The Little Horse lies directly before the great Horse — Pegasus, which in the overall heavenly picture is connected with God's blessing, first poured out on Abraham and Israel, and through Christ extended to all nations. The ancient Arabic name of the Little Horse, Al Faras al-Awwal — 'First Horse', is related to the fact that it rises before Pegasus. The constellation itself represents only a small front part of a horse, and its main star Kitalpha means 'part of the Horse'. Therefore the Little Horse conveys well the image of the firstfruits of blessing — the first promise, followed by the fullness of blessing.
Full interpretation
Verifiable historical, etymological and topographical statements are accompanied by sources. The theological conclusions are the project’s interpretation according to its published methodology.
The Little Horse is one of the smallest constellations in the sky. In the ancient astronomical tradition, it was depicted not even as a whole horse, but only as the front part of a horse. Geminus called it Protomē Hippou — 'front part of the Horse', and Ptolemy described it in the same way: four faint stars made up the head and muzzle of the animal.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
This original idea is preserved in the name of the brightest star — Kitalpha. It comes from the Arabic qiṭʿat al-faras and means 'part of the Horse'. That is, before us is intentionally an incomplete figure: not the whole Horse, but only its beginning, the first part to appear.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Even more important is the old Arabic name for the whole constellation — Al Faras al-Awwal, 'First Horse'. It is connected with the position of the Little Horse relative to Pegasus: as the starry sky moves, the Little Horse appears before the great Horse and seems to go ahead of it. In Arabic tradition the names 'Part of the Horse' and 'First Horse' are also encountered.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
It is precisely the proximity to Pegasus that reveals the biblical meaning of this image. Pegasus is surrounded by a whole group of old Arabic star names with the root saʿd — 'happiness, prosperity, fortune'. For example, Sadalbari goes back to saʿd al-bāriʿ — 'happiness/prosperity of the surpassing one', and Matar comes from the old saʿd matar. Therefore the great Horse fits well into the image of God's blessing.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Then the Little Horse, which goes first, becomes the firstfruits of that blessing. The biblical history develops in the same way. First, God gave to one man — Abraham — a promise: 'in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' This was only the beginning, a small seed of the future divine plan. Then from Abraham came Israel, and in the fullness of time, through his descendant — Jesus Christ — the blessing of Abraham was extended to the nations.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
The position of the Little Horse next to Aquarius is especially important. It lies above the region of Aquarius and directly before Pegasus. Aquarius shows the outpouring of the water of life and God's Spirit; the Little Horse — the first manifestation of the promised blessing; Pegasus — its broad unfolding. This sequence remarkably corresponds to the words of the Apostle Paul: 'so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.'[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Thus the heavenly sequence shows the development of one divine plan: first the promise, then its fulfillment; first a small beginning, then fullness; first the blessing promised to Abraham, then the blessing extended through Christ to all nations.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
The Little Horse is the first Horse, the firstfruits of the coming great blessing.