A Unique Ceremonial Shanty
‘The Dead Horse’, also known as ‘Poor Old Horse’, ‘Old Horse’ and ‘Poor Old Man’, is one of the most unusual songs in the sea-shanty tradition.
Rather than accompanying everyday shipboard labour, the song was linked to a special ceremony carried out at the end of a sailor's first month at sea.
What Was the “Dead Horse”?
The expression “working off the dead horse” referred to the common practice of sailors receiving one month's wages in advance before a voyage began.
That advance pay was usually spent before departure on clothing, equipment, lodging, food, drink and other necessities. As a result, during their first month at sea sailors were effectively working to repay money already spent.
The End of the First Month
Once the first month had passed, sailors had finally worked off their advance and were beginning to earn wages for themselves.
This milestone was often celebrated with a shipboard ceremony known as “Burying the Dead Horse”.
The Ceremony at Sea
The crew would construct a horse effigy using spare materials found on board. Canvas, straw, rope and old barrels were commonly used to create the figure.
The horse would then be paraded around the deck while sailors sang ‘The Dead Horse’ shanty.
The Burial of the Horse
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the horse was hoisted high into the rigging, often to a yardarm, before being cast dramatically into the sea.
This symbolic act represented the sailor's debt being left behind and the beginning of a period of genuine earnings.
A Tradition of the Age of Sail
The ceremony became widespread aboard nineteenth-century merchant sailing ships, particularly those engaged in long ocean voyages.
Many sailors regarded the event as one of the few opportunities for celebration during otherwise hard and demanding voyages.
A Song with Older Roots
Folklorists have noted similarities between the maritime ceremony and older British folk customs involving the symbolic death and revival of animal characters during seasonal celebrations.
These connections suggest that sailors may have adapted existing folk traditions for life at sea.
A Ceremonial Rather Than a Work Shanty
Unlike hauling or capstan shanties, ‘The Dead Horse’ was primarily a ceremonial song.
Its purpose was not to coordinate labour, but to accompany a ritual that marked an important moment in a sailor's financial and social life aboard ship.
The Song Survives
As commercial sail disappeared, the ceremony itself largely vanished. The song, however, survived through collectors such as Joanna Colcord, W.B. Whall and Stan Hugill.
Today it remains one of the most distinctive and historically fascinating songs in the entire shanty repertoire.
“They say, old man, your horse will die,
And they say so, and they hope so;
Oh, poor old man!”
Why We Still Sing It
- It preserves an authentic shipboard tradition from the age of sail.
- It reflects the financial realities faced by nineteenth-century sailors.
- It is one of the few ceremonial shanties to survive into modern times.
- Its colourful ritual makes it a favourite at maritime events.
More than a simple sea song, ‘The Dead Horse’ offers a fascinating glimpse into the customs and humour of working sailors. Through its unusual ceremony and memorable chorus, it remains one of the most vivid reminders of life aboard the great sailing ships of the nineteenth century.