By Li Robbins

Everybody loves a parade — the floats, the marching bands, the random tossing of candy. For a parade to feel truly complete you need one more element though: horses. The tell-tale clip-clopping of hooves on pavement and the sight of gussied-up horses and riders is a thrill. Credit goes first and foremost to the beauty of horses for having this impact, but it’s also possible that as humans we have an innate sense of equine significance that dates to ancient times. Horses were sometimes seen as having a spirit more mysterious and greater than our own, and in some cultures, they were viewed as divine, an idea woven into the oldest myths of Indo-European traditions.

For the ancient Greeks, mythical horses played a part in the ceremony of daily life — for instance the rising of the sun, which was believed to be dependent upon horses who drew a sun-laden chariot across the heavens, treating the sun-God Helios to an exhilarating ride. Supernatural horses appeared in ancient Norse mythology as well, with horses carrying both humans and gods around and between worlds. Horses were worshiped by horse cults in the pre-Christian religions of Anglo-Saxon England and elsewhere, although that worship might involve (trigger warning!) equine sacrifice or the consumption of horse flesh. Today, horses are integrated into human ceremonies in a much more benign albeit still powerful way, even though there is no one definitive explanation for why that is so.

Helios (above) was the ancient Greek god that personified the sun itself. Each day, he was believed to drive a golden chariot drawn by four fiery horses across the sky from east to west, returning by night to begin the journey again. Pictured is “Helios on the sun chariot,” painted circa 1777 by Andreas Brugger (1737-1812). Photo: Alamy/Interfoto

In Norse mythology, Odin rides Sleipnir (above), his magical eight-legged horse, between the worlds of gods, humans, and the dead. Together, they symbolize speed, power, wisdom, and the ability to cross the boundaries between life, death, and the supernatural. Photo: Shutterstock/Apatrimonio

Depiction of Sleipnir in a detail on the Tjängvide image stone, a Viking Age image stone (circa 700-900 CE). Photo: Wiki/ Crister Åhlin, SHM

Majestic Solemnity

When England’s Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, her funeral procession included dozens of horses, notably four beautiful RCMP horses who guided the coffin in the early part of the procession. Horses, as the Queen well knew, can elevate everything from coronations to final departures, creating a unique sense of pomp and pageantry.

When the funeral procession turned onto the Long Walk, the 4.2-kilometre pin-straight road towards Windsor Castle, some 97,000 people lined the way, solemnly bearing witness. They might not have seen the moment that touched the hearts of viewers around the world though, as the TV cameras zoomed in on one lone black pony. She stood by the flower beds that lined the way, tacked up and impeccably turned out, her black mane and tail flowing. Hushed TV commentators explained to viewers that she was the Queen’s own Fell pony, Carltonlima Emma.

As if the sight of riderless Emma wasn’t enough of a tug on the heartstrings, there was another achingly poignant detail — the Queen’s signature riding headscarf draped across the empty saddle. The common refrain on social media as viewers took that in was, “Well, that got me going.” For anyone who’d seen photos of the Queen riding, that headscarf in the empty saddle underscored the sadness of a rider who would ride no more. There was sadness for the pony too, knowing that Emma would never understand where her person had gone. At that moment the little mare seemed a symbol of the connection between human and horse.

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Carltonlima Emma, the monarch’s Fell pony, stands as the Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel on Monday, September 19, 2022. The Queen’s riding headscarf was draped across the pony’s empty saddle. Photos: Alamy/PA Images

Emma is far from the only riderless horse to have played a moving role in a funeral procession. Some military traditions feature a single, riderless horse following the casket, sometimes with boots facing backwards in the stirrups. It’s a symbol of the rider’s final journey, as though the fallen soldier could look back and say goodbye to family and friends. Famously, a Morgan-Quarter Horse cross named Black Jack graced the funerals of thousands of fallen soldiers and three U.S. presidents, including John F. Kennedy. Black Jack was apparently so beloved by the public that upon his retirement he received an average of 50 visitors a day and was the recipient of fan mail from around the world. 

A riderless horse follows the caisson bearing former President Ronald Reagan’s flag-draped casket during his funeral procession in June, 2004. A pair of President Reagan’s boots are reversed in the stirrups of the empty saddle, symbolizing that he will never ride again. Photo: Alamy/American Photo Archive

Ancient Rituals

Some believe the concept of a riderless horse at a soldier’s funeral has a history that stretches right back to the time of Genghis Khan, when horses were sacrificed for fallen warriors so that they could ride into the next life. Forty horses are believed to have been sacrificed at the Mongol emperor’s own funeral. 

