Marengo and Napoleone: you don’t need to be tall to be great

Marengo and Napoleone: you don’t need to be tall to be great. Marengo (circa 1793–1831) was Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous war horse. It took its name in memory of the battle won in Alessandria, during the second campaign of Italy in June 14, 1800, through which it led its knight unharmed. Among a stable of over 100 specimens, his favorite was an Arab stallion imported from Egypt in 1799, at the age of 6, probably bred at the famous El Naseri stud farm. The stallion was known for his speed, sturdiness and courage despite being small (only 1.43 meters), like his rider. Marengo led Napoleon through a multitude of campaigns and battles and was wounded at least eight times . Upon examination, a bullet lodged in his tail was found and five long scars marked his body. Follow this link to discover all our horse riding trips in France.

In the Battle of Waterloo , Napoleon fled to the scene in a chariot, leaving Marengo to be captured by William Petre. Marengo was taken to England, where he was paraded in front of the crowd and sold to Lieutenant Colonel Angerstein of the Grenadier Guards. He stopped at the age of 27 but was unsuccessful and lived out his days as a star attraction in various fashion shows and exhibitions. Surprisingly, he lived to 38 years old! After his death in 1831, his skeleton was preserved and can still be seen today at the National Army Museum in London . When depicted in Jacques Louis David’s painting, Marengo became a symbol of the French Revolution , shaping the public image of Napoleon throughout Europe. However idealized the painting may be, perhaps the most unrealistic element is Napoleon himself. Napoleon was notoriously a terrible knight , having grown up without horses and never having completed his military training. Yet he was fearless, charging on any terrain, riding up to fifty miles in a day and always recovering after a fall. Two small but large … ..Here to learn more on wikipedia