 Though there is a tenon on top of the stone slab, scholars have argued this would not have supported a cross -head and could indicate that the Sun Stone played an architectural function.The ‘Cuddy Stane’ has gotten its name from its rider's steed, which appears more like a donkey than a horse.The stone has been damaged since it was illustrated in 1856, which records the rider's upper half and the shape of the cross-head.