Horsemanning – Pictures and history of the viral internet meme

After Planking and Owling, Horsemanning is a photo trend that has gone viral. A concept back from the 1920s, Horsemanning is now a hot new Internet meme that has taken the online community by a storm. Here's a peak into this illusion, how Horsemanning originated, some of the best Horsemanning pictures and the steps of Horsemanning.

Horsemanning is an act that requires two people to get their picture taken in a way that one body looks beheaded while the other is the detached head. The first subject of the picture poses in a way that their head is either tilted backwards or angled in a way that it is not visible in the picture frame. The second subject of the picture poses in a way that only their head is visible. The result is a perfect Horsemanning picture and illusion. Like every other photo trend that has gone viral, there is a constant urge amongst those who indulge in Horsemanning to find creative ways for this Internet meme.

Horsemanning is thought to be a revival of a photo trend from the 1920s. The concept of the name 'Horsemanning' is often pegged at being drawn from the Headless Horseman in Washington Irving's The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow. In the 1920s, this photo trend of creating an illusion was considered popular. There is no exact evidence regarding how and when the concept of Horsemanning got revived, but Horsemanning pictures started surfacing on the Internet and social networking websites in mid 2011.

Anyone and everyone can practice Horsemanning, but you must know that unlike other popular fads like Planking and Owling, Horsemanning will require at least two people. Age is no bar either as we've seen Horsemanning pictures of people around the world. Man, women, girls and boys all seem to enjoy creating this illusion and posting pictures on the internet.

Horsemanning is one of the more complicated Internet meme around and it requires good positioning and a nice camera angle to create the perfect Horsemanning picture. Ideal places for easy Horsemanning pictures are benches, sofa, lounges and chairs. You should know that you are not limited to these spots. The more creative you can get, the better. For the purpose of this illustration, let's keep it simple and walk through the steps of Horsemanning assuming that you want to get your horsemanning picture taken on a sofa chair.

1. Find a good sofa to sit on. Make sure that the sofa or chair is stable enough and will not break or fall.

2. Ask your friend to sit behind the sofa in a way that their body is not visible from the camera view.

3. Sitting straight, simply lean back your head until a point that nothing above your shoulders is visible from a straight angle in the camera viewfinder.

4. Ask your friend who is sitting behind the sofa to raise their head up to come in the view of the camera.

5. Put your hand below their chin or grab the head from the top to give the visual illusion that you are holding your own decapitated head.

6. Get your picture taken.

Now that you've got your very own Horsemanning picture taken, you too can be a part of this viral photo trend and upload it on social networking websites. Whether it is in the form of your Facebook profile picture, a Twitter post, a picture on MySpace or you can even make a video about it and post in on YouTube. Like other fads, Horsemanning too has many communities on the internet where you can share your Horsemanning pictures with the other thousands out there.

There are no apparent risks while trying to take a Horsemanning picture. However, make sure that the spot that you select is firm and stable. You must also be careful that you don't bend your neck or back to an extent which may cause a sprain, injury or a disability. Be creative, but be safe and make sure you share your crazy horsemanning pictures!

Some of the coolest, craziest and wicked Horsemanning pictures