# Battlefield horse statues

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlefield-horse-statues/992>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 24, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlefield-horse-statues/992 "2000-03-24T21:29:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RifleChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7c8e57/32.png) [@RifleChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RifleChick)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlefield-horse-statues/992/1 "2000-03-24T21:29:00Z")

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I just wanted to comment that although at one point there may have been a system to figuring out whether or not someone was killed or injured by the position of the horse’s hooves, I seem to recall quite recently an article about a sculptor who was making a sculpture for Gettysburg Battlefield and deliberately broke the tradition of positioning the horse’s hooves. Has anyone else heard of this?

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“If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y plus Z,  
where X is work, Y is play, Z is keep your mouth shut.”

–Albert Einstein

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlefield-horse-statues/992/2 "2000-03-24T21:54:00Z")

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Cecil’s column [In statues, does the number of feet the horse has off the ground indicate the fate of the rider? (06-Oct-1989)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_074.html) says that even at Gettysburg the code is not consistent. I would guess this is just the myth being repeated.