# Horse Superstitions :O



## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

I found some of these old Bedouin/whatever idk superstitions and was wondering perhaps some of them are true eh? :0 If you know any superstitions yourself please post some! I know some may be completely not true and not make sense but their fun to know 

*Book of the Good and Evil Signs of Horses, and their Auguries for Good or Evil. Written by Khalil Rizkallah al-khuri of Gaza, to the dictation of Shaikh ‘Isa al-‘Uqaidi*


The rider of the mawardi (mixed black, white and red coat) will be fortunate and never wretched if his mount shall bear a soma (swirl) on the lower center of its forehead, between the eyebrows and a strip on its left hind leg. It is lucky if the star on his horse’s forehead is above the soma, but unlucky if the soma projects into the white part.

The owner of a pack sorrel will shortly suffer poverty or death.

Blessed is a bay with a black mane and black at the bottom of its legs, and a black line along its back from withers to tail, especially it if has a soma between its eyebrows.

A gray mare is luck y if the bottom of its legs are black, and black too on its mane and tail, with the soma on its forehead and white on its upper lip.

A white horse is lucky if its coat has no unlucky signs, if it has the soma, and if its hooves are blue.

The worst of horses is the Isabella (dun or buckskin???) without stripes, but it is lucky and much sought after it if is black at the bottom of its legs with a black mane and black tail linked by a line of black.

Apart form the bay, no horse should be assam, that is to say, lacking in white hairs. The assam is a horse of ill omen.

Yellow eyes and white eyelids are the sign of a vicious, restless horse, stubborn yet fearful, and apt to stop suddenly while racing.

A soma in the middle of the face is the more highly regarded the higher it is placed. But if the soma is placed on the left, the horse will not be worth much at a sale, and if on the right, the rider will suffer greatly.

On the forehead, two spikes like ears of corn connected by long rough hairs make the sign of the grave; if they are not connected, the animal will not be dangerous, though it will nto fetch much at market. Three spikes mean that the animal is useless and valueless. One above the other, shows that the horse will be stolen and its owner weak and weary. He will be arrested if some hairs divided in a regular line s how the skin.

Some horses posses below the mane little round spikes called dawamat. Two of these, one above the other, do not augur badly, but their owners will marry two women. Only one of these spikes, to the right of the neck, will be unlucky; one to the left will be lucky. rider will encounter bad luck, and fall, if b bristly hairs are found on the nose. Its rider will be accused f theft if there is a dark patch on the bottom of the upper lip; if it is completely black, he will always be melancholy.

Small eyes and small head reveal viciousness and rebelliousness. 

Two spikes on the nape or behind it are lucky; two spikes above reveal a stubborn nature.

A horse with an extended palm on its neck below the mane will be offered to a Governor. If the palm is broken, making two, its owner will be wounded and the horse stolen from him with violence.

If there are two spikes near the customary palms on the chest, the omen is for suffeirng.
Wings or spikes under the chest, near the top of the legs and towards the joint, guarantee the animal’s excellence.

Spikes turned upward and above the forelegs, as seen in dogs, assure the horse of a great owner, as long as they are found above the knee. If below the knee, they will cause ruination to the owner of the place where the horse is tied. A palm mark is lucky if found in front of the strap; if found behind, its owner will become a thief.

Two ears of corn behind the withers are very bad, indicating dishonor.

Long palms on the flanks, show that the horse will race well; short palms show a weak runner; broken palms show that the horse will be restive and will stop unexpectedly at the gallop. Near the flanks, at the stomach, are the spikes called tasamait, a sign that the horse will often change hands.

The wife of the owner of a horse with a spike, palm or other mark behind either haunch will be accused of adultery. A mare with these signs will consequently be removed from honest houses, for if a woman who lives there passes a spot still moist from the horse’s urine, she will become a harlot.

Bristly hair on the fetlock turned downward denotes hat the horse will be stolen from its owner. Spikes on the chest of shoulders show that the owner will be wounded.


A horse with a strip on all four legs will keep his owner happy, providing the strips to not extend above the knee and the fetlock, in which case, harm is assured. Devils will ride any black horse which has no marking whatsoever.

Sooo...do you know these to be true?? Dunnn dunnn duhhhh....:shock:


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

Weirdly enough although we're not Arabic descendant there is the same superstition about dun / buckskins in Romania.

People tend to avoid them saying they're "good for nothing" or "untrusty"

And indeed we have a very very low amount of representatives of this color.

