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Horses also had dramatic turns in two popular movies, in which they unfortunately met ignoble ends. In “Animal House,” Flounder fires a blank-filled gun near Neidermeyer’s horse in Dean Wormer’s office and the horse drops dead of a heart attack. Who will forget the sound of the chainsaw as the janitors attempt to move the horse the next morning – now in full rigor – through the dean’s office door?

In “The Godfather,” the untimely arrival of Hollywood producer Jack Woltz’s prized horse, Khartoum, under cover of night – and blanket – gave new meaning to the term “bed head.” And who will forget the sound of Woltz wailing into the early morning light?

Back on the tube, no one could fill Mr. Ed’s shoes, though Chestnut on CBS’ “2 Broke Girls” has taken up the challenge. The Eye Network, however, has chosen to relegate Chestnut to non-recurring status.

Our next chance of seeing horses – plural – in starring roles on TV is this month, first with the Kentucky Derby, followed by the Preakness and then the Belmont Stakes.

Would it be too much for Disney to show up at the end of the race and ask the winning horse: “You’ve just won the Kentucky Derby. What are you going to do next?”

Maybe, just maybe, we’ll horse-talk on TV again.