History Main / TheAllegedSteed

* "Feetlebaum" from Music/SpikeJones' version of "The William Tell Overture", which was rendered on kitchen implements and used a horse race as a background.

* An episode of ''{{Bottom}}'' revolves around ASimplePlan to raise £500 to place a bet at long odds on a three-legged blind horse called Sad Ken, after the bookie tricks them into thinking it's a dead cert. His performance is about as good as you'd expect, and the commentator informs us that they've had to shoot him.

* ''HereComesTheGrump'': Grump's klutzy dragon. [[RuleOfFunny Only when it's funny]], though--when the Grump needs to catch up with Dawn and Terry to keep the plot moving, Dragon has no difficulty overtaking their CoolAirship.

* ''The Real Legend of Zelda'': The web animation series casts Epona as a small, overweight donkey, much to Link's disappointment.

Any member of the genus ''equus'' can qualify.

* ''The Brogue'': In the short story by {{SaKi}}, the eponymous gelding is known throughout the neighborhood for violently startling at little to no provocation, recklessly endangering its rider. At the beginning of the story, its owner has finally managed to sell it . . . to his daughter's wealthy fiancé.

* "Feetlebaum" from SpikeJones' version of "The William Tell Overture", which was rendered on kitchen implements and used a horse race as a background.

** That strip gets even funnier if you imagine the computer has [[{{Portal}} GLaDOS's]] voice.

* Wit's horse in ''Kajko I Kokosz'' is a bit of a subversion. He sure looks the part and is cowardly enough to climb trees when threatened. However, since his master is a WarriorPoet with dreams of heroism and little common sense, having a steed that actively avoids danger is actually a large asset most of the time.

* Discworld/MonstrousRegiment has Lieutenant Blouse's horse Thalecephalus, a skinny, bad-tempered brown ''mare'' named after a legendary stallion. (Blouse is ridiculously shortsighted.)

** The Saw-horse in ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'', who has no joints in his legs and, at first at least, has no ears and can't follow directions, starts out as this. Later, he is revealed to be completely tireless and the fastest ride in Oz.

* ''TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'':
** The Saw-horse in the Oz books, who has no joints in his legs and, at first at least, has no ears and can't follow directions, starts out as this. Later, he is revealed to be completely tireless and the fastest ride in Oz.

* The eponymous horse in the [[NewberyMedal Newbery]]-winning novel ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_the_Wind King of the Wind]]'', Sham, is treated as an Alleged Steed for most of his life but eventually becomes known as the Godolphin Arabian (a stallion which, historically, played an important role in the breeding of modern thoroughbreds).
** Not really; the horse was prized from the start, despite being born with a mark of bad luck. Nobody ever doubted he was fast.

* Discworld/MonstrousRegiment has Lieutenant Blouse's horse Thalecephalus, a skinny, bad-tempered brown mare named after a legendary stallion. (Blouse is ridiculously shortsighted.)

* In ''MountAndBlade: Warband'', you generally start with the worst horse in the game, unless you take very specific choices during character creation.

* ''The Brogue'': In the short story by [[SaKi Saki]], the eponymous gelding is known throughout the neighborhood for violently startling at little to no provocation, recklessly endangering its rider. At the beginning of the story, its owner has finally managed to sell it . . . to his daughter's wealthy fiancé.
* [[MonstrousRegiment]] has Lieutenant Blouse's horse Thalecephalus, a skinny, bad-tempered brown mare named after a legendary stallion. (Blouse is ridiculously shortsighted.)

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In one of {{Asterix}}'s adventures, he is sold an awesome shiny black CoolHorse. Then it rains and the paint peels off, revealing it's a beaten down pale horse which faints a few panels later.
* Wit's horse in ''KajkoIKokosz'' is a bit of a subversion. He sure looks the part and is cowardly enough to climb trees when threatened. However, since his master is a WarriorPoet with dreams of heroism and little common sense, having a steed that actively avoids danger is actually a large asset most of the time.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Animated]]
* {{Lampshaded}} with Donkey in ''{{Shrek}}''.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live-Action]]

-->'''Dickinson: SHUT UP!''' My boy Charlie is ''dead!'' Oh, I ain't askin' this time. I'm tellin'. And if somebody don't like it, I'm prepared to do a little killin' of my own. ''(later)'' I want this out over the wires. Post a $5000 reward from here to hell and back. Bring everybody in. I want that bastard's head. And make sure you include a full description of my Pinto. I want that horse back.

