Experience of a horses memory of people and other horses

[visa_bot]

Hi all. I’m picking up my horse on Friday that’s been on loan for the last 5 1/2 years. I’ve seen him a few times over that time approximately once a year. I owned him for 5 years prior to that where I cared for him daily and rode him regularly. I also still have two other horses that he was stabled with. They weren’t turned out together as two stallions and a mare but they regularly hacked all together and travelled together. I moved last year, so he has never been to my new home.

My question is, do people think that he will have any recognition of me and/or the other horses? I hope that he does as I’m sure it will help him settle but has anyone got any previous experience of horses meeting and recognising old friends and what sort of time lapse. Thank you.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I think will recognise all of you.

 

[Arzada]

I believe so. I returned to a yard many years after I left and before the lorry door was opened my horse knew exactly where he was and virtually towed me to his old field. Sadly some of his old companions had died but one herd member remained. The video below is someone else's reunion.

I love this reunion at a new location after 4.5 years separation

 

[SEL]

I saw two horses who hadn't seen each other since they were 6 months old (they were both about 5) just wander over without drama and start grooming each other. Definitely remembered each other

 

[SOS]

A lovely question and intrigued to see the answer but all I can think of is…

 

[Meoldmucka]

I was in the warm up ring at a dressage comp and couldn't understand why my horse kept whinnying. The lady who bred him had just walked into the arena, he hadn't seen her in five years.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Yes, they have a very good imprinting.

I sold a young ridden native pony in the mid 80s, he went on through 2 homes before I saw him out at a show nearly 5 yrs later. I still had the same horsebox.... and 1 pony on there was his best buddy out in the field for the 3 yrs he was with me. I mentioned his name when he went by on the row behind my box.
Not only did he prick his ears, but then  carted marched in my direction! He whiskered and as I was speaking to his rider, he stomped straight up the ramp and clucked in joy at his old chum!
Fortunately rider was also owner and saw the pleasant side of it.

 

[Cortez]

Some horses remember old friends - horse and human - I've had a few, but many don't. I've bred and sold a couple of hundred, perhaps two or three have reacted to either youthful companions or former trainers.

 

[meleeka]

He will remember you. I managed to find my horses old owner and they visited last year. He definitely recognised them and looked confused when they walked in, like he was thinking “blimey what are they doing here?) The telling part was when he went to one of their pockets, looking for treats. The lady confirmed that she was the one that used to give him treats (I never did so it wasn’t something he usually did). He last saw them 14 years ago.

 

[sky1000]

Yes, I had a pony for just one year, and I had no reason to think he was that keen on me. Thirteen years later I walked into a field that he had come back to, and he came straight up to me and put his nose into my hand. He recognised me before I recognised him. It is very humbling.

 

[Jules111]

I rescued a 4 month old foal in an awful state, got him well and eventually loaned then sold him to a lovely family when he was 4. Time pushed on and I lost touch with the family. 26 years later I walked on to a livery yard, a little pony rushed to the gate whinnying to me. He would not stop shouting until I went over to him. He had a very distinctive blaze, I just knew it was my little rescue and I swear he recognised me. I gave him scratches the way i'd done when he was a baby and he responded the same way he'd done all those years ago. It was an amazing experience, and such a relief to find out he'd been with the same lovely family all that time. It was a privilege to be with him at the start and a few years later at the end of his life. He really was a special one.

 

[Mustard]

My daughter's horse always came to her call. When she went to America for 6 months, she left me in charge. Our voices are similar, and for a couple of days he would come to mine, but then realised it wasn't her. When she returned, he was at the far side of the field and ignored her first call. The second time he put his head up, and the third time he knew it was her and galloped over.
I looked after a pony for a while, until the owner sold it to a riding school, which I used to pass every day on my way to work, so I could see her in the field. If I drove the car I used to go to the field while I was looking after her she would look up, but not if I was in the other car.

 

[rabatsa]

A horse that has never been looked after by me, or been here before has settled straight away with a mare that he shared a field with for a year five years ago. They were mutual grooming almost immediately.

 

[winnie]

Yes, I had a pony as a companion which I took on when he was 26 yo. He lived until he was almost 40 and shortly before he went, by chance the lady who had owned him when he was 5 and 6 popped to see him and he definitely remembered her even after all those years. It was beautiful to see.

 

[Peglo]

My first pony was imported here with another horse. They were at a trekking centre for a while but the lady ended up selling. I got Peggy and the other horse went somewhere else. It must’ve been at least 10 years later the other horse moved close by. When I took Peggy a walk past her field she recognised her and neighed. It was the only time she ever neighed or showed any interest in another horse as she was completely unsociable. It was quite surprising as it had been so long.

 

[Lexi 123]

Yeah definitely horses never forget they remember everyone. The problem is they can have a strong bonded to an other person and horses . It could make it difficult as they might not want to leave. I have a mare that I know I couldn’t sell or loan as she has a strong bond to me and wouldn’t settle with someone else.