In some cultures, horses were buried in ornate harnesses and masks near their owner’s grave as a reflection of that person’s status and power. Archeologist Chris Fern wrote in the anthology Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo-Saxon Paganism Revisited that horses were killed to “accompany some of the most politically-charged funerals of early medieval Europe.” A prime example was King Childeric, circa 481 AD at Tournai, Belgium, who was buried with the head of a horse, his grave surrounded by 20 or so equine skeletons, reflecting Childeric’s elevated social rank. 

In later Viking times, the horses buried with warriors have been shown through genetic analysis of DNA from ancient remains to have been mostly male, possibly as a testament to the virility and power of Viking men. As to the humans, a number of horse-human grave sites in Iceland have contained the remains of women as well, perhaps women considered powerful enough to befit the status of being buried with a horse, such as women warriors. 

Whether men or women, ancient burial sites containing horse remains are considered a reflection of both status and of human hopes of a hereafter. In 1998, the frozen remains of 13 horses were found in a Scythian burial mound next door to a chamber containing the remains of two nobles. Scythians, nomads who roamed from Siberia to the Black Sea for around 800 years, were famed for shooting arrows from saddleless horses in battle, and it’s thought that they viewed their buried horses as both a testament to their prowess as warriors and a ticket to immortality. Dead riders, they believed, still needed reliable transportation to the afterlife.

Cultural Celebrations

Celebratory occasions including horses sometimes move beyond mere inclusion to revolving around the horses themselves. When it comes to horse-centric parades, Calgary boasts one of the finest. The Calgary Stampede parade first kicked off the event in 1912 and eventually became an annual introduction to the ten-day extravaganza each July. The parade is described by organizers as “a march through tradition, history, and Calgary’s culture,” so it makes perfect sense that horses lead the way. In 2026 some 700 horses took part, and two were ridden by notable Canadian athletes — Olympic medallists Mikael Kingsbury (moguls skier) and Courtney Sarault (short-track speed skater) — in their ceremonial roles as parade marshals. Sarault told CTV news that by the end of the parade she felt confident enough in the saddle to want to go a little faster, but the horse she was riding firmly told her “Nope. You’re only walking.” That horse had sense, because when it comes to celebrations featuring large crowds of people and large numbers of horses, safety is crucial. Keystone Equine’s Lee McLean, who’s ridden Western sidesaddle in the Stampede parade on many occasions, posted on social media that for anyone aspiring to take part there’s one essential consideration. 

Related: Rediscovering Equestrian Sports from Long Ago

Horses have long been at the heart of the Calgary Stampede, a celebration of Western and Indigenous culture. Indigenous Peoples have participated since the first Calgary Stampede in 1912 — a 114-year tradition as of 2026. In July 1945, Chief Duck of the Blackfoot Nation carried the gold-crowned head chief staff while leading a mounted procession of Tsuut’ina (then commonly called Sarcee), Blackfoot, and Blood chiefs in the Calgary Stampede Parade. Members of Steele’s Scouts Commemorative Troop in 1885-era dress, as well as members of the Tsuut’ina Nation — a Dene First Nation whose name expresses community, cohesion, and continuity — are shown in the 2018 parade. Photos: Jack Long/Library and Archives Canada/PA-188605 (top left); Dreamstime/Jeff Whyte (top right/bottom)

“Takes good horses, is all I can say,” wrote McLean. “Suddenly, breeds and colours don’t matter. You’re praying you [have] the rare horse, or a team of horses, that can withstand crowd noise, whip cracks, and gun shots with some sort of poise. Sirens, clowns on unicycles, and all manner of scary floats…” 

Of course, the ability of a horse to remain calm is essential during parades wherever they take place. One of the world’s most charming horse-related parades happens in Bavaria each November. The Leonhardi Parades take place across the region and honour Saint Leonhard (St. Leonard), patron saint of farmers, horses, and livestock. Locals wear traditional regional costumes, and the horses are bedecked with ribbons, flowers, and bells, sometimes pulling brightly-painted historic wagons as they head to church in order for the horses to be blessed. 

The Leonhardi parades are held in Bavaria, Germany each November to honour Saint Leonhard, the patron saint of farmers, horses, and livestock. Wearing traditional regional costumes, participants drive brightly painted historic carriages pulled by horses adorned with ribbons, flowers and bells to church, where the horses are blessed. Photo: Alamy/Bavaria Images

The annual and controversial centuries-old-Luminarias festival in San Bartolomé de Pinares Spain is a rather less peaceful horse-centred cultural event, marking the feast day of St. Anthony the Abbot. It has its roots in a purification ritual aimed at keeping horses healthy. You might not think such a thing would court controversy but given that the ritual involves horse and rider jumping over spark-laden bonfires it does. Horses charging through flames (tails wrapped in fire-resistant tape) has not sat well with animal rights activists; nonetheless, thousands of people throng to the tiny village each year to watch the astonishing sight.  

