Threepennyjane writes about riding Cappi, what with Doc having been semi-retired. The big surprise for me is learning that Cappi isn’t his actual entire name, but that it’s short for Cappuccino (or Cappucino as it’s spelled in the photo from the barn or the tack room or wherever one hangs saddles).

So then I wonder what the heck a cappuccino is, besides being the familiar coffee drink. Does it have anything to do with horses? First off, it sounds like it’s the diminutive form of something, which something I guess is capucin. Although beats me what a capucin is. I think maybe it’s like a chevalier or some other European martial character.

But then again, the cheval- part of chevalier refers to the horse itself. So then maybe the capucin- part is a horse reference in and of itself? It could be simply that the horse himself is the color of cappuccino, and maybe this is another instance where I’ve just gone off the deep end, similar to the Jane Connell/Threepenny Opera fiasco.

It turns out that I’m confused, as usual, in all sorts of ways. A Capuchin is a member of a particular Franciscan order. Monastic, not martial. And the name come from their hooded robes, cappuccio in Italian. I’m still not sure where the coffee comes into play, unless that refers to the color of the robes.