A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!
A Tale of Small Things and BIG Consequences
Last Saturday, in a casual conversation with a neighbour, this came up. My neighbour was talking about her daughter working in a café called “My Kingdom for a Horse.” This immediately reminded me of a dinner conversation we once had with our adopted family in Australia, Jane and Michael O’Connell.
It was the first time I came across this line from Richard III. “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” My friend, the late Michael O’Connell, had a way of bringing history and Shakespeare to life, often over a bottle of Shiraz. That evening, we were enjoying our 3rd from “Battle of Bosworth,” a cellar door in McLaren Vale near our village.
Our conversation revolved around the unusual name of the cellar door, and Michael told us about the fateful Battle of Bosworth and King Richard’s dramatic cry that echoed through history:
“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act 5, Scene 4
I missed Michael.
A Story that Michael would have liked
In that casual conversation last week, I was also reminded of this proverb that I had read as a teenager many years ago:
For want of a nail, the shoe is lost;
for want of a shoe, the horse is lost;
for want of a horse, the rider is lost;
for want of a rider, the battle is lost;
for want of a battle, the kingdom is lost.
I had somehow tied the two together, although the proverb predates the Battle of Bosworth by almost 2 centuries. It would almost sound like a prophecy if they were related.
The proverb is about the chain of causality, where a small, seemingly insignificant event leads to a series of increasingly significant consequences.
Origins of the Proverb:
The exact origin of the proverb is unclear, but it has been traced back to various cultures and historical periods. The earliest known version of this proverb appears in the 13th century, attributed to the Franciscan monk, St. Bonaventure, who wrote:
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost.”
It was later popularized by Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard’s Almanack (1758), where he expanded the proverb to include the loss of a kingdom. The full version became widely known and has since been used to illustrate the importance of attention to detail and the far-reaching consequences of neglecting small things.
The Story Behind the Proverb:
The proverb tells a hypothetical story of how a single missing nail can lead to the downfall of an entire kingdom. Here’s the breakdown of the chain of events:
The shoe was lost for want of a nail: a blacksmith failed to properly nail a horseshoe to a horse’s hoof. Over time, the loose shoe falls off.
For want of a shoe, the horse is lost: without the shoe; the horse becomes lame or injured at a critical moment and can no longer be ridden.
For want of a horse, the rider is lost: the rider (a messenger or soldier) cannot reach their destination or take part in a critical battle.
For want of a rider, the battle is lost: the absence of the rider (or their message) leads to a strategic failure in the battle.
For want of a battle, the kingdom is lost: The loss of the battle results in the kingdom's collapse.
Moral of the Proverb
The proverb serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of attention to detail and the interconnectedness of events. It emphasizes that minor oversights or failures can have far-reaching and unintended consequences, especially in leadership, strategy, and decision-making. It highlights the idea that addressing minor problems early can prevent larger disasters later.
Philosophical Significance
The proverb has been used in various contexts, from military strategy to business management, to illustrate the importance of planning, preparation, and diligence. Like the Butterfly Effect, it resonates with the idea that the smallest actions (or inactions) can shape the course of history.
While the proverb is not directly tied to any specific historical event, it echoes the themes of Shakespeare’s Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth, where the loss of a horse contributed to the downfall of a king. Both remind us that the devil is often in the details.
Small Things and Great Consequences
I thought it would be interesting to share with you a fictionalised account of what might have happened on that fateful day during the Battle of Bosworth, and how an oversight might have changed the fate of a king—and of England.
The Battle of Bosworth
For over thirty years, England had been torn apart by a bitter struggle for the throne—a conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. It was a war of red roses against white, Lancaster against York, brother against brother. The roots of the quarrel ran deep, stretching back to the weak and troubled reign of Henry VI, a Lancastrian king whose inability to rule had plunged England into chaos.
The Yorkists, led by Richard, Duke of York, claimed they had a stronger right to the throne. After years of skirmishes, battles, and shifting loyalties, the Yorkists triumphed, and Edward IV was crowned king in 1461. For a while, it seemed the fighting was over. But Edward’s sudden death in 1483 reignited the conflict. His young son, Edward V, was declared king, but the boy’s uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, seized the throne as Richard III. The young princes, Edward V and his brother, vanished into the Tower of London.
Richard’s reign was marked by suspicion and unrest. Many who had once supported the Yorkists now turned against him, appalled by his ruthless rise to power. This presented an opportunity for Henry Tudor, a distant Lancastrian claimant with a tenuous but compelling claim to the throne. Exiled in France, Henry gathered an army of disaffected Yorkists, Lancastrians, and mercenaries, vowing to end Richard’s rule and bring peace to England.
By the summer of 1485, Henry had landed in Wales and was marching eastward, gathering supporters as he went. Richard prepared to meet him in battle. The two armies converged near the small village of *Market Bosworth in Leicestershire. The stage was set for a clash that would decide the fate of England.
