Heraldry is the production and study of armory, or anything related to arms (shields, armour, military flags, etc.). Within heraldry, animals are often depicted, such as on coats of arms or statues. The position of the animal is known as the attitude. Among equestrian statues a rumour claims that the attitude of the horse is an indication of the nature of the rider's death. If the horse is salient (front hooves in the air) the rider died in battle. If the horse is passant (one front foot raised) the rider was wounded in battle. Otherwise, the horse is said to be statant (all hooves on the ground), which means the rider was neither killed nor injured in battle. Although some sculptors most likely followed this protocol, there is good evidence it is generally an urban legend, and counterexamples of the supposed symbolism are easy to find.
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