The Horses' Word

# First in the field of equine heroes, Bucephalas, Steed of the Great Alexander, warrior chief Next, Marengro, Napoleon's War Horse, an Arab Grey Neck & neck with Copenhagen, Wellington's stallion, Who took him into the smoke of the cannon spray Our most high ranking peer was Incitatus Caligula's pet, kept in a marble stall, who ate from an ivory manger With his jewelled collar, his oats mixed with gold leaf Who almost became a consul, was any horse stranger? We enjoy engaging in exercise, on our terms Walking, trotting, cantering, galloping, jumping Spurs and whips and kicking make us squirm We feature in books, in comics, and in the media: Black Beauty, Morpurgo's Joey in World War One Virgil's Trojan statue, the Celtic goddess Epona Hengroen, King Arthur's steed Hippocampus, who pulled the chariot of Poseidon In the lochs and rivers of Scotland, of kelpies, a plethora The Mares of Diomedes, which fed on human flesh Not to mention the Nuckelavee, Orcadian horse with no skin And Pegasus, Greek winged horse, who rode the wind From a lesser stable, Trigger, trots out in film Followed by Argo, from Xena: Warrior Princess And Champion the Wonder Horse, on thundering limbs Hail Hercules, Steptoe and Son's rag and bone cart puller Plodding in front comes Phantom, Zorro's white horse Silver, the Lone Ranger's partner, money spinner Khan, from Disney's Mulan, Whole herds of Little Ponies, Unicorns Every one a winner Shall we consider some many names of our tribes? Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clydesdale, Corsican, Cob, American Paint, American Quarter Warmblood Belgian Trotter, Black Forest, Breton, Coldblood, Russian Don, Dutch Harness Faroe, Saddlebred, Finnish, Flemish, mustang, Florida Cracker French Trotter, Georgian Grande, and Gypsy Vanner Hackney, Jennet, Hunter Kazakh Knabstrupper Morgan, Pampa, Tersk and Shetland Pony Coffin Bay Pony, Connemara, Dartmoor Garron, palomino, feral, draught horse Hack, show hunter, circus, Mountain, Exmoor Polo and jousting favourite sports of kings Windsor Grey, the carriage horse of Royalty. Charger, Courser, Hobby, Palfrey, Racer Hearse-black-plumed, slow, ponderous, melancholy Dressage, Derby, Epsom, Goodwood, Aintree Horse and Hounds fox hunt fraternity Any restraints are anathema to us. It's a big fat no to Bridle, crupper, martingale, halter, reins Collar, harness. swingletree, breeching, hames Traces, saddle, girth, back bands Blinkers, bits, curb, snaffle, any tack Saddle, britching, stirrups, should all be banned Who speaks up for our equine brotherhood? Farm horses, Drays, police mounts, canal boat luggers Jockeys' racers, eventers, forest loggers? Look to the future, your world in conflagration We are the horses of the Apocalypse Bringing our spirit riders, bearing annihilation Death. Famine War and Pestilence All that is known and unknown, extermination