, when both of the horse’s hooves are up it indicates that the rider was killed in battle and when all four hooves are on the ground, none of the above.”  For some time now I have known this myth to be false, yet I am surprised how many times and places this detail resurfaces.  It’s almost like there is a tour-guide Bible that is passed down by generations of tour-guides that is never questioned.  I am all for a good story and enjoy the fun facts that tour-guides have in their arsenal of knowledge, but this nugget of information is simply not true.

For the doubters here is a list six of the better known equestrian statues that do not conform to this rule.  If I had to make a guess as to why sculptors choose one pose over another I think that it is because they want to create dynamic pose to display their skill, or perhaps and more likely, they are just conforming with the style of the times as with Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baroque statues of Louis XIV - reproduction in the Louvre square- and Constantine in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Represented are statues from the last 1800 years and from 4 countries, including the Vatican.  The oldest is the Marcus Aurelius reproduction in Rome ( the original circa 180 AD is a couple hundred meters away out of the elements) all the way up to the $2M Juan de Ornate statue in New Mexico dedicated in 2007.

Statue 1:

Marcus Aurelius

Title: Roman Emperor

Equestrian Pose: Front hove up (i.e. wounded in battle).

Location:  Rome, Italy;  Original statue located inside Capitoline Museums whereas the reproduction is in the middle of the square.

Explanation:  As a Roman Emperor of that age it was highly unlikely that Marcus Aurelius would have seen any up-close and personal action.  There is no writing about him being injured in battle.  Myth unlikely.

Statue 2:

Charlemagne

Title: Holy Roman Emperor

Location: Square in front of Notre Dame, Paris France

Equestrian Pose: Front hove up (i.e. wounded in battle).

Explanation:  Charlemagne saw quite a bit of action but I was able to find no report of his being wounded in battle.  Myth unlikely.

Statue 3:

Constantine

Title:  Roman Emperor

Location: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  However uncommon it may have been for a Roman Emperor, especially between 200 and 400 AD to die of natural causes, Constantine did.  Myth false.

Louis XIV

Title: King of France- The Sun King

Location:  Original at Versailles and reproduction in square at Louvre.

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  The Sun King died of gangrene at when he was 77.  Myth false.

Statue 5:

Andrew Jackson

Title: US President

Location: Washington, DC

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  Jackson has the distinction of being the only US President to kill a man in a duel and he did have a musket ball in his chest which gave him a terrible cough but his cause of death was tuberculosis which he succumbed to at age 78.  Myth false.

Statue 6:

Juan de Ornate

Title: called by some, “The Last Conquistador” 

Location: El Paso International Airport

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  The most recent of my examples was only finished in 2007 and is considered to be largest and heaviest bronze equestrian statue in existence.  However, the myth still does not hold in that Ornate passed away in Spain having nothing to do with battle injuries.

Granted, there are only six examples that do not hold up to myth and at times I am sure that coincidentally some horses’ hooves match up with their rider’s demise, but this tour tid-bit is for the bin.

Happy Travels,

Chris

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