The Story of Athena – Part 3

Goddess of Wisdom & War

When Amanda first met the horse, she recalls, she had this quiet regal, strength about her. Amanda commented on how amazing she was because even in the dire conditions that she was in, she still carried herself like a queen. Amanda truly felt that Athena knew, “I'm going through hard times, but I know who I am and I know what I'm worth.”

Amanda and her husband knew very quickly that this horse had to have some sort of name with dignity and strength, but because she had survived when no one else had, they knew that she was a warrior.  A warrior queen.

As they got to know her, they realized she was incredibly smart, one of the smartest horses Amanda’s ever worked with. Amanda and her husband both come from military backgrounds and felt that the idea of having a horse named after a goddess of war was just incredible – and it just clicked. 

This horse is Athena.

In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of war.  Athena is also the goddess of wisdom. She's the goddess of virginity and femininity.  When Amanda and her husband were trying to decide the mare’s show name, they wanted to highlight both how feminine she was, but also how strong she was.  They felt strongly about tying the name somehow to the Greek goddess Athena. Amanda went down an internet rabbit hole searching Athena and started poring over stories and research and what the goddess was known for.  One of the nicknames that ancient Greeks had for her was the Athenian Lady, and that’s how she got her show name.

Athena is the queen of the barn. According to Amanda, she knows it and she takes the job very seriously. Amanda finds this attitude particularly funny because when Athena was rescued, she had no shelter, no barn, no food, no water, nothing! Amanda reports that Athena has quickly adapted to her new cushy life, loves her stall, and enjoys getting pampered and loved.

“She's definitely my horse.” Amanda notes.  “When I'm having a hard day, I can come into the barn and she'll just lay her head on my chest and we just snuggle.  She will come up to the pasture when she sees me and I can call her name, but around new people she can be a little standoffish.”

Funny enough, though, at horse shows, Amanda says, Athena loves the attention. Lucky for BreyerFest fans, Athena knows that the entire show is there for her and she can’t wait to show you what she’s made of.