*The battle’s location was only definitively identified in 2009, after archaeological evidence confirmed it took place near the village of Stoke Golding in Leicestershire, rather than the traditionally assumed site near Market Bosworth.
On the Morning of August 22, 1485
King Richard III, the last Plantagenet king, prepared for battle against Henry Tudor. Richard’s squire, an old man named Paul, was tasked with ensuring the king’s horse was ready for battle. But Paul, having drank too much the night before, had overslept that morning and was rushing through his duties in a panic. In his haste, he failed to notice that one of the horse’s shoes was missing a nail.
As the battle raged on Bosworth Field, Richard fought valiantly. His charge toward Henry Tudor could have turned the tide. But then, Richard’s horse, because one of the shoe came off, stumbled in the mud. The animal fell, became disoriented, and was killed. Richard, now vulnerable, was surrounded by Henry’s forces.
Desperate and helpless, he cried out, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” It was a plea and a lament when Richard realised it was hopeless, and his kingdom lost because of a horse.
Richard was struck down, and with him fell the Plantagenet dynasty.
The Tudor era had begun.
Small Things, Big Consequences
The story of Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth is a reminder of how fragile the threads of history can be. A horse, a delayed message, a moment’s hesitation, can cascade into outcomes that reshape nations and the course of history. The small choices we make, the details we overlook, can have far-reaching effects.
And history is littered with examples of such events that altered the fate of empires.
Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids: The Battle of Waterloo (1815)
On the morning of June 18, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, one of history’s greatest military commanders, prepared to face the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. The fate of Europe depended on the outcome.
But that morning, Napoleon was not at his best. He had an almighty “pain in the backside.” He has been suffering from severe hemorrhoids, and the condition made it difficult for him to sit on his horse and focus.
As the battle unfolded, Napoleon’s discomfort slowed his movements and clouded his judgment. His orders were not as “intuitive” as they might have been. Delays and hesitations gave Wellington the advantage he needed. By the end of the day, Napoleon’s forces were defeated, and his ambition of a European empire lay in ruins.
A seemingly trivial “pain in the butt”, in the grand scheme of war, had tipped the scales of history.
Battle of White Wolf Mountain (白狼山之戰) (CE 207)
During the period of the Three Kingdoms in China, in 207 AD, Cao Cao faced the Wuhuan tribes and remnants of Yuan Shao’s forces at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain. Outnumbered and deep in enemy territory, Cao Cao knew he couldn’t use brute force. He needed an advantage, something to tip the scales in his favour.
On the morning of the battle, Cao Cao sent envoys to the Wuhuan camp, proposing a truce. He claimed he sought a peaceful resolution, a way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The Wuhuan, overconfident in their numerical superiority, agreed. What they didn’t realize was that Cao Cao was buying time for the sun to move across the sky.
By late afternoon, the sun hung low, blinding the Wuhuan’s formation. Cao Cao called off the truce and attacked. His archers, with the sun at their backs, unleashed volleys of arrows into the disoriented enemy. With the sun in their eyes, they could neither shoot back nor avoid the arrows. His cavalry then swept through, securing a decisive victory. This solidified his control over northern China.
The Wuhuan leader, Tadun, was killed, and their power was broken. Cao Cao’s use of the sun as a weapon showcased his strategic genius, proving that even minor details—like delaying several hours—can alter history.
The Unlocked Gate: The Fall of Constantinople (1453)
For over a thousand years, the Byzantine Empire had stood as a bastion of civilization, with its capital, Constantinople, protected by formidable walls. But in 1453, the empire faced its greatest threat: the Ottoman Turks, led by Sultan Mehmed II. The siege of Constantinople was fierce, and the Byzantines fought valiantly to defend their city.
During the last assault, a small gate in the city walls, known as the Kerkoporta, was left unlocked. Ottoman scouts discovered the unsecured gate and poured through it. The breach allowed the Ottomans to overwhelm the defenders, and Constantinople fell.
The Byzantine Empire, once a mighty power, ended. All because someone forgot to lock the door.
After thoughts
These stories teach a lesson—that seemingly insignificant events can ripple through, shaping the course of history in ways no one can foresee. A missing nail, a few hours delay, an unlocked gate—can set off a chain of events that changed the future forever.
But it also reminds us that the smallest actions matter, that the choices we make, however trivial it seems, matters.
History and Shakespeare are not just the stories of kings and battles; they are the story of us, woven together by countless threads, each one as vital as the next. We matter. You matter.
This one’s for you, Michael
As I write this, I am thinking of Michael. His knowledge of history and Shakespeare, his light humour, and gentle manners, made all those years so unforgettable. He had a way of bringing meaning to the smallest events and situations, connecting the past to the present with art and history.
So here’s to small things and quiet moments, to unnoticed details and important nails. They may seem insignificant, but they are not.
And here’s to you, Michael. We miss you dearly, but your stories live on, like so many flaps of a butterfly’s wings, reminding us that the small things can change everything.
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