Looking at the names that were used in Maastricht in the past, it cannot be said that the choice was made based on the most extraordinary name possible. In general, people stayed as close to home as possible and preferred everyday things, plants and animals. Thus, in almost every street one could find a horse in different colours, although black and white were clearly the favourites.
Black horses can still be seen in Hoogbrugstraat 52: 17 IN THE BLACK HORSE 86 and at Bernardusstraat (formerly called Helstraat) 14: 17 AU CHEVAL NOIR 43.
at Boschstraat 40, 17 IN THE WHITE HORSE 49 is walking around, likewise at Muntstraat 10: 17 IN THE WHITE HORSE 54, and in a remote corner of Maastricht at Susserweg 104 there is one more 17 IN THE WHITE HORSE 79. Another horse from the Kruisherengang must have disappeared during a renovation and may even have moved to Domburg.
Here you can clearly see how three facade openings - the door and two windows - on the ground floor change into the two windows on the first floor. This was done by slanting the upright window pillars to create space in the middle for a trapezoidal brick.
In the neighbouring house the window bars run straight on and a rectangular gable stone could have been used, but apparently a trapezoid shape was in fashion at the time.
Inside the house there is a separate relief with horses, which is probably not a gable stone but simply an ornament and, as far as we know, has nothing to do with the former house name.
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