". . . through his man and tail the high wind sings, fanning the hairs, who wave like feather'd wings." - William Shakespeare

These horses are in the state of fluid motion to emphasize speed and power. On a symbolic level, the horses and the Indian are arranged in such a way that all the "darks" in the painting would create the image of an eagle in flight. The use of eagle feathers as decoration on the horse and ride was also used to emphasize the feeling of flight.