Top 10 Most famous horses in the world

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Few animals have had as much impact on humanity as horses. They appear in novels, historical stories, legends, movies, and even in cartoons. They helped conquer kingdoms and forge empires, and are an inspiration for painters, sculptors, and musicians. Today, we present in this article 10 most famous horses in the world.

Below I share a list of 10 famous horses, some real, other product of the imagination:

1. Bucephalus

famous horses in the world

Possibly the most famous of antiquity, Bucefalo was the horse of Alexander the Great and accompanied him in all his conquests. Its Greek name means “head of ox”, a nickname that apparently received by its rounded face and wide front.

Legend has it that Bucefalo was bought by King Philip II of Macedonia, but that no one was able to mount it; the horse neighed, kicked, kicked, no one could appease him. However, young Alexander the Great noticed that Bucephalus was frightened by his own shadow. Alejandro turned the horse’s head towards the sun, blinding him and jumping up onto the horse.

2. Rocinante

famous horses

The horse of Don Quixote de la Mancha, that although it was practically skin and bones, he saw it as “better mount than the famous Babieca del Cid and Babieca de Alejandro Magno”. This horse is not historical and appears only in the novel of The ingenious hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha, but is known throughout the famous horses list in the world. If you want to know more about best horses in the world, here we write details.

3. Babieca

famous horses in the world

Bacieca is one of the famous horses in the world. His exploits appear in the song of epic “El Cantar de Mio Cid”. Horse of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, Babieca helped the Cid to conquer practically all the Iberian Peninsula in the XI century.

Of all the battles that fought together, the last one is the most famous: the story tells that the Cid had died in battle, but since he was the one who maintained the morale of the troops, some soldiers tied him to the chair of Babieca. Babieca galloped with the inert body of the Cid on his back, and when he saw him his troops rode at his side to charge against the invading troops of the Moors. The Moors were frightened to believe that the Cid had returned from death, and fled the battle. Thus, El Cid won the battle after his death.

After the death of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, no one returned to ride Babieca, who died two years later (at 40 years old).

4. The Trojan horse

Although made of wood, the Trojan horse was a fundamental part of the victory of the Greeks over the Trojans.

Legend has it that the Greeks left a huge wooden horse at the gates of Troy; the Trojans took the horse as a symbol of their victory and put him into the city. However, they never imagined that the horse had some Greek soldiers hidden inside. At night, the Greek soldiers left the Trojan Horse, killed the sentinels, and opened the gates of the walled city. The Greeks entered and took Troy, overcoming the battle.

5. Seabiscuit

famous horses

Seabiscuit was a purebred racehorse from the United States, champion of multiple races in the country. After some unpromising beginnings, he became an unexpected winner and a symbol of hope in the United States during the “Great Depression”.

The history of Seabiscuit has been taken to the cinema twice, in 1949 and in 2003 (the last film based on the 2001 novel written by Laura Hillenbrand).

6. Target Shooting

Woody’s toy horse in the movies Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. Although he is a horse, he sometimes behaves like a puppy.

7. Pegasus

famous horses

In Greek mythology, Pegasus was the first horse to be among the gods. It was the winged horse of Zeus and was born of the blood of Medusa when Perseus cut off his head. It appears in the mythological legends next to the heroes Perseus and Bellerophon, to whom he helps to achieve his exploits. In recent years he became famous thanks to the animated film of Hercules, in which he is his unconditional companion.

8. Seven Leagues

Although many believe that it was a horse, seven leagues were the mare of Pancho Villa, Mexican Revolutionary hero of the twentieth century.

most famous horses in the world

The story says that Villa had a mare he called “La Muneca”. Near Valle de Allende, Chihuahua, Villa received the news that his pursuers were approaching; rode to “La Muneca”, and rode at full speed. When they arrived at a rancheria, three soldiers stopped him and opened fire. Villa rolled them over and continued at a gallop until they reached a spinning and weaving factory where the janitor hid him. Already in the factory, Villa noticed that the mare had received a bullet, but also galloped for seven leagues to take it safely.

Siete Leguas is so famous that it even has a run.

9. Secretariat

famous horses

The thoroughbred racing horse is one of the famous horses in racehorse history, in 1973 he became the ninth winner of the United States Triple Crown, after 25 years of no one succeeding. He set records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes; These records are still valid today.

In 2010 Walt Disney Pictures premiered his film.

10. Marengo

The favorite horse of Napoleon Bonaparte’s stable, which consisted of more than 130 horses for his personal use.

most famous horses in the world

It was an Arab horse of strong constitution and of small height (1.45 m). He served Napoleon in various battles, including those of Austerlitz, Jena, and Waterloo. After losing the Battle of Waterloo in France, Marengo was retained by the British. It’s no doubt Marengo is one of the most famous horses in the world.

His skeleton is in the National Army Museum of Sandhurst.


We hope this article helps to know more about the most famous horses in the world.

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Do you know other famous horses? Comment on the bottom of this page.


The article gives opinions and recommendations of the professional team, they are not diagnostic. For each particular case or problem in your horses, we recommend that you contact a professional, who makes the diagnosis for the horse. We always advise you, if you find any changed behavior in your horse, don’t be late to consult your trusted veterans experts.

Have a nice day!!

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