The art of horse whispering was kept a family secret, and horse dealing was conducted using handshakes and passwords to avoid charges of witchcraft. In Essex, 'Cunning Murrel' was used by farmers to heal livestock. Dan Wickett from Polperro, Cornwall, was a wort healer and had also horse whispering abilities. East Anglia was a major area for horse whispering. They often used in horse racing, talismans for 'drawing' - attracting horses, or 'jading', - repelling the horse. A wedge found in a foal's mouth'milt' or 'pad' was dried and soaked in oils to draw. To jade, a frog or natterjack toad was killed and impaled on a whitethorn to dry and buried for a month. It was then thrown into a running stream. One bone would float, and this. was kept as a talisman. This bone was the ileum or pelvic girdle and looks like a wishbone. It was carried in a pouch with flesh and other repellents and when placed in the horse's hoof would stop it from running fast. Herbs were used to attract, such as sorrell, bryony, cinnamon, rosemary, and tansy. Raw ginger under the horses tail would make it 'prance', called 'gingering up'. A twitch in the mouth would create pain and focus the horse's attention on the front of its head for operations at the back. Spiders web, chesse rind and harness leather were used to heal fleshwounds. Horse hair was used to make necklaces to cure goitre.
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