I've always disliked this track for the simple fact it wasn't real "music" and it was the cut before (one of my all-time fav Doors songs) Moonlight Drive.  I'm not sure that I could rate this on its own as a "song" although as a poem, and remember he wrote it in high school after seeing a book cover image depicting horses being jettisoned in the calm horse latitudes, I think it's brilliant:

When the still sea conspires an armor
And her sullen and aborted
Currents breed tiny monsters,
True sailing is dead. 
Awkward instant 
And the first animal is jettisoned, 
Legs furiously pumping 
Their stiff green gallop, 
And heads bob up 
Poise 
Delicate 
Pause 
Consent 
In mute nostril agony 
Carefully refined 
And sealed over.

It seems we have a winner..............of one of the most disdained tracks. Count me amongst those in agreement.

Wow...this is just horrible.....quite un-RP worthy.

Nice to hear now and then even though it's creepy.

ETA: the same could be said of most Doors songs.

 GT66 wrote: 
This is closer to my understanding of the lyrics:
". . . the horse latitudes called by that name is because of a weather phenomenon at that latitude. They are two high-pressure belts characterized by low winds, about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Dreaded by early sailors, these areas have undependable winds with periods of calm. In the northern hemisphere, particularly near Bermuda, sailing ships carrying horses from Spain to the New World were often becalmed. When water supplies ran low, these animals were the first to be rationed water. Dying from thirst or tossed overboard, the animals were sacrificed to conserve water for the men. Explorers and sailors reported that the seas were strewn with bodies of horses. Supposedly this is why the areas are called the horse latitudes. The term might be rooted in the complaints by sailors who were paid in advance and received no overtime when the ships slowly traversed this area. Supposedly during this time they were working off a dead horse."
From https://topics.info.com

 richlister wrote: 
As I understand, this was about a painting he once saw of Spanish Conquistadors landing their horses ashore by jettisoning them from the ships and making them swim to the beaches.

Not exactly Conquistador era but you get the visual:

Not enjoyable one bit. 

 tiggers wrote: 
it is dreck!

Not Jim's best work, but I do thank RP for adding this piece to the end of Spanish Caravan.  This is what makes RP so great, diverse, and in a way, a history lesson of music.

Great song. Horrible poetry.

"The Doors? Jim Morrison? He's a drunken buffoon posing as a poet. Give me The Guess Who. They got the courage to be drunken buffoons, which makes them poetic. "

I spent the whole song thinking it was a long, terrible intro.

A case of the Emperor's new clothes. If this was anyone but Jim Morrison everyone would call it for the dreck it is!

What just happened there?!? Holy crap! Now I have an inexplicable urge to buy the album (ok, CD) and give the whole thing a listen to! Suppose I should be properly medicated beforehand. Where's silkroad when you need it?

Jim, WTF are you on about?

 pkimbrel wrote: 
and i'm so not

not to  listen when it's night! Incredible thing, this song! Terrifying.
But i like it!

Ballsy, Bill. 
 

Wow - you really have to be committed to stick with this.

That was really unexpected.

 aspicer wrote: 
No kidding! And no wonder...what trippy poetry ......

Thanks Bill! That was awesome.

You will NOT hear this on your local station!!!  Long live RP!