Horseman's Word

views updated

Horseman's Word

A persistent theme in British folklore is the magic word or phrase that can tame an unruly horse. Gypsies were reputed to have this secret, and it was also known to members of a mysterious group of individuals known as the Brotherhood of the Horseman's Word. In other parts of Britain, horse handlers with the secret were said to practice horse-whispering. It has been suggested that the secret was in substances with an attractive smell for the horse, and that the whispering was simply a blowing in the ear of the animal.