User:74.207.196.74/Horsemanning (Internet meme)

Horsemanning, or fake beheading, was reportedly a popular way to pose in a photograph in the 1920′s. Sometimes spelled horsemanning, 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 was found at a local flea market. Soon after its discovery, a series of horsemaning photos began trending on sites like Buzzfeed 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.

How to Horseman

The objective of horsemanning 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, horsmaning 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, horsmaning encourages social interaction as it requires a partner.