Bucephalus was Alexander's horse and one of the most famous horses in world history. Amazing Story ! Although historians disagree on the cause of the horse's death - some claim he died from battle wounds - most agree he died of old age after the Battle of Hydaspes River (326 BCE). Submitted by Donald L. Wasson, published on 06 October 2011. Alexander promptly founded a city, Bucephala, in honour of his horse. This was usually ridden by lower ranking knights on the battlefield. In medieval times, the Destrier was the king of war horses. Thessaly offered rich pasture lands, excellent for raising all types of grazers. They were expensive horses, and were used in tournaments as well as in battle. As one of his chargers, Bucephalus served Alexander in numerous battles. Roughly 2,300 years after moving on to that Great Pasture in the Sky, Bucephalus remains one of those mighty few dead horses that people still care about, arguably accompanied by Trigger, Seabiscuit, and, when you consider the lifespan of an average equine, every My Little Pony from the '90s. Pausing for just a moment, Alexander said with confidence I know this horse and Ill make a wager for the price of the horse that I can ride him. Bucephala (named after his horse Bucephalus, which died there); and Porus became his ally. The emergence of the breed is lost in the mists of time. They were used as a highly mobile unit and were preferred to heavy cavalry horses for rapid strikes. and is thought by historians to be an Akhal-Teke, a Turkmen horse lineage. How long do horses take to tame Conan exiles? Arabian. For example, breeds that originated in hot, dry regions typically have light coats . He was also said to be more powerful than Pegasus. The popularity of the breed soon dwindled after the Middle Ages and it is believed that, at one point, only two of the breed existed. The resulting horse could easily carry the substantial weight of a knight in full armor. The laughter of the crowd turned to cheers as Alexander rode off. Thank you! We want people all over the world to learn about history. Types of Horse Bits: Which is Right for You? As much as Alexander was bathed in legend, Bucephalus, too, took on mythic proportions. Alexander the Great and Bucephalus, The Great Horse Poseidon gave them to my father Peleus, who in his turn gave them to me., During his 13 year reign with Bucephalus as his war horse, he overthrew Persian King Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entirety. Less expensive than the Destrier, its powerful build made it invaluable for carrying heavy loads. Some people choose to wear a purple poppy on Remembrance Day to remember the sacrifice made by animals in warfare. If he could tame him, his father said, he could have him. Made up of high-gloss black or gold-colored coarse hairs. But horses, equipped with a different but high level of intelligence, generally favor handlers with gentle common horse sense. The taming of Bucephalus. [citation needed] He is also supposed to have had a "wall eye" (blue eye)[citation needed], and his breeding was that of the "best Thessalian strain".
