HORSEY FOLKLORE: THE PROPHET’S THUMBPRINT

By Lalique Lemberger

The ancient Bedouin legend of the Prophet’s Thumbprint has been carried over through the generations and to this day horses who bear this mark are believed, by some, to be exceptional in some way.

The myth originated with the Arabian horse, but today the mark is borne by many varieties of equines, including Thoroughbreds and mixed breed ponies alike. When we consider that Arabians were used as a foundation for so many breeds, perhaps it is no surprise that this is the case and perhaps it in fact just speaks to the validity of this legend.

The story goes something like this: the Prophet Muhammad one day decided to test the loyalty of his beloved Arabian horses by depriving his herd of water for several days. Some say that he was commanded to do so by Allah, as it was widely thought that Muhammad loved his horses more than anything else, so wouldn’t put them through an ordeal like this unless instructed by Allah.

On the third day of water deprivation he set his thirsty horses free and sent them out to the watering hole, but just before they could get there, he sounded a fake battle call on his horn. Naturally, most of his desperately thirsty horses ignored the call and carried on in the pursuit of water – all except for five mares, who stopped in their tracks and immediately returned to him, thirst unquenched, to charge with him into battle.

Muhammad then knew that these mares had outstanding loyalty and that their foals would inherit their exceptional traits. In recognition, he blessed them with a special indentation of his thumb, so that all the world would know of their noble actions.