[[AC:Literature]]
* The noble steed of DonQuixote, Rocinante, has achieved TropeNamer status in the Spanish language.

* Ichabod Crane's horse, Gunpowder, in WashingtonIrving's story "{{The Legend of Sleepy Hollow}}".

* The Saw-horse in the [[TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Oz]] books, who has no joints in his legs and, at first at least, has no ears and can't follow directions, starts out as this. Later, he is revealed to be completely tireless and the fastest ride in Oz.
** Jim the Cab Horse also counted as one of these before he came to Oz.
* In the short story "The Brogue" by [[SaKi Saki]], the eponymous gelding is known throughout the neighborhood for violently startling at little to no provocation, recklessly endangering its rider. At the beginning of the story, its owner has finally managed to sell it . . . to his daughter's wealthy fiancé.

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]
* In "Crystal Hawks", an episode of ''TheAdventuresOfBriscoCountyJr'', Brisco is separated from Comet the Wonderhorse and has to buy a temporary replacement horse. Problem is, he's only got thirty dollars in his pocket. The resultant horse is so slow, stubborn, and dumb that Lord Bowler calls it a lemon when he sees it.

[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* "Feetlebaum" from SpikeJones' version of ''The William Tell Overture'', which was rendered on kitchen implements and used a horse race as a background.

[[AC:OralTradition]]

[[AC:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* [[{{Seinfeld}} Jerry Seinfeld]] had a bit about horseback riding: the "U-shaped" horses he usually gets have names like "Almost Dead" and "Glue Stick."

[[AC:TabletopRPG]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebAnimation]]
* The web animation series ''The Real {{Legend of Zelda}}'' casts Epona as a small, overweight donkey, much to Link's disappointment.

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* The brain-damaged horse Peter gets in ''FamilyGuy''.
* The Grand Chawhee in ''AllDogsGoToHeaven'', which only won the race because it was his birthday and the other horses wanted to do him a favor.
* Prince Cinnamon Boots from ''TheReplacements''.

* Grump's klutzy dragon in ''HereComesTheGrump''. [[RuleOfFunny Only when it's funny]], though--when the Grump needs to catch up with Dawn and Terry to keep the plot moving, Dragon has no difficulty overtaking their CoolAirship.

[[AC: RealLife]]

* {{Seabiscuit}}, a famous thoroughbred champion during the {{Great Depression}}, did not perform to his full potential and was sometimes the butt of stable jokes for the first three years of his life. Then, with special training, he blossomed into a {{cool horse}}.
* Phar Lap, one of the greatest racehorses of the Great Depression in Australia, was roundly criticized during the early years of his life as a no good horse and waste of money before similarly blossoming into a {{cool horse}}. He went on to dominate Australian horse racing, winning one Melbourne Cup, two Cox Plates and 19 other weight for age races.
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[[AC:Comedy]]
* [[{{Seinfeld}} Jerry Seinfeld]] had a bit about horseback riding: the "U-shaped" horses he usually gets have names like "Almost Dead" and "Glue Stick."

[[AC:Comics]]

[[AC:Film]]

* And then there's Donkey from ''{{Shrek}}''.

[[AC:{{Manga}} and {{Anime}}]]
* ''OnePiece'': Doc Q's horse, "Stronger."

[[AC:Webcomic]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* Would [[{{Shrek}} Donkey]] count?

* "Beetle Bomb" from SpikeJones' version of ''The William Tell Overture'', which was rendered on kitchen implements and used a horse race as a background.

[[AC:Manga and Anime]]