History Main / HellishHorse

Contrast {{Unicorn}} ([[UnicornsAreSacred which are sacred]]), WhiteStallion (which generally portray an image of heroism), and HerbivoresAreFriendly. No relation at all to HellishCopter, nor to UndeadHorseTrope.

A SubTrope of CoolHorse. A SisterTrope to {{Hellhound}}. Compare MoodyMount (where a horse is difficult to ride and tame for mundane reasons) and HorsingAround (where the horses are simply rude or cunning). For similar connotations on antagonistic farm animals, see also BrutishBulls, GruesomeGoat and CockyRooster.

Standard accessories include [[GoodWingsEvilWings menacing wings]], {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, {{horns|OfVillainy}}, {{fangs|AreEvil}}, and split hooves like a goat (alternately, claws). Horses that are [[RaisingTheSteaks nothing but skeletons]] are also popular choices for TheUndead to ride, and you can increase the glam with a [[WreathedInFlames fiery aura]] or hooves that leave burning hoofprints. Usually either truly untameable or ridden by villainous characters, but sometimes TheHero can subvert expectations and master one.

As these days horses are kept mostly for recreation and horse racing, and are often seen as something like oversized pets for little girls, the idea of scary and dangerous horses might seem a bit silly, as they lack any claws or fangs. But make no mistake, an angry or panicked horse can be truly frightening and easily kill a man with its hooves. They can easily weigh over half a ton, and especially in the medieval period where these stories were embellished, very large fierce horses were bred for military use to do exactly [[BeastsOfBattle this]] - and a horse capable of carrying a medieval knight in full armor was often very large and strong indeed.

Bad Horse! Bad Horse!\\

These horses not only cause nightmares, they sometimes ''are'' [[{{Pun}} night mares]].

Want to emphasize how badass a hero or villain is? Simple, give them a truly monstrous looking horse!

Standard fare include [[GoodWingsEvilWings menacing wings]], {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, {{horns|OfVillainy}}, {{fangs|AreEvil}}, and split hooves (sometimes claws). Horses that are [[RaisingTheSteaks nothing but skeletons]] are also popular choices for TheUndead to ride, and sometimes the horse can appear either to be WreathedInFlames or leave burning hoofprints. Usually either truly untameable or ridden by villainous characters, but sometimes subverted into being tamed by TheHero.

** From the backstory, the Direnni Clan of [[WitchSpecies Altmer (High Elves)]] were masterful conjurers, known to be able summon [[PlayingWithFire Flame Atronachs]] in any shape they desired. During the Battle of Glenumbria Moors against the [[KnightTemplar Alessian]] [[TheOrder Order]], they famously summoned Flame Atronachs in the shape of horses and rode them into the battle.

* The Nuckelavee of Orkney folklore is an evil sea-creature; whenever it makes landfall, it takes the form of a skinless horse with yellow veins and black blood, often merged with an equally grotesque human rider so that the two were one being. Nuckelavee would [[PlagueMaster spread illness to crops, horses, and humans]] [[BreathWeapon with its poisoned breath]]. The only way to escape it was to cross fresh water, which it refused to approach.

As these days horses are kept mostly for recreation and horse racing, and are often seen as something like oversized pets for little girls, the idea of scary and dangerous horses might seem a bit silly, as they lack any claws or fangs. But make no mistake, an angry or panicked horse can be truly frightening and easily kill a man with its hooves. And especially in the medieval period where these stories were embellished, very large fierce horses were bred for military use to do exactly [[BeastsOfBattle this]] - and a horse capable of carrying a medieval knight in full armor was often very large and strong indeed.

* The Nuckelavee of Orkney folklore was an evil, skinless horse with yellow veins and black blood, often merged with an equally grotesque human rider so that the two were one being. Nuckelavee would [[PlagueMaster spread illness to crops, horses, and humans]] [[BreathWeapon with its poisoned breath]]. The only way to escape it was to cross fresh water, which it refused to approach.

* [[FluffyTheTerrible Snowball]], the horse of Judge Claude Frollo from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''.

Many examples were inspired by the horse in the painting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare ''The Nightmare'']] by Henry Fuseli, which in turn was based on the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_(folklore) Mare]]", a goblin or HornyDevil that [[SleepParalysisCreature sat on a sleeper's chest and gave them bad dreams.]]

Many examples were inspired by the horse in the painting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare ''The Nightmare'']] by Henry Fuseli, which in turn was based on the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_(folklore) Mare]]", a goblin or HornyDevil [[SleepParalysisCreature that sat on a sleeper's chest and gave them bad dreams.]]

Many examples were inspired by the horse in the painting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare ''The Nightmare'']] by Henry Fuseli, which in turn was based on the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_(folklore) Mare]]", a goblin or HornyDevil that sat on a sleeper's chest and gave them bad dreams.

[[folder:Mythology]]

* In Brazilian folklore, a woman who fornicates with a priest turns into a Mula-sem-Cabeça (Headless Mule). It's a dreadful black mule that has no head, but somehow, manages to spew fire from its non-existent nose. It also has iron hoofs that make a horrible noise when the mule gallops. The transformed woman has to ride through seven parishes each night until she returns to the original parish where she sinned, or someone stabs her with a needle.

