The Smell of a Horse

When it comes to perfume, I wear it first and foremost for myself. (Sometimes I’ll even spritz my wrist before climbing into bed at night.) I also happen to enjoy what some in the fragrence world might call “challenging” scents. A few years ago I queried an online fragrance community for scents that smell like a horse.

I wasn’t looking for any kind of idealized pastoral scent, no approximation of some chintzy Wild West image, not even a strong leathery tack-room would satisfy. I wanted something with some real barnyard funk to it. I wouldn’t say I want to smell like I just finished mucking out a stable but the lingering smell in the soft elastic cuffs of a jacket sleeve has a bit of magic to it, at least for me.

Unsurprisingly there aren’t a lot of options. Luckily, I found exactly what I was looking for in Corpus Equus by Naomi Goodsir. I emptied my sample quickly and have been dreaming of picking up a full bottle since.

But this is not about Corpus Equus. Today while moving some things around I came across a sample vial with the last drops of Arabian Horse by Pierre Guillaume / Parfumerie Générale, another one of the scents suggested to me. While not reaching the heights of Corpus Equus, it’s still very nice. I pick up a bit of wet grass but the primary scent is that of a deep, musky leather. This is a leather like that of a well-worn saddle, softened and pliable, a little rough around the edges. There is a faint animalic oiliness with a kiss of barely-there floral sweetness. As time passed a faint amber-y spice rose from my wrist. If I hadn’t smelled Corpus Equus, this might have been the one.