June 23, 2025

Episode 166 Lady Wonder The Psychic Horse

25 minutes

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.

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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.

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