# Catherine The Great

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 16, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648 "2009-05-16T15:45:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Haughey6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9a140/32.png) [@Haughey6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haughey6)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648/1 "2009-05-16T15:45:53Z")

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From what I recall, the rumour behind her ‘cavorting’ with horses, is meant to have originated from the scaffold type equipment required to get her rather large bulk onto a horse to ride it in the normal manner, combined with her well known hetrosexual appetite.  
As already noted, in later life Catherine was rather large, as were many monarchs, my own Queen Victoria was no waif in later life, and to get onto ( or ‘mount’ if you will ) her horse, required a scaffold type mechanism to get on the horse, since she could not raise herself by her own strength. I think it was somewhat reminicient of the equimpent knights in armour used to get on their mounts. But combine the ‘horse mounting’ equipment with rumours ( all based in some truth ) of her sexual appetites, and the legend is born. I should like to also note that she was not the first monarch to pass away while seated in the privy, I recall being highly delighted during history class to discover that George 1st of England also passed away in that manner. I am not sure which I enjoyed the most, discovering the ‘horse coupling’ rumour is incorrect, or that she died of terminal piles, but it used to make history class last thing on friday afternoons really fly-by.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648/2 "2009-05-16T16:28:10Z")

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Hello **Haughey6** , welcome. It is usually encouraged that a link be provided for others reading your comments. [Link](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/100/is-it-true-about-catherine-the-great-and-the-horse)

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648/3 "2009-05-16T23:31:16Z")

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> [@](#):
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> I think it was somewhat reminicient of the equimpent knights in armour used to get on their mounts.

The equipment knights used to get on their mounts was a stirrup. You put one foot in the stirrup, and swing your other leg over the body of the horse. Armor weighs less than the gear modern soldiers carry, and the weight is better distributed: Nothing that a knight in good shape couldn’t handle.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-the-great/496648/4 "2009-05-18T13:54:57Z")

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We’ve discussed the question of “Did knights need to be hoisted into the saddle?” before on the Boards. The consensus seemed to be, some especially elaborate and heavy jousting armor did necessitate a hoist, but the great majority of suits of armor left the knight as mobile as **Chronos** says. The belief otherwise may have its roots in the popular 1944 Olivier version of _Henry V_, which showed knights being hoisted.