Portland's equestrian rings and their unusual miniature guardians (16 photos + 1 video)

Tiny horses tied to ancient rings are scattered all over the city. Who put them on the streets and why?





Miniature horses have been populating the streets of Portland for decades. If you look down while walking, you can probably see a few horses tied to one of the ancient rings scattered along the sidewalks.



Portland resident Scott Wayne Indiana began tying toy horses to horse rings in 2005. His quirky personal art project quickly caught on and became popular. Soon, other Portlanders were adding their own tiny horses to the herd. Now, many of the city's horse rings have plastic figurines attached to them.





Locals have long been tying toy horses to rings scattered around the city. The trend has gained momentum since the Portland Horse Project gained momentum. It's been nearly 20 years since the first toy horses hit the streets. But locals' ideas for the occasion show no signs of stopping, and they continue to race like real steeds. People leave treats, hay, and riders for the little horses (and their occasional dinosaur friends). One Portland couple even got engaged after meeting through one of the horses.



In addition to adding a fun touch of equestrian whimsy to the city’s streets, the Portland Horse Project also preserves an often overlooked piece of the city’s heritage.



The horse rings date back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, and are reminiscent of a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary means of transportation. Over time, Portland began to lose these little relics of its equine history as construction eroded its streets and sidewalks. But in the 1970s, a local resident began complaining about the lost rings, which prompted their preservation. Now the old rings are protected and subject to replacement after any construction, and the city retains its historical zest even in the face of changing realities.





The City in 1910 year