Other infamous horses, this time from a book of prophecy instead of poetry, are the four horsemen of the apocalypse mentioned in the Book of Revelation which enter the scene upon the eve of destruction. They are a sign of end times, the beginning of the tribulation ending in the great Day of Judgment. These horses and their riders are the first four of seven seals which are opened and unleashed upon the earth.

2014 is the Year of the Green Wood Horse. The most infamous wooden horse in Greek mythology is the Trojan Horse of Homer’s fabled Iliad & the Odyssey. During the battle for Troy, a huge wooden horse was built by the Greeks and left as a sign of defeat. A select group of elite soldiers hid themselves inside the Trojan Horse and the Greek army left the island by sailing away on their ships out to sea. In celebration of what they thought was the end of the war, the people of Troy pulled their trophy, a truly tricked out pony, into the heart of their city. Later that night, the soldiers, hidden within the massive wooden structure, sneaked out and opened the gates of the city so that the army that had sailed back to the island under cover of darkness could enter and take the city with little resistance. The Greeks destroyed the city of Troy and proclaimed their victory.