Horsey folkore and superstitions

It was always thought to be lucky if you find the meconium (sp) that little oval shaped liver like thing you sometimes see after foaling, I found my foals and my dad told me to nail it above my stable door to bring me good luck with the foal. I have always also been told when you sell a horse you should hand the buyer some luck money to bring them good luck with the horse, I personally would never change a horses name (just incase lol)
 
The_snoopster said:
It was always thought to be lucky if you find the meconium (sp) that little oval shaped liver like thing you sometimes see after foaling, I found my foals and my dad told me to nail it above my stable door to bring me good luck with the foal. )
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Is this what is known as "foal's bread"? And DID you nail it up?!


Thanks for all the replies folks!
 
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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The variation on that one that I've always heard is: "four white socks: send it far away; three white socks: keep it not a day: one white sock: give it to a friend; one white sock: keep it till the end".

I've had three lovely ponies/horses throughout my life. Each had a white sock. Each were/are very very special horses. So IME there's definate truth in this one.
 
Here's my version:

One sock - buy it
Two socks - try it
Three socks - question it
Four socks - reject it

One of the most difficult animals I've ever owned (or met), had one white sock. My current boy has four socks and while he is no angel, I am very pleased I didn't stick to the superstition.

I've also heard the Chestnut mare, green tack and name changing superstitions. Years ago my friend actually changed her horse's name from something non descript to Rebel and the following week he jumped the gate of the indoor school with her sharer on board who fell off onto the concrete outside.
 
Yes I nailed mine to the top of the field shelter, I have a very healthy 3 year old filly now. The lump shrivelled up and disapeared eventually. I also found my friends foal "bread" and she nailed hers to the stable too lol
 
I've heard of some people who are superstitious bout black mares as well as those that are chesnut!

I've got one of each! LOL! :p
 
soot said:
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.
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Oh, soot how awful! Brought a lump to my throat imagining that - poor thing.
 
Interesting how many variants of the white socks rhyme there are - I wonder if there is any regional pattern to this?

Anybody know why green tack is supposed to be unlucky? Doesn't seem to have done Mary King any harm!
 
Umm, quite a few. My final year project for my foundation degree was based around equine folklore, so I've spent a lot of time looking for them!

If you see a white dog you should be silent until you see a white horse.
Upon encountering a white horse you should spit and make a wish until a dog (preferably white) is seen.
If you lead a white horse through your house it will banish all evil.
Seeing a white horse on the way to church is lucky for the bride and groom.
Placing three hairs from a donkey's shoulders in a muslin bag worn around the neck is a cure for whooping cough or measles.
Sitting backwards on a donkey is a cure for toothache.
If a woman who is pregnant sees a donkey the child will be wise and well behaved.
Don't compete with change in your pocket.
A horse with a Prophets Thumb mark is a descendant of one of Prophet Mohammed's five brood mares.
Nailing a horseshoe above the door to the house will bring good luck.
If the ends of the horseshoe point down the luck will drain away.
Never kick a paper cup thrown down at a rodeo.
Never put your hat on your bed.
Betting on the horse that has travelled furthest to the race will increase your chances of success.
Always shave before a competition - you need to be clean, else Lady Luck will leave you alone
If you can see the ground through your keepers you will end up sitting on the ground - I have plaiting bands under my keepers to keep them in place and so that you can't see the ground through them
 
ChinaTree said:
A horse with a Prophets Thumb mark is a descendant of one of Prophet Mohammed's five brood mares.
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Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that one :)

ETA: I did know a horse once with what looked like a number six on its head, but it was really quite sweet.
 
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Yet another one for the white socks,

One white sock buy it,
Two white socks try it.
Three white socks give it the eye,
Four white socks pass it by .

Dont know what you are supposed to do with no white socks :)
We have all sorts so dont think it makes much difference. The new games /racing pony has one white sock and hoof and so far has gone lame on that for over 60 % of the time we have had him bless.
Sons new horse has four stockings (coloured ISH) and he is fantastic so who knows
 
Someone on here has mentioned the 'luck penny' thing. When selling I always used to give something away with the horse (usually a headcollar) to bring the buyer luck.
Another one I have remembered; when a horse has a prominent convex bump on its forehead between its eyes, it's a sign of a bad temperament. Has anyone else heard this one?
 