Related: Horse Museum Bucket List

At the annual Luminarias Festival held in San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain, a centuries-old purification tradition involves horses and riders galloping through street bonfires. The ancient ritual began with the intention of protecting the animals from disease. Photo: Alamy/David San Segundo Navas

The Kano Durbar Festival in northern Nigeria is another longstanding ceremonial event where horses are front and centre. As a festival of culture, religion, and equestrianism (included by UNESCO on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list) it features about 10,000 men on horseback, and men and women on foot. The four-day extravaganza culminates with a dramatic race where riders charge towards the Emir, the spiritual leader of Kano, only coming to a halt in the nick of time, the horses’ faces obscured by glittering masks. Among other things it underscores the cultural importance of horses in Nigeria, as does the Nigerian Coat of Arms which features two white horses that symbolize dignity.

At the Kano Durbar Festival of culture, religion, and equestrianism in northern Nigeria, horses and riders pay homage to the Emir, the spiritual leader of Kano. The Nigerian Coat of Arms features two white horses that symbolize the dignity and pride of the nation. Photo: Alamy/Nigel Dickinson

Pride in one’s culture, when horses are involved, is frequently evidenced by displays of equestrian skill. Take, for example, the mounted archery contests in Tibet’s annual Yushu Horse Festival, or the Indian Relay Racing (sometimes described as “North America’s original extreme sport”). In the latter, bareback riders leap off one horse and onto another in a daredevil show of athleticism for both horse and rider. Still, horse relay racing is not just considered a sport, but also a cultural and spiritual tradition passed down through generations. 

Related: Canada's Heritage Horse: Ride Fast. Shoot True. Celebrate the Legacy

Riders at the Tibet’s Yushu Horse Festival (above) pick up pieces of silk in a display of their equestrian skills. Photo: Alamy/Hemis

Often called North America’s original extreme sport, Indian Relay Racing sends bareback riders racing on three horses, changing mounts twice at speed. The modern competition continues longstanding horse-racing traditions of Indigenous Horse Nations, particularly across the northern Great Plains, and carries cultural, spiritual, and community significance for many participating families and Nations. Photos: Clix Photography

Horses can also play a more sedate role in perpetuating cultural traditions, for instance in the baraat, a South Asian wedding custom where the bridegroom arrives at the venue on horseback, preferably a white mare. Sadly, some wedding horses have received considerable maltreatment over the years, but on a positive note the result is a growing awareness of equine welfare, sometimes promoted by celebrities. Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt made news in 2022 when they announced that their wedding would be “horse-free.” Animal Rahat, an Indian animal rescue organization, subsequently named two white rescue horses Alia and Ranbir as a tribute to the couple’s decision.

In South Asian cultures, a baraat is the groom’s lively wedding procession to the ceremony, traditionally accompanied by family members and friends dancing to music. The groom may arrive on a richly decorated white horse, wearing formal wedding attire while the horse is adorned with colourful fabrics, embroidery, and ornaments. At the venue, the procession is welcomed by the bride’s family before the wedding rituals begin. Photos: Shutterstock/SyedAliAshraf (top); Shutterstock/CRS Photo (bottom). 

Of course, one way to avoid concerns about equine welfare in human ceremonies is to rely on symbolic imagery rather than the real thing, something one couple did at their fashionable wedding, covered by Vogue India. The bridegroom’s baraat did include a horse, it’s just that the horse was inflatable. According to Vogue, “By the end of the night the inflatable horse had reappeared on the dance floor and gone home with the nieces and nephews, each of whom received their own wedding horse.”

Tongue-in-cheek aside, it’s true that the spirit of horses can imbue human ceremonies without horses even being present. One example of this is the rituals, spells, and meditations presented in the book, Horse Magick: Spells and Rituals for Self-Empowerment, Protection, and Prosperity written by Lawren Leo with his brother, Domenic Leo. “No actual contact with horses is required” notes the book’s publicity material. The brothers do have an interest in real-life horses though, having been first introduced via pony club, but their adult interest lies in a fascination with horse deities and the concept of “horse spirit.” Horse spirit, the book says, is at its essence about freedom and a “noble and resilient force.” It’s an intriguing idea, and perhaps as good an explanation as any as to why human ceremonies where horses are present have such enduring power.

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Main Photo: First held in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, Munich’s Oktoberfest began with a horse race. More than 200 years later, horses remain central to its pageantry, carrying riders and pulling elaborately decorated brewery wagons in the festival’s opening parades, such as this floral-adorned beer wagon guided through city streets by drivers in traditional Bavarian dress. Credit: iStock/Oktoberfest/Nikada