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Horse of the Fallen Soldier
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What is Horse of the Fallen Soldier?
The tradition of Horse of the Fallen Soldiers or also known as The Riderless Horse comes out of customs that date back to Genghis Khan and the Roman Empire. When a Roman soldier died, his horse would be led behind the coffin in the funeral procession. At the place of burial, the soldier would be buried and his horse sacrificed and buried with him as tribute to his honor and as a way of equipping him to ride into battle in the afterlife.
Although the sacrifice of the horse ended many centuries ago, the tradition carried through to the United States. The first recorded use of The Riderless Horse in the United States was in the military funeral for George Washington. Because the President is the Commander in Chief, Abraham Lincoln was the first President to have The Riderless Horse as part of his funeral procession. You may remember seeing the Riderless Horse in the funeral processions for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. The Riderless Horse is a tradition in the Army as well as the Marine Corp for officers ranking colonel and above.
Why are the boots backwards?
The boots facing backwards in the stirrups was first used in Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. It is said that the backward boots symbolize the fallen soldier looking back over his troops, and that he will never ride again. The tradition of reverse order of the boots and saber originated with the Greeks. Everything in the process of the Greek/ Roman burial ceremony was reversed. The order of those following the coffin was reversed, firearms were reversed, boots in the stirrups were reversed.
Why did Spiritual Life Center, Inc. enter The Horse of the Fallen Soldier in the parade?
Spiritual Life Center, Inc. has dedicated itself to the care and healing of veterans, their families, and communities. Ceremony and ritual have a way of touching the heart and soul in a way that unites community and enables healing not only for the individuals, but for the community as a whole. The Native American culture and many ancient cultures are rich in traditions that bring healing to their warriors and communities. We are a nation at war, and a people deeply affected by war whether we are veterans or not. Yet our culture is hungry for individual and community based traditions that help us to heal from war. Spiritual Life Center, Inc. offers The Horse of the Fallen Soldier to honor all departed veterans, to honor the sacrifices of their families, friends and communities, and as an example of one of many ways to find healing from affects of war.
Ken Dierdorf is a veteran of 35 years and Vietnam War veteran. Cynthia Lynn-Dierdorf is the daughter of a Korean War veteran, sister of a Desert Storm veteran, and mother of an Army veteran. |
