Horsey folkore and superstitions

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FubsyMog

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Was talking to OH about how it is traditionally (in Britain anyway) considered to be bad luck to change a horse's name. He is very interested in folk traditions and superstitions and things like that and has read quite a few books on the topic but had never heard of this one, even though I thought it was pretty well known, even outside the horsey fraternity.

So... what other folklore and superstitions are there to do with horses? Either from Britain or further afield!:)
 
I only know a couple... Plaiting with ribbons and decorating the horse with horse brasses to ward off witches, horse shoes are lucky, and witches would steal horses at night and hag ride them, leaving them exhusted and sweated up in the morning. I think they would also plait their manes, which might be where the worry about finding plait in the horses mane comes from?
Kx
 
The horses name one is the one that springs to mind, mostly because when I moved to the Netherlands I realised that is really is just the UK that has this one. It is totally normal over here to change their names (which I then did with my KWPN - she had the same name as my Mum! - and she turned out to be a lunatic that shattered my confidence so maybe there is something in it!!)

I always consider it bad luck to go cross country plaited up. The ONE time I did (PC ODE that did XC before SJ) was the worst XC I have ever ever done, fell off and wrecked my horse's confidence. I would actually unplait and replait now I feel so strongly about it!
 
Circe said:
and witches would steal horses at night and hag ride them, leaving them exhusted and sweated up in the morning.
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This one comes from the fact horses were stabled in poorly ventilated buildings, so they'd sweat up overnight. The obvious explanation for this was that witches were stealing the horses for a wild night time ride.

A bit unrelated, but nightmares come from the belief that there was an incubus who would sit on peoples's chests and suffocate them. He apparently particularly liked virginal young girls (what a surprise...)
 
it is only my superstition but i NEVER plait a tail or have 1/4 markings...any time ive had them ive had bad luck
i would also never change a name.....
 
When I started working in a saddlery about 30 years ago it was considered unlucky to have anything green on a horse. Even when it became more popular to have colours other than red, black or blue it was a longtime before ropes, numnahs and rugs etc came in green.
 
I was as a child told its unlucky to not have your keepers done up, otherwise you will fall off!
I now really have a problem without having everything done up and if the one of the cheek piece or throat lash slips out of its keeper, i have to stop and sort :-(
Can see the point but it doesn't help
Green was also unlucky
 
I think there is often a grain of truth in these old superstitions. A lost horse shoe can often be put back on so it really is lucky to find one and somehow they never are found that easily!

I'm fascinated by The Horseman's Word which was a secret society of the ploughmen in the North East of Scotland, formed to guard the secrets of their trade. It was a bit like the Freemasons (used to be?) with rituals being gone through and the indoctrinate of new entrants with oaths and threats and "shaking hands with the Devil" (a goat's foot!). They shared secrets of horsemanship and acted as a trade union for the men who worked the heavy horses which provided the power for farming.

At one time they staged a strike for more money. The farmers resisted and turned out to work the horses themselves. One trick the members employed was to smear pig dung on the posts of the stable door and on the insides of the horses' collars. Most horses instinctively hate pigs and their smell so the farmers had difficulty tacking up, let alone leading the horses out of the stable!
 
jodie3 said:
When I started working in a saddlery about 30 years ago it was considered unlucky to have anything green on a horse. .
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Any idea why green was supposed to be unlucky?


Dry Rot said:
I'm fascinated by The Horseman's Word which was a secret society of the ploughmen in the North East of Scotland, formed to guard the secrets of their trade. It was a bit like the Freemasons (used to be?) with rituals being gone through and the indoctrinate of new entrants with oaths and threats and "shaking hands with the Devil" (a goat's foot!). They shared secrets of horsemanship and acted as a trade union for the men who worked the heavy horses which provided the power for farming.
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Ooh, this sounds interesting - do you know of anywhere I could find more info? Or is it one of those things that very little was recorded and it's word-of-mouth history?
 
There's the old one; 'one white sock, buy it, two white socks, try it, three white socks, leave it alone, four white socks, stay at home'. But then, 'no good horse is ever a bad colour'. Bit of contradiction there!
 
vickyb said:
There's the old one; 'one white sock, buy it, two white socks, try it, three white socks, leave it alone, four white socks, stay at home'. But then, 'no good horse is ever a bad colour'. Bit of contradiction there!
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I know a slightly different version: One white sock buy it, two white socks try it, three white socks look well about it, four white socks leave it alone.

