"EL CABALLITO"
FUE COLOCADA EN ESTE LUGAR ATENDIENDO A DIVERSAS DEMANDAS DE LA OPINION PUBLICA PARA QUE TAN MAGNIFICA OBRA SE UBICARA EN UN MARCO QUE PERMITIERA LA MEJOR APRECIACION DE SUS CUALIDADES ARTISTICAS. CONSULTADOS LOS ORGANISMOS Y DEPENDENCIAS COMPETENTES, EL TRASLADO SE REALIZO POR ACUERDO DEL SR. PRESIDENTE DE LA REPUBLICA.
LIC. JOSE LOPEZ PORTILLO

CIUDAD DE MEXICO, AGOSTO 27 DE 1979

The statue of King Carlos IV of Spain was made by the sculptor Manuel Tolsa, and was initially placed in the Plaza Mayor in 1803. Over the years, the statue moved to several places, and even right after Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821, when the anti-Spanish movement increased, they thought of melting it down to make cannons or coins.
In 1979 it was placed in its current location, in the square bearing the sculptor’s name.

The statue was photographed on the same day by the same photographer Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

Translation of the text on the sign:
"LITTLE HORSE"
IT WAS PLACED IN THIS PLACE DUE TO DIFFERENT DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC OPINION SO THAT SUCH A MAGNIFICENT WORK BE LOCATED IN A FRAMEWORK THAT ALLOWED THE BEST APPRECIATION OF ITS ARTISTIC QUALITIES. CONSULTED THE COMPETENT ORGANIZATIONS AND DEPENDENCIES, THE TRANSFER WAS CARRIED OUT BY AGREEMENT OF MR. REPUBLIC PRESIDENT.
LIC. JOSE LOPEZ PORTILLO

MEXICO CITY, AUGUST 27, 1979