10 Most Famous Horses in History

Bucephalus: The famous horse of Alexander the Great.
Bucephalus or Bucephalas was the horse of Alexander the Great, and one of the most famous horses of classical antiquity. Ancient historical accounts state that Bucephalus’ breed was that of the “best Thessalian strain”, and that he died in what is now Punjab, Pakistan, after the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC. Alexander was so grieved at the loss of his horse that he named one of the many cities he founded after him, as Alexandria Bucephalous.
Plutarch says in 334 BC, at twelve or thirteen years of age, Alexander of Macedonia won the horse by making a wager with his father: A horse dealer named Philonicus the Thessalian offered to King Philip II for the remarkably high sum of 13 talents. Because no one could tame the animal, Philip was not interested. However, Alexander was, and he offered to pay himself should he fail.
Trigger: An acting superstar.
Among the most famous horses ever to grace the television screen was Trigger, the palomino stallion and sidekick of Roy Rogers. Born in 1932, Trigger was originally named Golden Cloud until he was tested out by Rogers as his potential mount for a film.
According to IMDB, “Smiley Burnette, who played Roy’s sidekick in his first two films, was watching and mentioned how quick on the trigger this horse was. Roy agreed and decided that Trigger was the perfect name for the horse. Roy purchased the horse for $2,500 and eventually outfitted it with a $5,000 gold/silver saddle”. “Over a period of almost 20 years, the original Trigger appeared in each of Roy’s 81 starring films at Republic and all 100 of Roy’s television episodes,” writes Happy Trails. “This is a remarkable record unmatched by any other motion picture animal!”.
Trigger lived to the ripe old age of 33. When he died, he was taxidermied and was on display in the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum in Missouri until 2009. In 2010, he was sold at auction to cable network RFD-TV for $266,000.
Marengo: Napoleon’s horse.
Marengo (c. 1793–1831) was the famous war horse of Napoleon I of France. Named after the Battle of Marengo. which he carried his rider safely, he was imported to France from Egypt following the Battle of Abukir in 1799 as a six-year-old. An Arabian breed, Marengo was probably bred at the famous El Naseri stud. Although small in size (only 14.1 hands) for his species, he was described as a reliable, steady mount.
Marengo fought in battles such as Waterloo and Austerlitz. He was able to go 80 miles in 5 hours and was known for long-distance traveling. During the battle of Waterloo, Marengo was caught by the English and brought back to the UK for the rest of his life. You can see Marengo’s skeleton at the National Army Museum in London.
Comanche
Comanche was the gelding used for the Battle Little Bighorn. The majority of the unit passed away in the battle. Everyone assumed Comanche had, too. However, he was found a couple of days later, tired, dehydrated, and injured from the battle. After a long recovery, he was able to make a full recovery and could enjoy his retirement. When he passed away, his funeral received full military honors. Sergeant Reckless and Comanche were the only horses to have that.
Sergeant Reckless
Sergeant Reckless is a mare to be “the most decorated warhorse in history.” She served in the Korean War where she was used to transport armory. With over 51 solo trips carrying a total of 9,000 pounds of ammunition uphill in the middle of battle, this mare earned her place in history. She was also the only horse in history to earn an official rank in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her story is an inspiration to all.
Secretariat.
Secretariat was destined for great things was apparent in his season as a juvenile, during which he thoroughly dominated his rival two-year-olds. He became the first juvenile in history to win the Horse of the Year Award. However, it was his performances in the US Triple Crown races that would etch his place in the history books. Starting from last place, Secretariat became the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby in under 2 minutes. At the Preakness Stakes, he produced another powerful performance, not only winning the race but setting an unbeaten track record. He then topped both those perfomances by winning the Belmont Stakes, and with it the Triple Crown. Racing against a field of just four racehorse, Secretariat beat the field by a stunning 31 lengths. In doing so, he set the fastest time in history for a 1 mile 4 furlong race on a dirt track.
Seabiscuit.
Seabiscuit’s rag to riches story is the stuff of legend. A descendent of the famous Man O’War, he appeared to have inherited none of his grandsire’s fire or passion when he began his racing career. In fact he lost his first 17 races, finishing most of these at the back of the field. He was eventually sold off to trainer, Tom Smith