Animal totems as symbols in folk rituals are common and go back probably further than any of us can track. By far the most prolific of these is the hobby horse. Often associated with calendar customs as well as an accompanying figure for many Morris dance sides, there are a number of common varieties of hobby horse and they are found in customs around the world.
In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, creator and host Mark Norman examines the motif of the hobby horse as well as telling a little about a very unusual one that he is currently preserving.