Pantomime horse - Definition

A pantomime horse (there are also pantomime cows and other animals) is a theatrical representation of a horse or other ungulate by two actors in a single costume who cooperate and synchronize their movements. One actor plays the front end, including the horse's head and its front legs, in a more-or-less upright posture and with a reasonable field of view afforded by eyeholes in the horse's head. The other actor, playing the rear end of the animal, must bend at the waist so that his torso is horizontal like that of a horse, and put his arms around the waist of the first actor. He can see little, although there are normally eyeholes in the bottom part of the horse's torso to enable him to see where he is putting his feet and to enable him to breathe. Pantomime cows also usually have comically prominent udders.

Pantomime horses and pantomime cows feature in Christmas pantomimes, mainly in the UK. A skilled pair of performers can dance as a pantomime horse.

In one episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a pantomime horse featured as a secret agent, chasing its enemies across the world in the service of Her Majesty's Government. The sketch also featured a pantomime goose and a pantomime Princess Margaret.