Despite its impressive age, the Horse is an ongoing project: to remain visible, it needs to be cleaned and cleared of weeds every so often, a process called “scouring.”
Because of the constant care for the Horse, it holds “a real and active significance for the inhabitants of the immediate vicinity”Schwyzer, “The Scouring” p. 42., and it remains a prominent feature of the Berkshire Downs. One of its visitors, J.R.R. Tolkien, went to see the Downs in 1912 and came back several times. Undoubtedly, he saw the White Horse keeping watch on its hill.
