Epona

Roman A goddess who protected horses, donkeys, and mules, and paid special attention to foals and mares during the birthing process. Epona was most popular among the soldiers of the Roman armies, who placed images celebrating her, often small statues, in their stables. Epona was said to be the daughter of a mare and a human. The name, Epona, which is the source of pony, comes from the Celtic language of the British Isles. Some scholars suggest that Epona was a goddess of those northern people and later became a favorite in Rome after the Empire expanded into England in the first century. Epona is credited as the only Celtic god to be welcomed into the Roman pantheon. Other scholars, however, argue that a Roman goddess of horses was a very old deity in Central Italy and only her name changed after contact with the British Isles.