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let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks. – Lafeu, Alls Well That Ends Well (IV.5) An engraving of Morocco (aka Marocco) entitled Maroccus Extaticus, appearing in Collectanea Anglo-poetica by Thomas Corser. | Public Domain | Source About Morocco Morocco was owned by a man named William Bankes (also spelled Banks), who was also Morocco's trainer. In some records, he is known as "Dancing Horse", the "Thinking Horse", or the "Politic Horse", because of his various tricks. Natalia explains that while we do not know what kind of breed of horse Morocco might have been, we do know some information about his physical appearance. "[He was a] Bay Horse, it’s kind of light grey, and sometimes called White horse, but it is a grayish whiteish horses. The breed we don’t know." Screencapture by Cassidy Cash of The Unfortunate Traveller record where Thomas Nashe talks about Morocco's bobbed tail. Pg. 27 Source Thomas Nashe wrote about Morocco, known as "Banke's Horse", in his publication "The Unfortunate Traveler", saying "Wiser was our Brother Bankes of these latter daies, who made his iugling horse a Cut, for feare if at anie time hee should foyst [defecate], the stinke sticking in his thicke bushie taile might be noysome to his Auditors."The quote seems to indicate that Bankes had the horse's tail bobbed, or cut short. As far as Morocco's tricks, we know that he was able to stand on his two hind legs and take a few steps, and that this trick was known as dancing. While we know that horses can be trained to perform this trick, in Shakespeare's lifetime, Morocco was brought up on charges of witchcraft for his feats. Other pranks, or tricks, that the horse was trained to do included various Dressage movements, along with being able to recognize the Queen. So, the good horse is mine. – Coriolanus (I.4) Screenshot taken by Cassidy Cash, of one of the contents pages of the horse manual written by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, in the 17th century. This version was not published until 1740, but the original was published in 1667. It tells about how to ride a horse, what kind of hay feeder to use, how to train a horse, and what to do in specific situations (like using spurs, or if a horse is vicious.) Accessed May 9, 2024. | Source | Public Domain Morocco's Political Tricks In the surviving records about Morocco the Dancing Horse, we can tell that some of his story had become legendary, and inflamed passed what is believable, or even possible. Those stories are considered exaggeration, but other tricks that are attributed to him, we know it is possible for him to have done--like the dancing and prancing. He was also said to be a very intelligent horse that could distinguish individuals from one another visually. He was also considered an intelligent horse who could tell people apart, even to determine if there was an honest woman or a whore. He could also pick out Spanish vs...
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