Horses have been around almost since the beginning of time. Horses are

beautiful animals and seem to have a spiritual presence. They are

extraordinarily sensitive creatures which have this almost mystical

ability to pick up on human emotions and moods. Perhaps this is why

horses throughout the ages have been a focal point of many myths and

legends.

The Magical Unicorn.

One of the most well known mythical horses is the Unicorn, which has

long captured the heart of the young and the old. There are different

names and legends ascribed to the unicorn across many different

cultures. In China over 5,000 years ago a unicorn named Ki Lin was

responsible for showing the emperor Fu His the Chinese written

language. The Emperor saw that the unicorn was covered in symbols, and

traced these into the dirt on the ground before hm. This was the

beginning of the Chinese written language.

The Karkadaan is the name by which the unicorn is referred to in

Arabia. It is a ferocious war like creature that can appear in

different forms. It is from India as far back as 416 BC that we get

the first written accounts of a unicorn. They were described as being

white in colour, with dark blue eyes, a dark red head and a horn on

their forehead that was about a foot and a half long.

At around three feet tall and a mere one hundred pounds, the European

unicorn of folklore is like a smaller version of a horse in every way

excepting its horn. The unicorn of Northern Europe is described as

being either white or cream. Yet Southern European accounts tell of a

golden creature, or else one which is almost black. Magical healing

powers are attributed to the horn of a unicorn.

Today's unicorns are depicted as being more closely looking like a

horse and a little larger than older descriptions of the European

unicorn. It is said to look exactly like a horse with a horn in the

middle of its head. It is usually depicted as being pure white,

however it has even been described as being colours like pink, purple

and blue.

The mythical American version of the unicorn is still very popular

today with people all ages, but especially with children. Unicorns can

be seen in many toys, movies and written about in books. We all know

that the existence of the unicorn is but a fairy-tale, but that

fairy-tale continues to delight generation after generation.

The Magical Flying Horse.

Another horse type creature that has been written about in mythology

and other stories is Pegasus. Pegasus - offspring of Posiedon and

Medusa in Greek mythology - was a magnificent white winged horse that

was ridden by Bellerophon and had mystic powers. Zeus gave Pegasus the

honoured task of carrying his thunderbolts. Celeris and Melanippe were

the offspring of Pegasus and Eiuppe. Zeus bestowed honour upon Pegasus

by transforming him into a constellation, so the mythology states.

A Good Luck Symbol.

In many countries and to many people the horseshoe is a symbol of good

luck. The history of how this famous superstition came about is not

clear. One theory goes that it is because of the symbolism of the

shape which is lucky as this is supposed to be protective. Others

believe that the luck emanates from the animal itself. Blacksmiths

were once believed to have supernatural powers; magicians to be able

to work with iron, whch was said to have magical powers of its own.

Witches and demons could thus be kept at bay by the hanging of an iron

horseshoe above the doorway.

The seven nail holes in each shoe are also a signifier of good luck.

There are some cultures in which the number seven is considered lucky.

An ancient belief states that if a horse's shoes were made from the

iron of a sword which had killed someone, then that horse would

forever be as swift as lightening and never grow fatigued.

Many superstitions and old wives' tales have surrounded horses and

donkeys throughout the ages. Here are some of the more interesting

ones that have been passed down the generations.

• Your horse would become lame if it stepped on a paw print of a wolf.

• If you change a horse's name it will bring you bad luck.

• If you wanted to cure whooping cough, the patient should inhale the

breath of a horse.

• Riding a donkey whilst facing the wrong way is supposedly a cure for

snakebites and toothache.

• If you break a mirror, you can reverse the associated bad luck if

you walk through your house with a horse.

• To prevent a witch from casting a spell on your horse you would

carry a rowan wood whip.

• To cure warts you would circle them with horse hair.

• Wearing the tail hair of a black stallion is supposed to protect you

from witches.

• To prevent a mare from being irritable you put copper pennies in the

water tank.

• If you wanted to improve the tone of your piano, you could try

putting the skull of a horse under the floor below it.

Horses do often appear to have this magical quality which continues to

draw us to them. Certainly they inspire awe in most who are fortunate

to come into contact with them. This mysterious ability to awe and

inspire is perhaps why so many civilisations and cultures hold the

horse dear to their hearts. Horses will always be involved in

storytelling, being such an integral part of legend and myth both now

and in the future.

This article has been published for the millions of horse enthusiasts

all over the world by Animal Friends Equine Insurance - the UK's only

not-for-profit horse

insurance provider. You can buy

horse rider insurance today online or by phone, and all net

profits go towards helping animals in crisis around the globe.