Standard fare include [[GoodWingsEvilWings menacing wings]], {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, {{horns|OfVillainy}}, {{fangs|AreEvil}}, and split hooves (sometimes claws). Horses that are nothing but skeletons are also popular choices for TheUndead to ride, and sometimes the horse can appear either to be WreathedInFlames or leave burning hoofprints. Usually either truly untameable or ridden by villainous characters, but sometimes subverted into being tamed by TheHero.

** Spoofed. [[TheGrimReaper Death]] tried to use a demonic horse, but his skeletal horse kept falling apart and his flaming horse kept setting fire to the stables. He eventually settled on a flesh and blood [[WhiteStallion pale horse]], Binky. The new Death in ''Literature/ReaperMan'' plays it straight, though, with a skeletal horse.
** Played straight with Boris from ''Literature/GoingPostal''. Though he wasn't anything supernatural, it was 10 pounds of angry in a 5 pound bag. Definitely the type of horse you'd describe as "hellish."

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the Nightmare: a horse-like monster from the Lower Planes that is ridden by Blackguards and powerful Evil creatures. It has glowing red eyes, a blazing mane, burning hooves and fangs. Oh, and they can fly and teleport across the planes. Numerous later fantasy works have later copied the idea, many of them likely not realizing "nightmare" as a horse-thing was a silly pun rather than an actual mythological creature. (The "mare" of "nightmare" is actually a goblinlike creature called a "mara".)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'' cartoon, Venger rides a Nightmare (''see'' '''Tabletop Games''', ''above'').

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The Thestrals look like skeletal crosses between pegasi and dragons, only those who've seen death up close can see them, and to everyone else they're {{invisible|ToNormals}}. However, [[DarkIsNotEvil they're actually quite gentle and end up significantly aiding the main characters]].

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Ward's father owns a very fierce stallion, who throws him off one day, causing his death. Ward's uncle believes the horse is the monster from hell that has come to destroy the house of Hurog (there's a curse on the family), and recommends to put it to death. Ward ... decides to keep the horse and rename it "Pansy". [[spoiler: It turns out it's a normal, though CoolHorse]]
* The Thestrals in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' as semi-examples, since they look like skeletal crosses between pegasi and dragons, only those who've seen death up close can see them, and to everyone else they're {{invisible|ToNormals}}. However, [[DarkIsNotEvil they're actually quite gentle and end up significantly aiding the main characters]].
** The baby thestral in the movie is UglyCute.

* Subverted in ''Literature/GoodOmens'', where the actual Four HorsemenOfTheApocalypse trade in the traditional horses for hogs. Motorcycles, that is.

* Anor (fangs, claws, eats meat) and the Horse with the Twisted Horn from Mary Stanton's ''The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West'' -- fittingly enough, since these are the horse-world's equivalent of the Devil.

* When ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'''s Alucard pulls out his Soul Slave Army it includes horses. Big, undead horses made of shadows and blood.

* [[FluffyTheTerrible Snowball]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''.

Contrast {{Unicorn}} ([[UnicornsAreSacred which are sacred]]) and WhiteStallion (which generally portray an image of heroism). No relation at all to HellishCopter, nor to UndeadHorseTrope.

Standard fare include [[GoodWingsEvilWings menacing wings]], {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, {{horns|OfVillainy}}, {{fangs|AreEvil}}, and split hooves (sometimes claws). Horses that are nothing but skeletons are also popular choices for TheUndead to ride, and sometimes the horse can appear either to be WreathedInFlames or leave burning hoofprints. Usually either truly untameable or ridden by villainous characters, but sometimes subverted into being a GentleGiant and/or tamed by TheHero.

Often goes hand in hand with HorsemenOfTheApocalypse, as well as TheWildHunt. In cases where PredationIsNatural, these type of horses might well also be {{Xenophobic Herbivore}}s.

[[quoteright:272:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nightmare_d&d_3e.png]]

[[quoteright:330:[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nightmar2.jpg]]]]

A SubTrope of CoolHorse. A SisterTrope to {{Hellhound}}. Compare MoodyMount, where a horse is difficult to ride and tame for mundane reasons. For similar connotations on antagonistic farm animals, see also BrutishBulls, GruesomeGoat and CockyRooster.

Standard fare include [[GoodWingsEvilWings menacing wings]], {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, {{horns|OfVillainy}}, {{fangs|AreEvil}}, and split hooves (sometimes claws). Horses that are nothing but skeletons are also popular choices for TheUndead to ride, and sometimes the horse can appear either to be WreathedInFlames or leave burning hoofprints. Usually either truly untameable or ridden by villainous characters, but sometimes subverted into being tamed by TheHero.

As these days horses are kept mostly for recreation and are often seen as something like oversized pets for little girls, the idea of scary and dangerous horses might seem a bit silly, as they lack any claws or fangs. But make no mistake, an angry or panicked horse can be truly frightening and easily kill a man with its hooves. And especially in the medieval period where these stories were embellished, very large fierce horses were bred for military use to do exactly this - and a horse capable of carrying a medieval knight in full armor was often very large and strong indeed.