 

[J&S]

After my daughter left home and simultaneously my marriage ended, I decided it would be best to fine down to one pony! My very best friend came to stay and we went riding. she rode daughter's pony.
During the ride I asked her if she liked the pony, she declared she did, so I offered to give the pony to her. (She had had ponies/horses in the past but not just at that moment!) We arranged transport with Gilles for few weeks time and pony duly arrived in Scotland after a night in Yorkshire. My friend was welcomed with a lovely whicker when the lorry was opened. Now did this pony remember my friend from one meeting? Did she think it was me, we were same height and build, or was she just so relieved to get off the lorry?? Have to add that they were a perfect match and pony settled at once.

When I came to live in Devon I left my NF mare on loan to a lovely lady and her daughter and just brought the horse. I used to visit the mare every time we went back to or through the forest so never lost contact.
It transpired that my new young step daughter was keen to ride and I was able to livery close by so I asked for the NF mare back. It was a good time as her daughter had lost interest and she had had to find a sharer/rider. I went with a lorry and parked up outside the field, pony went absolutely bonkers when she saw me! I think my farmer/driver was a bit surprised that i was bringing this wild thing back for a child to ride! She literally loaded herself whilst i was deliberating what boots or bandages to put on. I am absolutely positive she knew me.

 

[Auslander]

This was Alf earlier this year, seeing his old owner for the first time in about 12 years. He absolutely remembered her!

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

If I recall correctly, scientific studies have shown that horses can remember social partners (other horses) for up to 10 years after last seeing them - I suspect they didn't have many examples of horses that had been away from each other longer.
A year after I bought my Little Madam, I returned with her to the stables I had bought her from. Her platonic boyfriend went crazy, calling her. They have been together since he was born, one year after her. She just went "oh, you haven't finished your lunch, I'll just pinch that bit of grain you left".
My Little Madam's half sister was a riding school pony and would have been about 2 years old when I left for uni. I occasionally visited and rode her when I was there. To be honest I didn't particularly like her at first. I was never in charge of her care, didn't give her more treats than anyone else, only saw her occasionally, but every time I came back, she would call me. As far as I'm aware, she didn't do that for anyone else. I never knew why she took to me like that, but my heart melted every time I heard her. She is the only school horse I cried over when she left. (She is now living out a field retirement at a friend's).

 

[visa_bot]

Thank you all, that is all very positive. Hopefully seeing the other horses happy and settled will really help him to feel at home.

 

[Annagain]

My old boy lived at my current yard for a few years as a very young pony (from 2 to about 5yrs old). He was sold and moved to another yard locally, I then bought him and kept him elsewhere but moved him back to the yard (along with my friend's two horses he'd lived with) about 18 years after he'd left. Her mare (who my boy was best buddies with) had to go into the mares field and my boy and the gelding were turned out together in the geldings herd. There was one horse left from when he'd been there before. They'd seen each other at the odd event but not really spent any time together. They recognised each other instantly and he ditched his fieldmate of 1 year (who was horrible to him, to be fair!) there and then to go off with his old buddy. The interesting thing was though if they were on the yard together, he and the mare would still groom and nuzzle each other but if his old buddy was there he'd act like he didn't know her!

Archie had a best bud who moved to a new yard about 5 minutes away, that we had to hack past on one particular route. Once or twice we called in to see him and his owner. After that every time we hacked past, Arch would just walk in there and get quite upset if his friend wasn't in his stable - we couldn't see the field from the yard. When I got a sharer I forgot to warn her about it and he took himself to see his mate. My sharer didn't have a clue what was going on, his mate's owner had to tell her why he'd ducked in there!

 

[Sealine]

I think they do remember people and horses. Over a period of years I did alot of events, competitions and horsey holidays with a friend and her horse. She moved to a different yard nearby but years later if she hacks past my horse's field they call to each other and have a catch-up over the fence. The photo of them drinking together was on holiday which was the only time they ever shared a field.

 

[skint1]

Aw I am very sure it will work out! My Tb mare was away from her best friend (another TB mare) and their pony friend for about 4 years. Eventually she returned to the homestead (My friend's yard) and I was a little worried, they absolutely recognised each other straight away, and were very happy to be reunited.

More recently my ID mare's friend moved away, she was very fond of the horse and the owner. The owner came back to visit and popped out to the field to see my ID mare, she totally recognised her and honestly, I think she was then wondering where her bestie was because she kept looking over her head to see behind her.

It's why I hate breaking up good friendship groups between horses, but life changes, sometimes we too need to leave behind people we love, we don't forget them

 

[Pippity]

Mine used to be stabled next to a horse who'd try to bite her whenever she went past. Mine was very withdrawn back then, and just tolerated it. Both horses moved to different yards and then, about a year later, we met the biter while out hacking. Mine immediately marched up to him, and bit him on the neck!

I shouldn't have laughed, but I was just glad she had the confidence to stand up for herself now. (That was the first and only time she's bitten. We've met the biter out and about a few times since, and they just ignore each other.)

 

[2 Dragons]

Mine was "sold" for 5 years but came back to me when her owner passed away. She clearly recognised me and was very clingy for the first month or so. She was also reunited with 3 mares she had shared a field with on another yard. The most interesting was the boss mare who she had a massive fight with when they were introduced about 7 years previously. This time, they eyed each other up, nodded and settled down to graze side by side.

My other horse went out jumping and met whole heap of horses and people from the yard he lived on with his previous owner- spent most of the evening whinnying and slobbering over his old human friends- seemed a bit annoyed when he realised it wasn't just a social event and he had to work