Horses won't walk over a grave

[Skeptic]

Even in the daytime a white horse will not walk over the grave of a vampire, but stands still and snorts and neighs.

OK, the quote above is a bit extreme, but I've heard this legend many times, often in cowboy films etc. Is there any truth in it?.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Is there any truth in it?.

Much more study is required to confirm. Please provide a list of vampire grave locations to begin study.

[Johnny Slick]

Vampire graves != Canada.

[Silas Sparkhammer]

In my experience, horses aren't very upset by the sight or scent of dead animals. One corner of the ranch where I grew up was where we dragged carcases: it was quite a boneyard. (I'm now an urbanized and citified computer dude...but I have a lovely cow's skull in my living room...) That area could really reek of death and decay. And we could ride horses right through it. No balking, no shying, no rearing. We humans showed more reluctance (it stank!) than the horses did.

I do not know about human bodies (let alone vampires) nor about buried bodies. But to the best of my knowledge, horses simply are not bothered by death.

Even another dead horse -- even one that had been a close friend and companion of the living horse -- was not an object of horror or avoidance. There was no evidence of a sense of sorrow or of loss. (We had two horses, kept together on open range for many years. One got killed by snakebite.)

I've never ridden a horse through a graveyard, but I would surmise that there would be no indication of awareness of the significance of the locale.

(Don't military funerals sometimes use horses to draw the casket? Is there any evidence of balking in such circumstances?)

Silas (damn silly legend, seems to me)

[Johnny Slick]

I don't exactly make it a habit of walking on top of graves, but is it just me or does a mound over a casket sometimes feel kind of... hollow? Like, squishier than the ground right next to it? This could be 100% my mind creating patterns where none exist, and I certainly never tested my theory by jumping up and down on a grave, but that's the tactile sensation I remember.

Perhaps that's a reason why horses are sometimes reticent to step on one... just brainstorming here.

[geminilee]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

I've never ridden a horse through a graveyard, but I would surmise that there would be no indication of awareness of the significance of the locale.

I have ridden a horse through a graveyard as a kid. They have no problem with walking over graves (or with attempting to graze on them if they get a chance.)

[BluesScale]

Hmmm.... but what percentage of the graves contained Vampires?

Actually, if we put aside the multiple problems with the idea of vampires, what would one be doing buried in a graveyard? Traditionally, they prefer a nice cellar with an unburied coffin with a little earth from their homeland

Blues

[Arriah]

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

I don't exactly make it a habit of walking on top of graves, but is it just me or does a mound over a casket sometimes feel kind of... hollow? Like, squishier than the ground right next to it? This could be 100% my mind creating patterns where none exist, and I certainly never tested my theory by jumping up and down on a grave, but that's the tactile sensation I remember.

Perhaps that's a reason why horses are sometimes reticent to step on one... just brainstorming here.

That was exactally my thought when I read the thread title. A fresh grave would tend to have pretty soft ground that a heavy animal like a horse might not want to step on since they could sink pretty easily. I'd think a vampire grave would be worse since they desentigrate into ash and would therefore be even less supportive than your standard decomposing human.

[Morrigan]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

Even another dead horse -- even one that had been a close friend and companion of the living horse -- was not an object of horror or avoidance. There was no evidence of a sense of sorrow or of loss. (We had two horses, kept together on open range for many years. One got killed by snakebite.)

Silas (damn silly legend, seems to me)

In a herd of around 12 horses, one died. The other knew it-and acted very down, depressed, reserved for several days. The herd all checked out the dead body of the horse, and acted very strange and reserved around it.

The horses I know evidenced sorrow and loss. I've also heard of other horses doing the same.

Morrigan

[Singing in the Drizzle]

Maybe it's all that garlic that is buried with vampires.

[Johnny Slick]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

In a herd of around 12 horses, one died. The other knew it-and acted very down, depressed, reserved for several days. The herd all checked out the dead body of the horse, and acted very strange and reserved around it.

The horses I know evidenced sorrow and loss. I've also heard of other horses doing the same.

