# Does Craig Ferguson have two people in a horse outfit for every show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532 "2011-01-30T18:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/1 "2011-01-30T18:51:07Z")
I’ve been watching the Craig Ferguson show, and he has a bit now where he rings a doorbell and a pantomime horse comes out and dances. Does he actually have two people in a pantomime horse outfit through the entirity of ever single show? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/2 "2011-01-30T18:52:54Z")
Isn’t that exactly what interns are for? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/3 "2011-01-30T20:28:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Isn’t that exactly what interns are for? How is that going to look on a resume? “I was a horse’s ass for several months.” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/4 "2011-01-30T21:30:24Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > How is that going to look on a resume? “I was a horse’s ass for several months.” Ideal for a career in politics. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/5 "2011-01-30T22:00:49Z")
Could a Mod fix the spelling in the title? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/6 "2011-01-30T22:19:46Z")
I expect it’s the same two interns always dressed as Secretariat ready to come out. What surprises me is when it’s not for the email segment, so they must be poised ready for the entire length of the show (though there may be less spontaneity and more preparation than that which we don’t see). ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/7 "2011-01-31T01:45:42Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I expect it’s the same two interns always dressed as Secretariat ready to come out. What surprises me is when it’s not for the email segment, so they must be poised ready for the entire length of the show (though there may be less spontaneity and more preparation than that which we don’t see). I doubt they are unpaid interns - I’m sure it would violate several unions contracts for performers to not be paid. I’m curious if any Dopers have attended the Craig Ferguson show recently and could tell us if there is a break between Craig ringing the doorbell and the pantomime horse coming out. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/8 "2011-01-31T01:49:23Z")
The show isn’t _rigidly_ scripted, but I’m guessing they decide in advance “we’re doing Secretariat in the email segment tonight.” Then you don’t need interns waiting around in a costume all show and you don’t need a break between the doorbell and Secretariat showing up. You’d just need the performers (interns or not) who are ready in costume for one segment, or two, or however many the horse appears in that night. And if they decide not to use Secretariat in a given episode, they won’t be in costume. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/9 "2011-01-31T02:52:44Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I doubt they are unpaid interns - I’m sure it would violate several unions contracts for performers to not be paid. That just means they have to pay them union scale for the times they perform. Not a big deal. Happens every time a member of the crew appears on camera as part of a bit. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/10 "2011-01-31T07:41:02Z")
Would it be hard to design a horse costume that would allow the people to be in two separate parts right up until time? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/11 "2011-01-31T08:34:44Z")
the design cost would probably break their budget. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-craig-ferguson-have-two-people-in-a-horse-outfit-for-every-show/569532/12 "2011-02-01T01:18:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The show isn’t _rigidly_ scripted, but I’m guessing they decide in advance “we’re doing Secretariat in the email segment tonight.” Then you don’t need interns waiting around in a costume all show and you don’t need a break between the doorbell and Secretariat showing up. You’d just need the performers (interns or not) who are ready in costume for one segment, or two, or however many the horse appears in that night. And if they decide not to use Secretariat in a given episode, they won’t be in costume. There are times when guests bring it up, causing the horse to come out. Unless the guests are in on it (always possible) that’d be kinda hard to pre-plan.