1. What’s the main proof that the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow was an AWFUL rider?
A) He knew no natural horsemanship training techniques.
B) He was continually prompting his horse to rear.
C) He never, ever used his head to solve riding problems.
2. Which variation on the tale of the Headless Horseman do horse lovers like least of all?
A) The Scottish tale involving a clan battle on the Isle of Mull.
B) The American tale involving a Hessian in the Revolutionary War.
C) They’re all equally creepy.
3. True or false: Sometimes the Headless Horseman’s horse is gray, not black.
T / F
4. What’s the most useful thing we horse owners can take away from any tale of the Headless Horseman?
A) The caution never to ride a horse into battle.
B) The encouragement to go ahead and just gallop full tilt.
C) The example of a nifty Halloween costume.
HOW’D YOU DO? (Answers below.)
1. C is correct, of course! Using your head is an essential riding skill. But you knew that. Extra kandy korn for you!
2. A is correct. The Scottish clan battle at Glen Cainnir on the Isle of Mull involved a warrior who was decapitated and denied any chance to be a chieftain. Why do we hate it the most? His horse was also headless.
3. T is correct. A German folk tale set in Saxony involves a woman gathering acorns in a forest. She hears a hunting horn, then sees a headless horseman in a long, gray coat, sitting on a gray horse.
4. C is correct. The Headless Horseman does make a great Halloween costume for a horse-and-rider pair.
[Just in time! Learn how to desensitize your horse to a costume and more.]
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