Northeast Asian History Network

Western Wall of the Eastern Auxiliary Chamber

This is a detailed view of the horse stable on the southern section of the western wall in the eastern auxiliary chamber. The three horses in the image can be seen standing side by side and feeding from a manger. The horses and manger are staggered diagonally utilizing perspective. The fence seen below the horse stable appears to encircle a pasture for the horses.
These horses were important assets to the people of Koguryo, whether they were used in the course of daily life for transportation and hunting or for critical roles during warfare. Horses played key roles in battles and as methods of transportation in ancient times. Horses were essential to the people of Koguryo who were descendants of the equestrian people in the north. One can imagine just how much horses were cherished, as people who caused the deaths of horses due to mistreatment were degraded to the lowest social ranks or severely punished.
The horses that appear in Koguryo tomb murals aren't the large, long-legged Ferghana horses (literally "sweats blood horse") from the mountains of Central Asia but a type of short-legged pony found in the grasslands of Mongolia. Their sizes were so small that they were often facetiously referred to as Gwahama, or “horse below fruit [tree]”, as they were ostensibly able to easily pass underneath fruit trees. The Samguk sagi or the History of the Three Kingdoms includes a description of these horses that states, "The horses are short and excel at climbing mountains."