Five Horses Famous for Very Different Reasons

What did one horse say when meeting another? “Your pace is familiar, but I can’t quite recall your mane.”

Here are five famous horses most will remember for different reasons.

Secretariat

The sports field is crowded with race horses that made history, including Man O’War, Seabiscuit, and, of course, Secretariat. Secretariat was the sport’s ninth triple-crown winner and was so fast, he still holds the record at each of the three crown races he won. Also known as “Big Red,” Secretariat lived a long life in stud and retirement, living to be almost 20 years old.

Black Beauty

The equine protagonist of Anna Sewell’s novel has become synonymous with horses. The book was written in 1877 and has since been adapted into eight different films, a TV show, and miniseries.

Mr. Ed

Every family has its comedian, and in the horse family, that is the fictional Mr. Ed. Mr. Ed was a talking horse made famous in a campy TV series that aired from 1961 until 1966. Owned by hapless owner Wilbur Post, Mr. Ed’s oratorical skills get Wilbur into a wealth of comedic situations. “A horse is a horse, of course of course.”

Spoiler alert: Mr. Ed was made to appear to talk with the aid of a fishing line that was unseen on screen.

Sergeant Reckless

Perhaps the most famous heroic military horse in America was Sergeant Reckless. She served during the Korean War, bringing ammunition to the front lines and rescuing the injured from the battlefield. “Sergeant” was an earned military title won after she was purchased from a Seoul racing barn for $250 in 1952. The decorated horse lived until 1968, when she passed at age 20.

Trigger

Trigger was perhaps the most famous horse of American Westerns. Trigger was a palomino that stood over 15 hands tall and valiantly served cowboy star Roy Rogers. Trigger was stuffed after his death in 1965. He ultimately was sold to a cable network for $265,000, while his saddle sold for $100,000 more.

Horses have worked our farms, served as transportation, served our country, and entertained us. They hold a special place in our history and hearts.

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