Episode 166 Lady Wonder The Psychic Horse

In the 1920s, a Virginia horse named Lady Wonder stunned the public with her supposed psychic powers - spelling out answers, solving crimes, even picking presidents. Was she a telepathic marvel, as Dr. J.B. Rhine believed? Or a clever illusion, as magician John Scarne claimed? Discover the story behind the horse that made America believe.

💌 Join the Community on Patreon:

Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries

🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries

Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists.

📱 Follow on Social Media:

Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries

Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] 

Episode Sources

• “Meet Lady Wonder, the Psychic Horse Who Appeared Twice in LIFE.” LIFE Magazine retrospective. Life.com
• “Lady Wonder: The Psychic Horse.” Strange Company Blog by Undine, May 2016. strangeco.blogspot.com
• Newspaper Archives via Newspapers.com: Roanoke Times, March 1957 – Obituary and public reaction to Lady’s death; The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 1952 – Reports on Lady’s police involvement; Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1948 – Coverage on Lady’s election predictions; Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), feature on John Scarne’s skepticism.

• Find a Grave Memorial – Claudia Fonda  findagrave.com
• The Story of Beautiful Jim Key by David Hoffman (public domain archive)  Internet Archive
• Jim Key Digital Archive – Missouri State Library Missouri Digital Heritage
• State Symbols – Missouri Wonder Dog and Related Animal Curiosities sos.mo.gov

Episode Music

Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.