I only came across the 'luck money' when I moved to Ireland. Just recently bought a youngster (for very little), so was a tad embarrassed to be handed some money back. But it's tradition so I shouldn't have been really. The Kelpie is a supernatural horse/pony in folklore that lures people into water and bogs (it's Gaelic but not sure whether it is of Scottish or Irish origin) in order to drown and devour them. It's usually described as white (but can appear black) or as a beautiful women. Whatever, it's intent is always evil ... :)
 
I changed the name of my gelding because his old name was just horrible. I have had nothing but bad luck with him, and in the 3 years I've owned him I must have ridden him fewer than 20 times. He's now retired at age 11.
 
This was the one I grew up with,

Four white socks, keep him not a day
Three white socks, send him far away
Two white socks, give him to a friend
One white sock, keep him to the end.

Never had a horse that wasn't a solid colour though so don't know if any ring true.
 
FubsyMog said:
considered to be bad luck to change a horse's name.
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I've changed a horses name (with no repurcussions!). I only change a horses name if I really don't like their name when I get them. One of my horses was called "David", luckily the owner before changed it ;) Funny thing was, that was the one horse my OH (called David!) really liked and loved to ride...
 
How fascinating! The only one I have heard is the chestnut mare one... compounded by reading lots of Ginny books, and having a chestnut filly try to boot me in the face as a teenager lol ;)
 
Green is unlucky in Celtic cultures it is the colour of fairy folk and it represents decay and thus thought unlucky horses where valuable and lives depended on them thus it was not put on them.
 
iconique said:
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
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Me too :)

I am anal about keepers, and everyone thinks I am strange :(

Plus a new one has happened!!

I always pull forward legs and spray!!

If I don't do that things go wrong :(
 
Always saddle before bridle when tacking up .. And always wear my lucky knickers at a competition .. What happens a week long show I hear you ask ?? ;) fabreeze .. Wet wipes .. And a kettle of hot water ..that's all I will say about that :p
 
Oh god I'm doomed!! My gelding has 4 white socks and I have a chestnut mare!!!

My mare also has a prophets thumb print (friend told me to send her back when I brought her as she was missing a bit lol) and I've had nothing but trouble with her and she is now retired at 11yo so hasn't been good luck for us :(
 
"Red and green should na'er be seen"
Don't change a horses name, as its unlucky.
The number of times a horse rolls over, when well obviously not if colicky!, means its worth £1000 for every time it goes right over. I wonder if it was £100 a time in years gone by, as £1000 would seem a lot thirty or more years ago!
A horse shoe should be hung on its side, as the devil can get out, but the luck doesn't fall out.
As someone else said, wonder how many are regional variations.
 
Spottyappy said:
The number of times a horse rolls over, when well obviously not if colicky!, means its worth £1000 for every time it goes right over. I wonder if it was £100 a time in years gone by, as £1000 would seem a lot thirty or more years ago!
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oh gosh i remember being told this years ago...although slightly different
'you can add £1000 to the horses value if it can role all the way over!'
wonder why people thought a horse could roll over all the way was more valuable?
 
TandD said:
oh gosh i remember being told this years ago...although slightly different
'you can add £1000 to the horses value if it can role all the way over!'
wonder why people thought a horse could roll over all the way was more valuable?
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I think they thought it indicated it had a healthy back.
 
A horse that can roll right over is supposed to be worth a thousand pounds for every time it manages to get right over. I would guess that is because a fit horse can roll over and one with back problems cant but I dont know where it comes from. When I was a child it was a hundred pounds I would say the increase is due to inflation
All horses and donkeys bow down at midnight on Christmas eve is another thought
 
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What a great thread! I know a few..

I've heard the chestnut mare/socks ones a lot - however I've always wanted a chestnut mare with 4 white socks haha. The only one I'm really superstitious about is changing a horses name, even though I know plenty of people who have done.

My late gelding had a prophet's thumb and everyone used to comment on it and how lucky it was - he certainly was not lucky and was broken 99% of the time!!

I'm sure there's a horsey superstition about duns and buckskins too - the duns with a dorsal stripe are lucky, however the buckskins without the dorsal stripe are considered untrustworthy? Can't remember where I heard it though (I've had one of each...!)

Apparently the luckiest horseshoes come from the hind leg of grey mares, I've always heard they should be either facing up or facing up & slightly tilted so that the luck can't pour out... but not sure this is the case in all countries as i'm sure in some they nail them facing down? Apparently horseshoes nailed above a door will also scare off any witches as they are afraid of horses.

People also used to believe that inhaling a horses breath would cure hooping cough.

And I've also heard that dreaming of a grey horse is a death omen - not promising!

There's also a superstition about the Spanish riding school of Vienna which is a really old one - they always have at least one brown/bay stallion in each performance for good luck - otherwise they fear the school could fall on hard times & be forced to close.
 
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