Buzz
During the early 1920s, Claudia Fonda, a resident of Richmond, Virginia, observed peculiar behavior in her horse, Lady Wonder. The mare would frequently approach her unsummoned, seemingly aware through some telepathic connection that Fonda needed her.
Convinced of her horse's extraordinary abilities, Fonda began training Lady to manipulate lettered and numbered blocks using her nose. She even crafted a piano-sized device with dual rows of keys. By pressing a lever with her snout, Lady could make tin cards displaying letters or numbers appear. Through this method, Lady allegedly solved mathematical equations and spelled words, marking the beginning of her reputation as not just intelligent but also psychic.
Over time, around 150,000 individuals sought Lady Wonder's guidance, paying $1 each to pose three questions. Her feats included revealing married women's maiden names, predicting the gender of unborn babies, foreseeing approaching tractors, identifying dates on concealed coins, locating oil reserves, and accurately forecasting elections, horse races, sports events, and boxing matches—most notably, Gene Tunney's victory over Jack Dempsey in the 1927 world heavyweight championship.
Upon learning of Lady's boxing prediction, researchers from Duke University, including Dr. J.B. Rhine, visited her farm to conduct tests. Rhine devised a straightforward experiment: he wrote words on hidden pieces of paper and asked the horse to spell them out. Lady performed remarkably well, even tackling complex words like "Mesopotamia" and "Carolina."
The psychic mare's most famous achievement occurred over two decades later. In 1952, during the search for a missing Massachusetts boy, Lady was consulted as a last resort. When asked about the boy's location, she spelled out "Pittsfield Water Wheel." Initially puzzled by the non-existent location, authorities reinterpreted the letters as Field and Wilde Water Pit—a nearby abandoned quarry. Upon searching there, they discovered the boy's body.
Lady Wonder wasn't infallible; she often provided incorrect answers, earning both skeptics and believers. Edward Staib, a professional horse trainer, reviewed her performances and deemed the results inconclusive. Psychologist Thomas L. Garrett saw no signs of deception, while Professor John Scarne suspected Fonda was subtly guiding the horse. Magician Milbourne Christopher concluded that Lady was highly trained but lacked any telepathic or clairvoyant abilities.
Some remained baffled by the so-called psychic horse. Dr. Gayle, a researcher, admitted to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "I am perfectly willing to admit that I have no idea how she arrives at the correct answers to our questions. There is no conscious trickery here, I am convinced. But I am not converted to the mind-reading theory. What's the solution of the puzzle? I don't know!"
Lady Wonder passed away in 1957, and Fonda followed two years later. Whether the horse possessed supernatural abilities or simply a sharp mind and strong training remains a mystery. However, it's worth noting that Fonda also owned a piano-playing Pomeranian named Pudgy, which might offer some insight into her unique animal training skills.
To view images of Lady Wonder, click here. For access to a collection of archived articles from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a nominal fee is required, but you can find them here.
