Horsemanning / Horsemaning

The First Horsemaning (circa 1920)

Horsemanning Origins

Horsemanning, or fake beheading, was reportedly a popular way to pose in a photograph in the 1920’s. Sometimes spelled horsemaning, the horsemanning photo fad derives its name from the Headless Horseman, an evil character from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” According to internet legend, the “original” horsemanning photo on the left was found at a local flea market. Soon after its discovery, a series of horsemanning photos began trending on sites like RandomlyHeard and people got inspired to recreate the horseman. Horsemanning is experiencing currently a revival and is best known as a new form of planking, owling or cone-ing. Check out our gallery which even includes some famous celebrities horsemanning!

How to Horseman

The objective of horsemanning / horsemaning is to make it appear that the photo’s subject has been beheaded; a head detached from a body like the Headless Horseman. Horsemanning requires two individuals, one laying with their head back and hidden and the other exposing only their head in the picture. If done correctly, horsemanning produces a brilliant optical illusion and allows for more creativity than other photo-posing fads like planking. Also, while planking and owling are a solo games, horsemanning encourages social interaction as it requires a partner. Does this help the “forever alone” redditor?

Join the Horsemanning Movement

Joining the horsemanning / horsemaning movement is easy – just grab a friend and horseman! Check out our photo gallery for creative ideas and submit your picture for posting. You can also join the social community and even create your own horsemanning meme.