Caisson and caparisoned horse traditions

[Keith Heitmann]

Perhaps the most indelible image of a presidential state funeral is the procession of six horses pulling the black artillery caisson that bears the flag-draped casket. Only the three horses on the left are mounted, a tradition dating to when one artillery horse in every pair carried provisions instead of a rider.

Behind the caisson is another riderless horse, with an empty saddle and the rider's boots reversed in the stirrups, symbolizing a warrior who will ride no more. The caisson and caparisoned horse are central in the Wednesday evening procession to the Capitol. The caparisoned horse for Reagan's procession is Sgt. York, a solid black standardbred retired from the racetrack.

[Keith Heitmann]

When a Roman soldier died, his horse was led behind his coffin in the funeral procession. Once the marchers reached the cemetery, the soldier would be buried and his horse would be killed and buried with him not only as a tribute but also as a way of equipping him to ride into battle in the afterlife. The belief was that a horse trained for battle by its rider could not have two masters, and as a result, the horse was retired. The addition of the boots appears to be of later origin. The belief is that the empty boots signify that their owner is gone and that with boots in the stirrups, no one else can ride the horse. The riderless horse in today's procession is simply a ceremonial reflection of an ancient military tradition. No animals are harmed.