Monday Minstrel: How many hooves are in the air?

“There is a lot of folklore about equestrian statues, especially the ones with riders on them. There is said to be a code in the number and placement of the horse’s hooves: If one of the horse’s hooves is in the air, the rider was wounded in battle; two legs in the air means that the rider was killed in battle; three legs in the air indicates that the rider got lost on the way to the battle; and four legs in the air means that the sculptor was very, very clever. Five legs in the air means that there’s probably at least one other horse standing behind the horse you’re looking at; and the rider lying on the ground with his horse lying on top of him with all four legs in the air means that the rider was either a very incompetent horseman or owned a very bad-tempered horse.”

― Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight

So…let’s examine this. Here is a statue with one hoof in the air.

And here is one with two ( the right hind is just off the ground).

And finally, although without riders, here is three hooves in the air and four hooves in the air. Interpretation of this is up to the viewer but any coins thrown into this fountain near London’s Piccadilly Circus go to charity.  A different sort of victory I suppose.