by JC Campbell

Created on: February 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Have you ever had the pleasure of standing beside a horse when it has just completed a race? Have you watched the steam rising from it sleek, shining body?
The heaving beast stands tall and impressive, nostrils flared, breath visible in the cold, crisp morning air and you stand in awe of this powerful, yet beautiful animal.

The horse has long been an ally of mankind being used in war, farming, racing and simply for the riding pleasure.

How exhilarating it is to ride a horse through open country, out in the fresh air with the cool breeze pressing against your face.
You experience a sense of freedom that invigorates your spirit. Under you there is that rhythmic, pulsating sensation of your horse's moving muscles as he gallops across fields and over hills and you feel a delightful sense of oneness with him.

The horse figures prominently in the sphere of human activity and has done so for centuries, being linked to some famous names in history, military, royalty and in the world of entertainment.

FAMOUS HORSES

SILVER was the famed white horse ridden by The Lone Ranger and which served him so faithfully as he upheld the law and brought the bad guys to justice. Hi Ho Silver!
The Lone Ranger's trusty aid Tonto was supported ably by his own horse, Scout.

TRIGGER was the four-legged friend who took Roy Rogers on many of his "happy trails", another stunning white horse that became a star of numerous movies. Trigger actually visited the Central Hotel in Glasgow many years ago with its sidekick Roy Rogers and could be seen galloping up the hotel stairway.

SHERGAR is the famed racehorse, winner of the 1981 Epsom Derby, who was stolen 25 years ago and never returned, the top racehorse of its day at the center of a mystery that has never been solved.

MISTER ED will be forever remembered as the "talking" star of the sitcom bearing the same name, the scriptwriters making sure he had all the good lines.

PEGASUS has become famed in mythology as the flying horse.

BLACK BESS was the ride of the infamous Dick Turpin who held up passing stagecoaches with the words "stand and deliver".

RED RUM has the distinction of being the only horse in the history of the famous Aintree Grand National, to win the event three times.

BUCEPHALUS carried one of the greatest ever figures in military history, being the trusty steed of Alexander the Great.

POLMADIE is the name of a locale in Glasgow close to where a battle took place involving the army of Mary, Queen of Scots. The name of this area on the south-side of Glasgow is so named as it was the spot where the Queen's horse died, the name of her horse being POLM.

There is no doubting the special place the horse has claimed in the hearts of humans for centuries and in all walks of life, a beautiful animal serving as a trusty and faithful companion.

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