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Mearas

All the Horses of Arda were created in the image of Nahar, the white steed of Orome, The Valarian Horseman. The true descendants of Nahar, it is believed, were the Mearas, the “Horse-princes” of Rohan, for they were magical and wonderful. White and silver-grey, they were fleet as the wind, long-lived and tireless and filled with great wisdom.

The tales of Rohirrim record how the first Mearas came to the Men of Rhovanion. In the twenty-sixth century of the Third Age of the Sun, the lord of Eotheod, who was named Leod, tried to tame the most beauteous Horse his people had ever seen but the Horse was wild and proud and threw Leod, who was killed. So the Horse was named “Mansbane”.

However, when Leod’s son, Eorl, came to the Horse, it surrendered to the young lord as if in atonement. Eorl renamed him Felarof, Father of Horses, for from him came forth the Mearas, who allowed none but the kings and princes of Eorl’s Line to ride them. Though they could not speak, they understood the speech of Men, and did not need a saddle or bridle as they obeyed the spoken word of their masters, the Rohirrim of the royal house.

The Mearas were loved and honored by their masters and the banner of the Rohirrim was always the fleet white form of Felarof galloping upon a green field.

In the War of the Ring, the Mearas did great service. One named Snowmane carried king Theoden into the Battles of the Hornburg and Pelennor Fields, where they won great glory for the Rohirrim, though in the end both Horse and rider were slain by the Witch-king of Morgul.

Another Meara in the War performed greater deeds still. He was Shadowfax and breaking the law that none but kings and princes might ride the Mearas, he carried the White Rider, the Istari Mithrander, who was also known as Gandalf.

Shadowfax was stout-hearted and strong-limbed, for he stood firm with the White Rider against the terror of the Nazgul and outran even the loathsome Winged Beasts. He carried Gandalf  into the lands of Gondor during the siege of the White Tower. After the Battle of Pelennor Fields, he carried the Wizard with the army of the Captains of the West to the Black Gate of Mordor, and to the final confrontation with the evil armies of Sauron.

Horses of the Meara Race

Nahar-The Great White Horse of Oromë.
Felaróf-Horse of Eorl the Young
Shadowfax-The King of the Mearas in Rohan
Firefoot-The horse of Éomer
Lightfoot-Mother/Father(?) of Snowmane
Windfola-Ridden by Eowyn and Merry to Pelennor Fields
Arod-Loaned to Legolas and Gimli
Hasufel-Loaned to Aragorn
Rochallor-Ridden by Fingolfin

Tolkien, the Illustrated Encyclopedia, David Day