Jeezola, Morrigan, do you live in a house or a zoo?

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by Arriah

That was exactally my thought when I read the thread title. A fresh grave would tend to have pretty soft ground that a heavy animal like a horse might not want to step on since they could sink pretty easily. I'd think a vampire grave would be worse since they desentigrate into ash and would therefore be even less supportive than your standard decomposing human.

I'm sorry I used the vampire quote as it seems to dominate the discussion. But on a more serious note, I wonder if the horses don't like standing on soft ground as some have suggested.
PS what is the collective noun for horses. I always used 'mob', others are using 'herd'.

[stalker]

Originally Posted by Skeptic

I'm sorry I used the vampire quote as it seems to dominate the discussion. But on a more serious note, I wonder if the horses don't like standing on soft ground as some have suggested.

Racehorses are at times on very soft ground and don't seem to have a problem with rearing. Of course they are usually galloping doing this but even cantering to post they'll be sinking into the ground without issue.

Originally Posted by Skeptic

PS what is the collective noun for horses. I always used 'mob', others are using 'herd'.

Wiki says herd should only be used for a collective of wild horses. I've never heard 'mob' used, a stable of horses is what I've commonly heard.

[Morrigan]

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

Jeezola, Morrigan, do you live in a house or a zoo?

Not my horses (this time)! They (except for my mare, which I was boarding there) belonged to another woman, and they were on her parent-in-laws property!

Morrigan

[Keket]

Originally Posted by Skeptic

I'm sorry I used the vampire quote as it seems to dominate the discussion. But on a more serious note, I wonder if the horses don't like standing on soft ground as some have suggested.
PS what is the collective noun for horses. I always used 'mob', others are using 'herd'.

In my experience, no, the horses are just fine with soft ground, to the point of being stupid about it. I've heard several stories of horses walking onto soft ground and sinking, and either having to be pulled out, or unforunately, shot.

We always use herd for a group. Never heard of only using that term for wild horses.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Skeptic

PS what is the collective noun for horses. I always used 'mob', others are using 'herd'.

According to Johnny Slick, the correct collective noun for horses is a 'morrigan'.

You all missed the point. The OP said a WHITE horse will balk. A white horse is rare!! Most horses that people think of as white are in fact gray (white hair, black skin underneath), a true white horse has pink skin and are much harder to come by. Perhaps a white horse would balk at a vampire grave. But combining the chances of coming across a white horse and a vampire grave are so improbable that future studies may have too low of a p value for significance.

For the soft ground comment, most horses prefer standing and walking on soft ground it is easier on their joints. My barn has an indoor arena that is all soft sand and the horses love the sawdust in their stalls.

ETA: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm for the name of groups. Funny it dosen't call horses a "herd" that's what we always call them.

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

In my experience, horses aren't very upset by the sight or scent of dead animals. One corner of the ranch where I grew up was where we dragged carcases: it was quite a boneyard. (I'm now an urbanized and citified computer dude...but I have a lovely cow's skull in my living room...) That area could really reek of death and decay. And we could ride horses right through it. No balking, no shying, no rearing. We humans showed more reluctance (it stank!) than the horses did.

My first thought was the smell of the body might deter the horse, but your practical experience disproves that.

Originally Posted by geminilee

I have ridden a horse through a graveyard as a kid. They have no problem with walking over graves (or with attempting to graze on them if they get a chance.)

Even more proof.

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

I don't exactly make it a habit of walking on top of graves, but is it just me or does a mound over a casket sometimes feel kind of... hollow? Like, squishier than the ground right next to it? This could be 100% my mind creating patterns where none exist, and I certainly never tested my theory by jumping up and down on a grave, but that's the tactile sensation I remember.

I get the same feeling. I attribute it to nerves.

[Penny]

Originally Posted by Keket

I've heard several stories of horses walking onto soft ground and sinking, and either having to be pulled out, or unforunately, shot.

I thought it was because they let the sadness of the swamps get to them (10 pts)

Originally Posted by Penny

I thought it was because they let the sadness of the swamps get to them (10 pts)

Never Ending Story!