| Typology Horse |
| Total Entries 12 |
| Representative Bucephalus |
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The “Rearing Horse” is an iconic pose of a horse rearing back so its front hooves are off the ground. It is used in movies because it is so dramatic, being the organic equivalent of performing a wheelie on a motorbike. It looks wild, powerful, liberating, and, yes, cool. It ends up appearing in many cowboy movies, historical movies and European coats of arms. In heraldry, the pose is referred to as “rampant” and is so popular that it is applied to pretty much any four-legged animal, including lions, wolves, and even mythological creatures like griffins. Technically, in heraldry, a rampant animal will stand on its left hind leg, with the three other legs elevated off the ground. The rearing pose also appears on some equestrian statues, although contrary to popular myth, the horse’s pose has no relation to how the rider died. In “Real Life”, it’s a Very Bad Thing, and only experienced trainers should even get on a horse with a rearing habit (although there is a difference between an actual rear and several of the dressage moves known as the “Airs Above the Ground”). It is very easy to cause a rearing horse to fall over backwards on top of the rider, which can easily lead to serious injuries or even death. Often combined with “Stab the Sky” or “Sword Pointing”. See “Horsing Around” for characters falling off of rearing horses… ~ Rearing Horse – TV Tropes
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