History Main / HorseBackHeroism

* Gandalf and his army do this in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]''.

-->-- '''Bonnie Tylyer''', "Music/HoldingOutForAHero"

And I dream of what I need\\

* Kristoff riding Sven in ''Disney/{{Frozen}}''. Sven is a huge reindeer but he is treated much like a horse in this way.

** Spoofed mercilessly with Prince Charming.

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* The Doctor in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" (jumping the horse through a mirror for extra awesomeness).

* This is a staple of ''Series/TheLoneRanger'', which showed such a sequence in its opening credits each episode.
* The fifth episode of ''Series/BurnNotice'', "No Good Dead", features the CoolCar variant. Michael says, "When your back's against the wall and time is running out, there's nothing like seeing an old friend." Cue the CoolCar moment as the perfectly restored 1973 Dodge Charger (destroyed at the end of the last season) comes screeching into frame, driven by Fiona.
* Referenced in ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', where Fitz-Simmons tell Skye that the reason May is called "The Cavalry" is because she took out a hundred hostiles while riding a horse.
-->'''Ward:''' [[ShroudedInMyth The story gets bigger every year.]]
* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Winifred Burkle becomes smitten with our hero after he rescues her from execution by demons, riding off with her on a horse "just like a fairy tale".
* In the pilot episode of ''{{Series/Roswell}}'', Liz is accidentally shot when a fight breaks out at the diner she works at. Max, against his better judgement, uses his [[HalfHumanHybrid alien powers]] to [[HealingHands heal Liz's wound]] before running out and driving away in an open-topped jeep.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. In "A More Perfect Union", Root rides up on a black horse JustInTime to kneecap the two hitmen who are about to shoot John Reese and the VictimOfTheWeek. She then puts the DamselInDistress on the back of the horse and [[LesYay they ride off together]].

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* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': One of the last stages of the FinalBoss involves Link fighting Calamity Ganon on horseback.

-->'''Olaf:''' There's your [[spoiler: act of love]] right there! Riding across the fjords like a pungent reindeer king!

** Also parodied, then played straight in the climax, with Shrek and his "noble steed."

* Spike the dragon hopes for this during an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' (specifically, 'A Dog and Pony Show'). Twilight (the steed) is less than happy with the concept, but humours him. (And [[FridgeLogic if you think about it]], he's trying to do this to impress another ''pony''. What would they think of this?)

* Link in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', when you defeat King Bulbin for the first time.

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** Inverted in Warcraft III, before his [[FaceHeelTurn Face–Heel Turn]]Arthas as a paladin is without a mount, after he becomes a death knight he is almost always seen riding his undead steed.

* Root in the ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' episode "A More Perfect Union"

* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' opens with a BigBadassBattleSequence in which General Maximus leads Roman cavalry into action against a Germanic tribe, [[HollywoodTactics even though Roman tactics were actually centered around their infantry]]. It does however enable to make our hero to look more BadAss than if he were leading the action from behind a shield wall. In his first gladiatorial combat in the Collesseum, Maximus ends up on a WhiteStallion taken from the charioteers he's fighting.

* Batman does it in ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns''.

* The deghans in the ''FarsalaTrilogy'' clearly ''think'' they're this, and in the beginning they are - it's mentioned that Farsala is one of the few countries to have an effective cavalry. However, they are easily defeated by [[TheEmpire Hrum]] foot soldiers.