And they say horses are stupid!

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Ruftysdad

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Yesterday I was leaving the yard through our normal gate. I opened it before I got on, as usual, as it has a stiff bolt. I always open it to the same place. However on this occasion there was a fork lift truck parked a couple of feet away. Rufty took one look at it, and would not go through the gate. However he proceeded to push the gate until he decided it was wide enough, in his eyes to get through safely. He then turned round of his own accord and pushed it shut. Just leaving me to put the bolt across. Very tricky but he stood rock still. I was really impressed. He usually helps with gates but not like this.

One other occasion he impressed me, and made me laugh, was when I had just tacked him up and he was tied up with his headcollar round his neck. I had a quick chat with the YO and then tried to move Rufty. He would not come, I tried again and ditto. I then realised he was still attached. I undid him and set off. He gave the most enormous sigh, as though he was saying what a stupid owner. Certainly not a stupid horse
 
Bails shocked me the one day. i was riding in the school and one of those metal dressage markers was leaning into the track. after several attemps to bat it back using the handle end of my schooling whip (too lazy to get off him) Bailey decided to take the matter into his own hooves and put his head down and batted it back with his nose. couldnt believe how he worked it out for himself bless him!
 
I actively teach my horses to help at gates when instructed...the are all used to the 'push gate ' command! I have an American Paint...now retired, but in his ridden days he would shift the 'wild' cattle, used as a grazing project in the local forest, away from gateways in a very subtle way...we rescued a fair few terrified walkers pinned against fences by the inquisitive cows by his gentle leaning on them...the cows that is!
 
Not overly impressive as its more naughtiness but it amazes how determined my horse can be about some things. He has got a system now where he will get another horse in the field to undo the front buckles of his rug so he can shrug out of it basically. Seems to have realised how annoyed I get when I find it ripped to pieces.

He also spent I dont know how long undoing a complex knot to get another horses salt lick when he had his own. It must have taken ages but he did manage it. Thankfully the other person found it funny.

He will sigh at me if I do something stupid too, everytime. Wish he would use his intelligence in his schooling... he leaves his brain at the gate of the arena.
 
I usually walk my horse down steep hills because of his ringbone. I use gates to clamber back up, treeless saddle and all that. This one day I must of had mud on my foot and I slipped off the gate. My horse caught me with his shoulder, then got his nose under my back side and assisted me up the gate!

The same horse also avoided me when I went splat on the ramp when loading. I tripped over one of the metal rungs. The horse carefully stepped over me and loaded himself. It took me a while to get up, I'd landed on one of the struts knee first, it hurt. He stood there not eating, just watching me until I was up and then he just sighed and started eating.......lord knows what he thinks of me.....owner, nice but dim and very, very clumsy !! :D
 
My old boy worked out that if I entered the field wearing jodhpurs instead of jeans, it meant work. He would get halfway up the field, then do a swift about-turn and bog off. Every flipping time.
 
Before mine was retired she was similar to Regandal's. If I parked outside the main gate she would come over, if I parked inside it meant I was riding and she would ignore me.
 
Years ago as a teenager with a pony on a bigger DIY yard. I went to catch my pony. He was king of the field which was huuge and had a mixed herd of 26 mares and geldings. He had a girlfriend, a little mare who was his long term best friend and they were stood together under a tree.
Put his headcollar on and he planted himself which was unusual. Tried for ages to get him to move and eventually he stepped a few steps forward before whipping round back to his mare. He started neighing and just would not move.
On closer inspection I saw she had barbed wire tangled through he tail and round her hind leg and couldn't move.
Once she was freed he came in as normal?!?!�� Clever pony!
 
I had a horse I couldn't catch on days I 'needed' to catch him. I trained myself to think only of a bucket of food, and I could catch him then. Mind reader, or body language, he was clever!
 
Regandal said:
My old boy worked out that if I entered the field wearing jodhpurs instead of jeans, it meant work. He would get halfway up the field, then do a swift about-turn and bog off. Every flipping time.
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Yes, the pony I used to ride did exactly the same. He used to nip over the wall and get in amongst the dairy herd too, and of course his very best friend who he just had to graze beside was the bull!
 
Forgot to say, my horse lets me know when he is thirsty whilst stood in the washbox or outside the washbox by shaking his head up and down, up and down, up and down until he has water. Its the only time he ever does it and he gets rewarded with a tepid bucket of water which he loves after a long sweaty ride.

He has let me know before if something is amiss by just turning his head and giving me 'the look'. I know that look having had him for twelve years. Last time he gave me his 'look' his magnetic hock wrap had slipped down and was over his fetlock.
 
My old mare shared a field with a really vile retiree who thought humans were perfect for practicing his taekwondo on. Whenever she didn't feel like being caught she would go and stand right by his back legs with a sweet "Do PLEASE come and catch me" expression on her face.

Another thing - I've never made a great fuss about drinking or used the word water much. But mine does particularly like drinking from one trug in hsi stable. On our way back out (it being a hot day) I said "Would you like a drink of water"? At which he stopped, nodded and turned into the stable...

I think they will never cease to amaze!
 
My friend's horse has to be tied up with 3 different ties so that you always have time to tie two back up before he opens the third. He has an ordinary rope and two different trailer ties and can open all three in about 40 seconds flat if you're not watching him and reattaching them constantly. Sometimes he'll stand there and go nowhere but if he sees something he wants (including opening my boy's stable door and going in there with him) he'll be off!
 
An old pony of mine recognised certain cars. Her field was alongside a main road and she would spot us driving past, and wait until we had pulled into the yard (out of her sight), gotten out and when she heard the door slam, she would neigh. And be waiting at the gate by the time we got to it.

She recognised both mine and my mother's cars. One of my pals had exactly the same car as me, and we tried it with hers once. Didn't work. She knew MY car, and learnt my new one a matter of weeks after I changed it.
 
I have decided that my boy Eric is part spaniel! (well he is black and white). My other horse is given to removing his headcollar in the field and then playing at not being caught - last time it happened I said, in a conversational tone "What have you done with your headcollar?" upon which Eric nudged me and trotted off down the field, stopped and 'pointed' with his nose. I investigated and there was the headcollar. This is the second time he has done it. I have to say that he looked very smug - I could just imagine him watching Sol and saying "Aaah That's naughty I'm going to tell Mum!!!"
 
I have a sneaky suspicion that my boy is very clever and an expert in 'playing dumb'. He is too clever to show me anything 'special' that would make me coo over him like you have all posted!

Instead, he uses his brains to work out which electric fences aren't switched on and will prompt go through them/under them to get to better grass, he has perfected the 'omg there is something happening over there so interesting I cannot possibly listen to whatever you are asking me to do' pose - head up, ears fixated, staring straight ahead (usually at nothing) and completely ignoring me waving in his face, pulling on his head/anywhere on his body (this tactic is used especially well when trying to load at a show), perfected the 'i cannot feel your legs/stick against my side' when in the school, but out in the field he can definitely feel them! He also does a good 'omg that was never there before i must not go near it incase it eats me up' to any kind of jump wing/pole on the outside of the school that is definitely there every single time we go in (this can also be used in other situations when he doesn't want to co-operate.
 
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