Horses

[boontontwsp]

Horses stance in portraits and sculpture

[jules77]

animated?

[boontontwsp]

I want to know the meaning of the different stances
of a horse in a portrait or sculpture (on hind legs,
one foot up, etc.

[Quizmonster]

There has long been a belief that the position of a horse's hooves on statues of heroes is significant. However, someone once researched this subject to try to confirm or deny this. He collected a large number of photographs of such statues from all around the world and then delved into how the heroes had actually died.
There was absolutely no connection at all between hooves and heroes! In other words, you are just as likely to find a hero who died in battle on a horse with all four hooves on the ground as you are to find one with front legs in the air, for example.
The joke often made about this subject is that the thing you have to watch out for is the statue with all four hooves in the air...it might be about to fall on you!