History Main / VirileStallion

In a crude sense of symbolism, the association with sexuality and virility is believed to be associated with a horse's genitals, as they are famously [[GagPenis well-endowed]]. This led to the phrase "hung like a horse", and this appears to be the source of inspiration for the [[BiggerIsBetterInBed masculine insecurity and sexual inadequacy]] about the [[TeenyWeeniesize of a man's penis]] affecting his ability to [[LousyLoversAreLosers be seen as a competent lover]].

In a crude sense of symbolism, the association with sexuality and virility is believed to be associated with a horse's genitals, as they are famously [[GagPenis well-endowed]]. This led to the phrase "hung like a horse", and this appears to be the source of inspiration for the [[BiggerIsBetterInBed masculine insecurity and sexual inadequacy about the size of a man's penis]] [[TeenyWeenie affecting his ability]] to [[LousyLoversAreLosers be seen as a competent lover]].

Ironically, wild horses are led by their oldest mare, who is the one to direct the herd's movements, guide it to food and water sources, and otherwise control its direction and routine. The herd's stallion has the primary role of breeding with the mares and defending the herd by fighting predators and rival males. This lionization of male horses led to the belief that stallions were the leaders of the herd through Darwinian rights, which led to the masculinization of horses in symbolism and cultural depictions.

In a crude sense of symbolism, the association with sexuality and virility is believed to be associated with a horse's genitals, as they are famously [[GagPenis well-endowed]], which correlates with masculine insecurity about the size of their manhood. Moreover, a stallion's worth was often measured in his its ability to breed and sire many other horses of high merit, to the point that horse semen is considered even today to be "liquid gold", with thoroughbred's semen selling for ''[[https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-expensive-liquid-thoroughbred-horse-semen-2020-3 $4.7 million USD]]''. A stallion that cannot sire or cannot do its duty as a working animal has little to no value and is cast aside or "sent to the glue factory", much like how traditional male gender roles place value first and foremost as the primary breadwinner and provider for the family. Those who can't provide or those seen as impotent face social ridicule and critique.

* ''Franchise/GameOfThrones'': The Dothraki are associated with horses. The animals are an integral part of their culture. Khals are also known as horselords, they are renowned for their skill at mounted combat, they worship a deity known as the Great Stallion and there is a prophecy of a great "khal of khals" known as the 'Stallion who Mounts the World', who will unite all the people into one khalasar.

The reason why men are more associated with horses than boys is that it largely meant that the boy has the necessary skills, physical fitness, and mental acuity to actually ride a horse safely. With women, the animal reflects her own sexuality or sexual prowess, to the point where "Horsebreaker" was a euphemistic and obsolete slang term for a prostitute.

Wealthy preindustrial women were commonly ''advised'' to ride sidesaddle [[VirginityFlag to keep their hymen intact]], but [[GoodIsNotDumb many did not.]] Until the prototypical sidesaddle was invented [[NewerThanTheyThink in the 16th century,]] women were stuck between using a regular saddle (and switching between riding aside and astride as needed), or riding in a death-trap that could only be used at a walk, and would not allow her to control her own horse. Most preindustrial women's outfits had roomy and comfortable skirts that were perfectly good for riding astride anyway, and it was only when the Victorians started wearing fashions like hoop-skirts and narrower cuts that women became ''forced'' to ride sidesaddle if they didn't want to flash people.

In a crude sense of symbolism, the association with sexuality and virility is believed to be associated with a horse's genitals as they are famously well endowed, which correlates with the masculine insecurity about the size of their manhood. Moreover, a stallion's worth was often measured in his its ability to breed and sire many other horses of high merit, to the point that horse semen is considered even today to be "liquid gold", with thoroughbred's semen selling for ''[[https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-expensive-liquid-thoroughbred-horse-semen-2020-3 $4.7 million USD]]''. A stallion that cannot sire or cannot do its duty as a working animal has little to no value and is cast aside or "sent to the glue factory", much like how traditional male gender roles see their value first and foremost as the primary breadwinner and provider for the family. Those who can't provide or those seen as impotent face social ridicule and critique.

Ironically, wild horses are led by their oldest mare, who is the one to direct the herd's movements, guide it to food and water sources, and otherwise control its direction and routine. In reality, the herd's stallion has the primary role of breeding with the mares and defending the herd by fighting predators and rival males. This lionization of male horses led to the belief that stallions were the leaders of the herd through Darwinian rights, which led to the masculinization of horses in symbolism and cultural depictions.

It should also be noted that in cultures that ''don't'' geld stallions, they widely prefer [[NiceGuy well-mannered and gentle ones.]] After all, you can't have half of your horse-stock misbehaving if they have OTHER jobs besides procreating.