I am thinking it's maybe we were occupied by the Ottoman Empire for quite a while and along with their culinary preferences they passed along their horse superstitions too 

Also a thick blaze is not well regarded here while a star or a snip are preferred.

Funny thing is people never knowq to answer why, they just know "it's not right"

Does America have any old superstitions of their own regarding horses?


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I've heard some things but they're not really superstitions, just like sayings. 

One is "never change a horses name". 

Another is "Chestnut mare, beware". 

Also my instructor told me once when I was a kid that whenever my horse rolled fully over he was worth $100 more, which is apparently another of those things. 

I don't like big blazes either - but not because of their looks, but because of the pink noses. We have so much sun down here heaps of horses (especially greys) get skin cancer


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## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

I don't know if there's many american ones, but there are things like roman noses are slow learners, and a horse with a long mouth is very intelligent, and theres many superstitions about swirls, mostly originating from the gypsies i just think it's really interesting haha


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## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

and i do know why most of the white hoof superstitions mean unluckiness, it's because white hooves are weaker and more likely to crack compared to the blue/black hooves. so that does make sense eh?


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Actually the white legs one is regarded as a bit of a myth - white horn has never proven to be any stronger then black horn, so it's mostly just another superstition. And ironically, there are TWO poems - each saying the opposite of the other:

*One white foot, buy him.
Two white feet, try him.
Three white feet, be on the sly.
Four white feet, pass him by. *

and

_*One white foot, keep him not a day,
Two white feet, send him far away,
Three white feet, sell him to a friend,
Four white feet, keep him to the end.*_


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## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

Ohh haha how strange! That's pretty funny how you found opposite superstitions i guess that's why they are only superstitions  hehe


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I've heard plenty:

If a horse steps out of his stall right foot first, it's good luck. If left food first, it's bad luck.

If a horse steps in the footprint of a wild dog, wolf, or coyote, they will go lame.

Using the same halter (or bridle, in some versions) on two different horses on a show day is very bad luck.

I've heard two versions of this one. First is, if a pregnant women sees a donkey and on the same day finds out she's pregnant, the child will grow up wise, strong, intelligent, and humble. Another version is if a women sees a donkey during any stage of pregnancy. 

If you see a white dog, be silent until you see a white horse. White horses are generally bad luck, unless you are with your lover, in which case seeing one white horse is a good sign.

If the first thing you hear in the morning is a donkey's bray, today will be your lucky day.

The luckiest shoe of all comes from the back foot of a grey (or black, I've heard both) mare.


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## ridingmymlc (Oct 26, 2010)

I don't usually believe stuff like that, but I did have a vet walk up to a horse and say, "this horse has two swirls between its eyes - it must be crazy." Pretty much summed up this particular horse. She was already tranquilized when he approached her, so her behavior hadn't given him away. Maybe it's some sort of genetic trait where personality pops up with certain physical traits or something.


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## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

Well, the 2 swirl thing is apparently "really" true, but my mare has two swirls, and i must say she isn't crazy at all, probably the most calm and good minded horse i've ever approached, but it is said that it isnt uncommon for a horse with two swirls to be the opposite of crazy but most of the time, they are crazy. - apparently -


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## ColtHearted (Oct 4, 2010)

I've always heard horses with blue eyes were nuts, but I've never had an issue with them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

Brighteyes said:


> I've heard plenty:
> 
> First is, if a pregnant women sees a donkey and on the same day finds out she's pregnant, the child will grow up wise, strong, intelligent, and humble. Another version is if a women sees a donkey during any stage of pregnancy.


A donkey! A donkey! A kingdom for a donkey! Staring at an internet picture won't do the job I guess eh? :lol:


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

A horse is worth a thousand dollars for every time he rolls all the way over in one rolling session. My trainer told me that, and she heard it from an old cowboy.

And, the best-bred horses have manes that lay on both sides of their neck. I heard that one from my farrier. lol


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## The Rocking U (Sep 16, 2010)

I've always thought solid white hooves were a little more brittle but some out here say the reverse! I guess that's what shoes are for? I've also heard of blue eyes going bad quicker! I've never seen any proof though, in fact, I tend to get along with blue eyed better(don't know why). I was told when i was little that if a colt could roll completely over it was priceless because that meant it would never get colic! Boy was that wrong! AND, expensive!


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## rocky pony (Oct 5, 2007)

Wait, I'm confused, in the OP, what are spikes, palms and ears of corn (in this context)?


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