The Riderless Horse

One trend in funeral transportation that has seen several starts, closes, peaks, and discontinuance, is the riderless horse. Although not often used, the horse was once very popular for heads of state. They didn’t have any particular use, so much as a symbolic significance. High ranking military officers often were served by the riderless horse during their funerals as well. Often the horses were either prized possessions of he dead owner, or were precious to the military or government in some way. Rare racing breeds were also used, but as the U.S. military became less dependent on riding officers, i.e., military calvary, the tradition of the riderless horse became less popular. Despite their dwindling popularity, the tradition of horses at funerals is still sometimes observed, though mainly by officers, and government. Such as at the funerals of retired heads of state, or famous U.S. officers. Globally, the riderless horse may be used as well.

Two of the most famous riderless, and funereal horses, were Black Jack, and Sergeant York. Black Jack lived to be twenty-nine years old; he was named after General of the Armies John “Black Jack” Pershing. He was present at the funerals of President John F. Kennedy, in 1963, President Herbert Hoover, in 1864, President Lyndon Johnson, in 1973, as well as the General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, in 1964. Black Jack died in February of 1976, and had his own funeral in Fort Myer. Sergeant York was actually named Allaboard Jules, and was born in 1991; he’s still kicking, though he was actually bred to be a racing horse before he joined the military. He was present at Ronald Reagan’s funeral, and even carried Reagan’s boots, backwards, in the stirrups at his sides.