The horse that carried Siddhartha during his Great Departure was Kanthaka.
In Buddhist legend, Kanthaka was Prince Siddhartha’s favorite royal horse, often described as a powerful white stallion. On the night of the Great Departure, Siddhartha decided to leave the palace and begin the ascetic quest that would eventually lead to his Buddhahood. His attendant Channa saddled Kanthaka and rode with Siddhartha beyond the city while the palace guards slept.
The traditional story says Kanthaka carried Siddhartha to the Anoma River. There, Siddhartha removed his princely ornaments, cut his hair, exchanged his royal clothing, and sent Channa and the horse back to the palace. Kanthaka is sometimes said to have died soon afterward from grief, then been reborn and attained a fortunate spiritual destiny.
Kanthaka is frequently confused with Channa, but they played different roles: Channa was the human attendant and charioteer, while Kanthaka was the horse. The departure is also called the Great Renunciation because Siddhartha abandoned royal privilege, family life, and succession to seek an end to suffering. Scenes of Kanthaka’s journey appear in Buddhist art, often with the horse shown without a rider to symbolize Siddhartha’s invisible presence.