In the court of King Suddhodarna, Kanthaka was the most skillful and able horse, and the favourite of Crown Prince Siddhartha, whenever Siddhartha needed to go outside the palace. Siddhartha had been lavished and pampered in a series of purpose-built palaces by Suddhodarna in order to shield him from thoughts of pain and suffering. This was done due to a prophecy by the ascetic Asita, who predicted that Siddhartha would renounce the throne to become a spiritual leader were he to contemplate human suffering. Kanthaka is first described in relation to the events leading up to the marriage of Siddhartha to Yasodhara, another Sakyan princess. By the customs of the kshatriya Sakyan clan, a prince must prove his worthiness in warrior related skills such as horse-riding, mounted archery and sword