The stables for outer procession horses were situated along the sides of Four Ways Road, one to the right and one to the left, from the head of Green Cloth Quarter Road behind the jail up to Banana Leaf Quarter. On both the right and left, there are thirty stalls, each housing a single horse.
The stables for fifty post-horses, also one per stall, were situated from the corner of Wat Thammikarat up close to the Jakra Mahima Gate, the most northern gate on the palace’s east wall (which means that the stables were situated on the present parking grounds of Wat Thammikarat).
The horses needed to be taken care of, and there was a specific area on the bank of the old Lopburi River used to bathe the horses. On the northwestern corner of the grand palace, a ferry location called the Horse Bathing Landing was situated near the mouth of Khlong Pak Tho and opposite Wat Choeng Tha. It is, of course, a bit strange that most of the stables were on the east side of the palace while the bathing place was on the northwestern side, which necessitated walking the horses down along the northern palace wall. More logical is the location of the warehouse for storing the gear for horses, which was somewhere beside the wall of Wat Thammikarat.
Horses in Siam were subordinate to elephants for both war and prestige. Sometimes, horses and elephants were played out against each other in an elephant-horse chase. An example of this game is mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. In 1663 CE, there was a rivalry between the royal page Chai Khan and Phra Phetracha. Chai Khan boosted against King Narai (reign 1656-1688) that he was superior in a particular game, hinting especially at Phra Phetracha. King Narai, aware of the rivalry, designated a day for a contest in the elephant-horse chase. The game started near Wat Trae, and the run went parallel along the Makham Riang Canal until Wat Nang. Phra Phetracha won the first round on horseback. Chai Khan, realising he was losing face, skipped the second round and went home.
“The next morning His Majesty held court and all of the marshals attended together. Master Chai Khan, a royal page and the son of a holy nurse, prostrated himself and said to His Holy Grace, “In the display of chase elephant and bait horse, outside the sole exception of the Supreme Holy Lord Omnipotent, there is no-one I am afraid of.” The Supreme Holy Lord Omnipotent was aware that Master Chai Khan was intentionally and maliciously comparing himself to Phra Phet Racha and that Phra Phet Racha was equally knowledgeable, and so He answered Master Chai Khan by saying, “You would each take a turn riding the chase elephant and the bait horse, wouldn’t you?” Master Chai Khan said, “I’ll ride the chase elephant first.” Phra Phet Racha was agreeable. When the designated day arrived, Master Chai Khan rode the premier elephant Phaya Sower of the Three Realms, standing six sòk and six niu high, and Phra Phet Racha rode the horse Mountain of Time, standing three sòk and two niu high. The arena was laid out in the vicinity in front of the Monastery of the Trumpets with the horse and elephant one sen apart. Phra Phet Racha reined his horse into a baiting display. Master Chai Khan drove his elephant and chased him on up close to the Bridge of Bricks at the Monastery of the Hides, and the elephant reached for him. Phra Phet Racha, seeing it almost upon his person, drove his horse into Little Spire Alley and the elephant was left behind. When it was the turn of Phra Phet Racha to ride the elephant, Master Chai Khan fled off to his home. Phra Phet Racha came in for an audience, prostrated himself, spoke to the Holy Lord Omnipotent and related the substance of that entire matter so the King would be informed of all the details. The Supreme Holy Lord Omnipotent said, “Weren’t you aware that that little Chai Khan is a soldier [only] in talk?” [7]