* ''Series/TheBoys'': [[spoiler: Invoked in Black Noir's animated flashback of Payback, where he sees the TNT Twins as a pair of horses. The TNT Twins were the hosts of Herogasm and were obsessed with hedonism and sexual pleasure.]]

* ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'': 4 uses horses as symbols for how willing the enemy is to continue fighting a war. Indicator [[note]]shown only at the enemy warleader's coat of arms at the bottom of the screen while at war[[/note]] has three versions:

[[quoteright:403:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/virile_stallion.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:Stallion + ManInAKilt = Symbolism]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': Invoked, the Stallion's Potion increases stamina by 20 points for 300 seconds and it's part of a {{Sidequest}} where it must be delivered to Raerek for his "special problem".

* ''Literature/TheHistories'': Exploited, in this story by Herodotus, he tells his account of the coronation of King Darius I of UsefulNotes/TheAchaemenidEmpire. It was declared that whoever could make their stallion whinny first before daybreak would be crowned king. Darius, being a GuileHero, [[{{Squick}} rubbed his hands over the genitals of a mare in heat]], and then wafted them under his stallion's nose, arousing it into whinnying.

* In ''Literature/TheGreatDivorce'', a Ghost who surrenders his Vice (lust, represented as a crawling lizard) sees it transformed into a stallion representing healthy, joyful physicality.

* ''Franchise/GameOfThrones'': The Dothraki are associated with horses. The animals are an integral part of their culture. Khals are also known as horselords, they are renowned for their skill at mounted combat, they worship a deity known as the Great Stallion and there is a prophecy of a great "khal of khals" known as the 'Stallion who Mounts the World', who will unite all the people into one khalasar.
* ''Series/TheBoys'': [[spoiler: Invoked in Black Noir's animated flashback of Payback, where he sees the TNT Twins as a pair of horses. The TNT Twins were the hosts of Herogasm and were obsessed with hedonism and sexual pleasure.]]

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': Invoked, the Stallion's Potion increases stamina by 20 points for 300 seconds and it's part of a {{Sidequest}} where it must be delivered to Raerek for his "special problem".

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Exaggerated and {{Parodied|Trope}} with Equius Zahhak. Equius admires horses and the art with horses, his name comes from the Latin "equus" ("horse"), and his zodiac sign (Sagittarius) is associated with the centaur archer, [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Chiron]]. As for masculinity, Equius reaches the point of TestosteronePoisoning, being insanely physically strong, but unable to control his own strength.

In Western European cultures, horse riding and caring were once considered the sole purveyance of men.

Riding was also associated with nobility, as owning and keeping a horse was expensive, making horse ownership a symbol of wealth. When ranchers in the American "Wild West" rode horses as they rounded up cattle, it became associated with the manly art of tending the land and being self-reliant in their craft.

It should also be noted that in cultures that ''don't'' geld stallions, they widely prefer [[NiceGuy well-mannered and gentle ones.]] After all, you can't have half of your horse-stock misbehaving all the time if they have OTHER jobs besides procreating.

In Western European cultures, horse riding and caring were once considered the sole purveyance of men. Women were commonly advised to ride sidesaddle [[VirginityFlag to keep their hymen intact]], though [[GoodIsNotDumb many did not for two reasons:]] The ''mandatory'' need for riding aside is NewerThanTheyThink, since some women just sat sideways in a normal saddle, while attempts at "sidesaddles" ranged from impractical to dangerous until the prototypical modern sidesaddle was invented in the 16th century. While women were not allowed to wear men's clothes, most preindustrial outfits still had quite roomy and comfortable skirts that were perfectly good for riding astride, at least until the Victorians started narrowing skirts for fashion and rendering women ''unable'' to do so anymore.

In Western European cultures, horse riding and caring were once considered the sole purveyance of men with women barred from learning how to ride horseback or taught only how to ride side saddle for modesty reasons, as women wearing pants wouldn't become socially acceptable until much later. It was also associated with nobility, as owning and keeping a horse was expensive, making horse ownership a symbol of wealth. When ranchers in the American "Wild West" rode horses as they rounded up cattle, it became associated with the manly art of tending the land and being self-reliant in their craft.

** Centaurs were originally characterised as amorous warriors who were seen as wild, lawless, and inhospitable beings who were slaves to their "animal passions" (with wise MentorArchetype Chiron being a rare exception).

* ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'': EU4 uses horses (presumably stallions used as warhorses) as symbols for how willing the enemy is to continue fighting a war. Indicator (located in the lower right corner of enemy's coat of arms) has three versions:

* Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the president of Turkmenistan associates himself with horses as he has written books about horses, wrote a poem about one of his horses, enters horse competitions, made it illegal to rename horses, has horse-themed decorations in his office, and calls himself the "People's horse breeder".

* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': As the uber-celebrity of Pawnee Lil' Sebastian occupies this spot in a few of his memorial pictures since several people insist on using pictures of him ''fully erect''.