Traces of horses in Prague

The horse was a part of life in society until a relatively short time ago. Its place in society was shown to be prestigious when a person was associated with a saddled or harnessed horse, at the same time cities were being completely urbanized. Horses have now disappeared from our daily lives, however, many of the footsteps of the horses have remained in our cities and therefore, of course, Prague. It is not just about famous buildings like Prague Castle Riding School or the Prague Castle Imperial Stables located at the former stables of Rudolf II. We can find hippological structures around every corner. Highlights in recent years, for example, include the Josef’s Barracks’ former riding hall and stables being incorporated into the Palladium shopping center. The stables for the first public transport system in Prague were equally integrated into the modern-day transport infrastructure of the city, which were located at the terminal station in Karlín, and today serve as a luxury car showroom. Traces of horses in the capital city can be also found in the squares and streets, such as; Senovážné náměstí in the New Town, or Na rejdišti street near Palachovo náměstí. This is evidence of the centuries-old history of the place associated with the equestrian parade grounds and exercise area.
In addition to city-planning documents, Prague has world-class equine art artifacts and monuments. At the forefront, of course, stands the hugely famous statue of Myslbek, by the Czech Saint Wenceslas in Wenceslas Square, and also for example, somewhat neglected by tourists, is the magnificent equestrian statue of Jan Žižka from Trocnov by Bohumil Kafka on Vítkov Hill. Many of these works of art are gems that are frequently unjustly neglected, and so remain undiscovered by curious visitors to Prague. However, at the same time, they are world-class masterpieces, often having interesting origins within the context of hippology. The database “In the footsteps of horses in Prague“ offers the most important historic sights, works of art, and monuments of hippology within this capital city. There are not just simply descriptions of the buildings/structures and fun facts about their beginnings, but there is also photographic or illustrated documentation concerning hippological use or artistic inception. In many cases, the history is complemented by short movie clips. Our interactive database is intended to work on every operating system. Based on the current location of the user, it offers information about the most important buildings/structures in the area focusing on hippology.