What was the name of Lincoln’s horse that he rode on the legal circuit? The horse was called Old Bob. Lincoln acquired the bay driving horse while practicing law in Springfield, Illinois, and used him for travel on judicial circuits, especially in places not connected by railroads.
Old Bob was a practical part of Lincoln’s life as a prairie lawyer. Lincoln regularly traveled long distances between county courthouses, carrying legal papers and appearing before local judges and juries. The horse replaced another Lincoln horse, Old Buck, which had become too old for regular use. Old Bob was kept in a barn behind the Lincoln family home alongside another horse, Old Tom.
After Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, he sold Old Bob to Springfield drayman John Flynn before moving to Washington. In 1865, the horse was brought out for a Springfield parade and later appeared in Lincoln’s funeral procession, wearing a mourning blanket. Some accounts call him Old Robin, but Old Bob is the most widely accepted name and the standard answer to this question.