Possible , upto five horses of tysoe, on Sun rising hill.
The largest and considered origonal one, 100 yards long, 70 yards high.
Earliest ref. 1606 by John Speed, wrote of the red horse vale, in Camdens last edition of Brittania 1607, also noted.
In 1612 poet michael Drayton, friend of Shakespeare ,wrote complaining that whereas the white hose is famous.
My red horse of you all contemned lies, the fault is not in me, but in the wretched time, on whom, upon good cause, I may well lay the crime, which as all noble things, so mee it does neglect.
In 1767 Rev Jago in his heroic poem "edgehill" suggested that the horse was a boundart mark or sign of saxon rule and celtic slavery.
The name tysoe may refer to the saxon god tiu.
The horse is magnetic east of the church where the sun would rise at the vernal equinox.
On Palm sunday prior to the enclosure act of 1798 an annual scouring event and fair took place at the horse site.
"And Tysoes wondrous theme, the martial horse. Carved on the yeilding turf, armorial sign of hengist Saxon chief! studious to preserve the fav rite form, the trech rous conquerors, their vassal tribes compel with festive rites its fading figure yearly to renew, and to the neighb ring vale impart its name"
