Marocco (1586-1606), widely known as Bankes's Horse (after his trainer William Banks), was a late 16th and early 17th-century English performing horse, sometimes referred to as the "Dancing Horse", the "Thinking Horse", or the "Politic Horse". Marocco could walk on two and three legs and play dead; distinguish between colors; had unusual counting abilities and pick out the "maids" (virgins) from the "maulkins" (harlots) in the audience.


Marocco (1586-1606), widely known as Bankes's Horse (after his trainer William Banks), was a late 16th and early 17th-century English performing horse, sometimes referred to as the "Dancing Horse", the "Thinking Horse", or the "Politic Horse". Marocco could walk on two and three legs and play dead; distinguish between colors; and had unusual counting another, he was told to pick out the "maids" (virgins) from the "maulkins" (harlots) in the audience. When ordered to bow to the queen, Elizabeth I, Marocco was trained to do so; when ordered to bow to Philip II (King of Spain), the horse was trained to bare its teeth, whinny, and chase Bankes offstage.


Size: 3360px × 4272px
Location: England
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 16th, 17th, 19th, activities, antiquarian, antiquity, art, arts, bankes, banks, black, bygone, century, culture, dancing, dead, drawing, england, english, engraving, entertainers, entertainment, etching, graphic, heritage, historic, history, horse, icon, iconic, illustration, legs, leisure, line, litho, lithograph, magic, marocco, medieval, monochrome, performing, pictorial, picture, play, politic, recreation, sketch, study, theatrical, thinking, tricks, tudor, unique, walk, white, william, woodcut