This sea shanty, also known as "The Dead Horse Shanty" or "Poor Old Horse," originated as part of a ceremony that used to take place on longer voyages at the end of the first month at sea, called "paying off the dead horse". When a boarding master supplied a sailor to a ship, he received an advance from the sailor's pay, so the sailor had to work for some weeks or months before he began to earn money for himself. <br /><br />This was known as "working off the dead horse." To celebrate, after thirty days, sailors would sometimes make a horse-figure from rags and tar, hoist it to the yardarm, cut it loose and let it drift away on the sea, a ritual known as "burying the dead horse." A good captain would break out a ration of rum at this time. As the ceremony gradually died out the song was put to use as a regular halyard shanty.<br /><br />Wareham Whalers:<br />http://www.wareham-whalers.org.uk/<br />Wareham Whalers Facebook:<br />https://www.facebook.com/warehamwhalers/
