Horse

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"That's not a star cruiser. That's a horse. Horses don't fly."

―Cindel Towani^[2]

Horses were large, solid-hoofed domesticated mammals with a flowing tail and mane. In some parts of the galaxy, they were used as draft animals, as beasts of burden, or for riding. While "horse" was the vernacular name for the species used in Galactic Basic Standard, the technical term used by scientists was equus.

Biology and appearance[]

Twoh — An Ewok riding a gaupa rides to slow-down a spooked pulga on the run.

The species equus,^[1] commonly referred to as "horse" in Galactic Basic Standard and "pulga" in Ewokese, was a non-sentient type of quadrupedal^[2] mammal that lived on many planets of the galaxy and was divided into many breeds of different sizes and morphologies. Large black breeds capable of shape-shifting lived on Dathomir,^[1] while smaller breeds^[2] under one meter at the shoulder^[1] called "ponies"—known as "gaupas" in Ewokese—dwelled in the forests of Endor.^[2] The size of an Endorian pony was comparable to that of a young Coruscanti armored rat.^[3] Horses found on Tahlboor had greenish fur with reddish stripes.^[4]

Horses were ungulates, using the hooved tip of their toes to move around.^[5] Their long, flexible legs allowed them to run really fast, but they were incapable of flying.^[2] Their bodies were covered in hair, and a mane of even longer, thicker hair grew about their necks and heads. A horse's head featured a long muzzle consisting of the lips and nose. The eyes of a horse were on the sides of its skull, and its ears protruded from the top of the head. They came in two sexes, with the males being called "stallions."^[1]

Many other species that resembled horses^[6] were often referred to as "equine" or "equinoid," whether related to horses or not. Such beings included the sentient Nazzar,^[7] Svivreni,^[8] and Thakwaash.^[7] Some believed the Half-Bothans were temperamental or volatile because of their "equine blood."^[9] Bordoks were referred either a ponylike or horse-like.^[10]^[11] Cracian thumpers resembled a mix between a large rodent and a horse.^[12]

Behavior and intelligence[]

Horses could be domesticated so that people could ride them,^[1] or to carry and pull loads.^[2] For that reason, itinerant portrait photographers were known to bring ponies with them.^[13] The taming of a wild horse, however, was reputed to be a difficult and perilous task.^[14] The ponies raised by the Ewoks were reputed to be swift, brave and tough.^[1]

History[]

Pulga — A pulga carrying a basket with Cindel Towani inside.

Ponies were introduced to Endor by earlier Human scouting parties.^[15] "Ewok ponies" run wild in the open woodlands and plains of Endor, but were also kept as transport animals by the Ewoks.^[1] They mainly used small gaupas to ride, but also used large pulgas for heavier loads.^[2] Ponies were not eaten by the condor dragon, which found them unpalatable. While larger dragons were known to snatch Ewoks off pony hacks, a mounted Ewok had a better chance of escape, as most would perceive pony and rider as one beast and too heavy to lift.^[1]

Protocol Offensive Horse — Equines on Tahlboor.

Around 5.5 BBY^[16] horses were used on Tahlboor by the Nimondro family.^[4]

In 3 ABY,^[17] when Cindel Towani was befriended by Wicket after her family crashed on Endor, he showed her an Ewok-made pulga statue, which she identified as a horse, as he misunderstood her request for a star cruiser for a pulga due to sharing the same word. In the quest to rescue the Towani parents, most of the Ewoks involved rode gaupas, while Cindel and Wicket traveled in a children-carrying basket aboard a full-sized pulga.^[2]

The Force-sensitive witches of Dathomir possessed beautiful black horses, which they sometimes rode instead of Dathomiri rancors.^[1] Some of the witches, notably Charal, possessed rings of mysterious origin with strange Force "magic" properties that allowed the witches to change the physical shapes of both themselves and their steeds. To lure Cindel into a trap, she changed her own shape into a beautiful lady, and her horse into a white steed.^[5]

The Sanyassan Marauders under King Terak also used large horses as mounts.^[5]

Behind the scenes[]

Ewokscrossthehills — Horses used by Ewoks in *Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure*.

Real horses were used during the production of Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.^[2]^[5]

Horses were mentioned by Cliegg Lars in the German dub of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.^[18]

A 2004 discussion on the StarWars.com's "Ask the Lucasfilm Jedi Council" feauture indicated that the horse-like statues seen in the ending of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace were revealed to be statues of guarlaras. It further commented that other horse-like species included were Endor bordoks and gaupas.^[6] The latter statement would indicate that gaupas and horses are not the same species, but Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy states that wild ponies were introduced by humans on Endor.^[15]