It wouldn't put me off really, I think four white socks looks really smart. Did this have anything to do with pink hooves being thought of as weaker - ooh, there's another one! I think that's a myth though the structure is the same.
 
In France, 3 whites socks = the king's horse, 4 white socks = straight to slaughter!

Not a folklore, but I struggle with personalised items on horses. I can't bring myself to order any as the only time I did I lost the horse before it was delivered and the arrival of that saddlecloth was the most heart breaking thing.
 
FubsyMog said:
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Ooh, this sounds interesting - do you know of anywhere I could find more info? Or is it one of those things that very little was recorded and it's word-of-mouth history?
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I'd like to know more myself...but it WAS a secret society!
The "word" came from the practice of the members appearing to whisper into a horse's ear when they handled a difficult one. Apparently, that had a rapid calming effect on a nervous horse, but they might just have been talking quietly and stroking the horse which is also known to work (Google for the early horse whisperers, Sullivan etc). Apparently, a lot of their knowledge involved the use of herbs and scents. But they were all sworn to secrecy so not much is known.
 
vickyb said:
There's the old one; 'one white sock, buy it, two white socks, try it, three white socks, leave it alone, four white socks, stay at home'.
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Yes, I knew of this one too, only referring the the hooves rather than just socks. Numpty question alert - do legs with white socks always have white hooves?
 
Surprised noone has mentioned the old chestnut mare superstition. Of the four mares I've owned the chestnut was by far the easiest so definitely doesn't follow the rule! Think it stems from the fact that the colour is/was more common in "hot" breeds such as thoroughbreds or Arabs than in draught animals.
 
doriangrey said:
I know a slightly different version: One white sock buy it, two white socks try it, three white socks look well about it, four white socks leave it alone.

It wouldn't put me off really, I think four white socks looks really smart. Did this have anything to do with pink hooves being thought of as weaker - ooh, there's another one! I think that's a myth though the structure is the same.
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The version I was taught is: one white foot: buy; two white feet: try; three white feet: doubt; four white feet: shoot!

My farrier says this is nonsense as feet are the same; but white legs certainly seem to be more prone to mud fever-my mare has four, fab strong white feet attached to four very mud fever prone white legs :/
 
doriangrey said:
I know a slightly different version: One white sock buy it, two white socks try it, three white socks look well about it, four white socks leave it alone.
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Heehee almost scans; I knew it as "four white socks do well without it"

FubsyMog said:
do legs with white socks always have white hooves?
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Mine doesn't because he has Ermine spots, but I believe they pretty much always do if the sock isn't wonky :D
 
ann-jen said:
Surprised noone has mentioned the old chestnut mare superstition. Of the four mares I've owned the chestnut was by far the easiest so definitely doesn't follow the rule! Think it stems from the fact that the colour is/was more common in "hot" breeds such as thoroughbreds or Arabs than in draught animals.
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What about Suffolk Punches?
 
Oh bother, I've got a chestnut mare with four whites, and I have changed her name and got her a green headcollar..!
 
To see a horse roll three times is good luck. Prophets thumb mark is good luck, whorlson the head are good luck. No ideaif they are true but I have heard them all somewhere
 
When harnessing a horse it is considered unlucky to put the saddle across it's back before putting the collar on. Some drivers will not drive the horse if it is accidentally harnessed up in the wrong order.
 
I bought a 3 yo tb and changed his name from George to Hadleigh. He was way too pretty to be a George....no offence to all the equine George's out there! He died aged 31 having given me hardly any trouble or illness his whole life. A real gent and my best friend ever.
 
And sadly I changed the name of my chestnut mare as she was called "little Shirley". I hated the name and feared offending my aunt of the same name. I say sadly as she was hit by a car out hacking and had to be Pts. So maybe there is something in the bad luck with a name change thing :-(
 
I've heard that the number of times a horse flips over when rolling predicts the amount of days of good weather. So if the horse flips only once tomorrow will be fine but it will be cold the day after.
 
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