The four riders are summoned with the opening of the first four of the seven seals that bring forth the cataclysm: 

• Conquest / Pestilence (White Horse): Often interpreted to symbolize Christ or the Antichrist, this rider is given a crown and a bow, and comes to conquer. 
• War (Red Horse): This rider is given a great sword to take peace from the earth and cause people to slaughter one another. 
• Famine (Black Horse): Carrying a pair of balance scales, this rider represents scarcity, starvation, and economic inflation where basic necessities become incredibly expensive. 
• Death (Pale Horse): The only horseman explicitly named in the text, this rider represents mortality, and is followed by the realm of the grave.