folklore and superstitions in the horse world

i would love to hear your superstitions and folklore associated with horses. old and new, wise or just plain quirky! some that i know are never put any harness on your horse before you put on the breast collar- if you do misfortune is sure to follow. never paint a cart or wagon green, plant an elder tree near the stables to stop witches in thier tracks, rowan trees are good to guard your boundaries from intruders.horseshoes; some say if you hang them ends up, the devil sits in them, if you hang them ends down, your luck drains away, you should hang them sideways to be on the safe side ... im really looking forward to hearing some from other countries!!! thanks !

Cowboys (exspecially rodeo cowboys) always turn their hats upward, becuase that is where there luck is. And if you see one turn their hat downward. they have had a run of bad luck out, and they are trying to dumpg the bad luck.

Also, in the older days, rodeo cowboys would never put a hat on a bed, that is bad luck. And so was wearing yellow.

Back in the cowboy days, if the guys were around the campfire and heard their horses throwing a fit in the darkness, they were afraid to go look to see what was wrong. In the morning, many of the horses would have "witches stirrups" (hag knots) in their mane where the witches had braided the hair and spent the night riding on the horse's neck.

of course, yellow is the color of a coward.

these are really interesting- thanks very much, and hope to hear more. in u.k. its very unlucky to change a horses name; probably the same in u.s.a.? and here we also have witches plaits, for the same reason. does anyone have any folk remedies to share?

>>of course, yellow is the color of a coward.

LAME!!!! I don't think we're unlucky... or cowards. o_O

Yeah its considered unlucky to change a horses name in Oz too.

Also medicine hat horses (paints with painted ears) in American Indian culture were reserved only for Witch doctors paticularily with blue eyed.
Dogs, wolves etc with one blue one brown eye were considered to be in cohorts with the spirit world.
Gray horses and horses with four white feet are considered unlucky in racing.
The luckiest horse shoe of all, is one from the hind leg of a grey mare. (I'll remember that next time Dana chucks a shoe out on a ride and I have to walk back :P)
A local superstition in lincolnshire, UK says; If you see a white dog, stay silent until you see a white horse.
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna traditionally retains a bay or brown coloured horse for performances. This is due to the ancient superstition that if one was not kept, the institution could fall on bad times and be forced to close its doors. So far over the centuries, this belief seems to have worked, as the school has escaped countless wars, bombings, earthquakes and, as recently as 1992, a fire at the Hofburg Palace where the horses are kept.
A bristish law states that an englishmen must not sell a horse to a scotsman.
In New York City , it is illegal to open or close an umbrella in the presense of a horse.
Colorado bans fishing from horseback , as do Washington DC and Utah.
(to make a law means someone must have done it...what an idiot!!)

I've heard the "bad luck to change a horse's name" thing too.

I was raised doing this actually...but whenever you see a pure white horse, you're supposed to quickly lick the first two fingers of your right hand, smack them into your left palm, and then hit your left palm with your right hand in a fist. For good luck. :)

The only one I can think of is yellow is bad luck.

Hang your horse shoes with the points up like a U so the luck doesn't run out.

* If a horse steps out of its stall right foot first, it's good luck.

* A small white spot on a horse's back foot is a symbol of speed.

* If a horse is born pale and darkens, it's good luck.

* Blue jewels hung from a horse's bridle will protect it from the evil eye.

* If the first thing you hear in the morning is a donkey's bray, you'll have good luck.