Tag Archives: animals

Morgan horses are an American original

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Interesting little history of the Morgan horse breed, which was apparently a favourite during the Civil War. As I mentioned before, I know very little of horses, but I know a fair bit about Rienzi, and had always understood him to be a huge steed. Perhaps his rider was just that diminutive?

Twenty-five years later, their incredible stamina during America’s Civil War kept them going for days over rough terrain, and they fought with courage during battle. Indeed, a number of Civil War generals rode Morgans, including Union General Phillip Sheridan, whose mount Rienzi (later named Winchester) turned a Union defeat into a victory after completing an amazing 11-mile ride over rugged terrain in 1864. Winchester’s remains are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Source: Morgan horses are an American original | Horses | leadertelegram.com

Winfield Scott’s Transgender Horse

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I’m a city slicker, unfamiliar enough with horses that I can’t see anything wrong with Winfield Scott’s statue. Clearly critics of the time were better versed, and this amusing WaPo article delves into their complaints, as well as other statue-based quirks.

Brown began work on Scott’s statue in Philadelphia, using bronze from cannons the general had seized in the Mexican-American War. Scott often rode a mare into battle, so Brown, known for his artistic realism, placed the general atop a small female horse. That didn’t sit well with Scott’s relatives, who wanted the general portrayed on a heroic-looking charger. So they pleaded with Brown to add some “stallion attributes” to the steed.

Brown grumbled but reluctantly complied. Sort of. He added a small male sexual “appendage” to the small female horse. Suddenly, she became a he.

Source: The general’s horse wasn’t manly enough. So the sculptor gave the mare a makeover. – The Washington Post