If a statue depicting a person on a horse with both front legs in the air, the person died in a battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in a battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
The hoof code mostly holds true in terms of Gettysburg equestrian statues, but there is at least one exception. James Longstreet wasn't wounded in this battle yet his horse has one foot raised. (illustration from Longstreet page) The article has a pretty good list of statues that do and don't match the "tradition". Short version of the article -
On a statue of a horse and rider, the number of legs in the air reveals information about how the rider died: both legs in the air means they died during a battle, one leg in the air means they died later of wounds inflicted during a battle. All legs on the ground and they died unconnected to any battles they might have been in.
A horse statue with legs raised in the air is said to signify that the rider was killed in battle. Although this is a common belief among some equestrians and artisans alike, this designation is not universally applied.
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Do London's Horse Statues Follow A Hidden Code? ... Sir George Stuart White ... One hoof up. The unfortunate king died of gangrene two weeks after taking an arrow during a siege in France. ...
