12 pounds of C-4? Unless that horse had legs the diameter of a steam boiler, somebody didn't know how to calculate for blasting (or didn't care to do so).

Since the thing was probably hollow, a couple of pounds on each leg on one side, tamped with some sandbags, would probably have cut away enough to topple the statue. But then I wasn't there to do the calculations.

Maybe even several turns of PETN det cord would've done the trick.

Of course, if you have a LOT of explosives....

As for blowing up symbols, there's a rather famous section of film showing the demolition of the Nazi symbol on the top of the stadium in Nuremberg (I think it was there, anyway).