How smart is your horse?

Gusbear

Gusbear

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I recently had the displeasure of having a conversation (nearly arguement) with some numpty who tried to tell me that horses are really dumb and don't really do anything interesting. Now you and I know that's not the case.
It got me to thinking. What does your neddy do that is smart, funny, unusual, cunning or totally unexpected?
My boy recently figured out very quickly how to unzip my grooming kit bag so he can get to his carrots inside. He only does it when I leave him alone. Pitty he hasn't yet worked out how to close it again so I don't know what he's been up to, but I'm sure he'll work it out sometime soon.
Love to hear your stories. :o
 
Lucy was a genious. She could open any stable even a horse proof bolt, She could do the kickbolt to from inside the stable. She once escaped from her field by climbing over the style (jumping the fence was obviously to much hard work :rolleyes: ) She could take off her rugs with all the straps still done up and without ripping the rug. She could untie herself. When she had to wear a grazing muzzle she hated it. She used to take it off. I knew she hated flys and would always keep her fly hat on so I put that on over her muzzle thinking that would stop her or if she got it off she'd be annoyed by the flys. But Lucy managed to get the muzzle off and keep the fly hat on :confused:

But I think the funnyest thing she ever did was one night she got out her stable, went into the feedroom, had a snack, then let all the other horses out there stables, When we arrived we found chaose, horses everywhere. Lucy however was stood in her stable looking angelic :rolleyes: She hadn't managed to shut her door again though :p
 
Both got lots of native wit. Big one can undo most doors & gates, will even loop a leadrope round spring gate latches to open them. Will also untie herself & stand quietly till you move away, then disappear. Has even mastered the art of turning her head to one side to keep the trailing leadrope from under her feet. If tied outside a stable will open the door & remove any hay or feed to where she is tied. Unties haynets to tip their contents out unless they have huge holes.
Funniest horse I've ever known could untack himself if you loosened the girth first. Also used to throw his empty bucket at whoever was nearest, never missed either.
 
My horse is very smart. Most warmbloods in my opinion are. I can see her working puzzles out, she keeps me on my toes for sure!
 
Mine can open her field gate! There are 2 gates to her field and if the first is accidently left open she will unhook her gate and then bring herself in. I remember once I was mucking out, I had my earphones in, so didn't hear her, but when I turned round, there she was, attempting to barge the wheelbarrow out the way so she could get in. She also let 2 other Horses out, 1 was on the yard, the other was grazing there way back to the yard! If I arrive on the yard and don't immedietly go to her, she will reach her head aroubd unhook her headcollar and throw it at me! She hasn't managed to get me, but has hit the YO's non Horsey bf! Hehe
 
Laura your horse sounds AMAZING!! And I thought ours were clever. She puts ours in the shade.

The funniest thing Hemir ever did was roll under the electric fence to get to the lush grass. He left Sweetie in our field so she gave him away by calling to him. He took her with him the next time!

Beau the WB (daughter's new baby) can take a rug off without undoing the straps and without ripping it too. However, the last time he tried this he DID rip the rug - he was borrowing MINE!!
He has also taken everything off the hooks next to his stable and turned the grooming kit over looking for sugar lumps (he was in the stable and it was outside). The dog loves that last trick!

Hemir will also go through the feed bin buffet selection after he's let himself out of his stable and choose the juiciest offering (normally oat based for baby WB) but leaving the chaff!

Of course, needless to say, my girls are far too well behaved for such nonsense! (MWA HA HA)
 
Mines far too smart.

Taught her to bow with one chunk of carrot... went straight down on one knee within 10 seconds, I'd only done it to see how she'd react to me under her chest!
She handed me her feed bucket over winter and I gave her lots of praise, the next time I ignored her she lobbed it at me.
She cuddles me and then pick pockets me while I'm stuck.

If I'm on the tractor she'll wait for me to come in and out of gates no issue, if I'm on foot she'll sneak out behind me.

When I'm grooming she'll walk forwards slowly over about 5mins per side, then do a 3 point turn to get a head scratch and give me the next side.

When I first took her in a school (unhandled 3yo who'd been with me and human contact for about a week) she was teaching me when to treat her... took me a fair old while to notice that she was training me and not the other way round :p

It's lucky she's a big softy who will do anything to please me or I'd have a nightmare on my hands!

Pan
 
Mine can take the gate off the hinges with her shoulder. Shoulder under, straighten up and push, then hop over to the nice lovely grass the other side!
 
snoopyinfrance Thankyou. She was amazing. Never a dull moment when she was around. I miss her so much.

Gusbear thats so funny :D

I forgot Herbies way to get out of lunging.
[youtube]kvq-82jdVSU[/youtube]

He also did it while I was riding him bareback in the school the otherday :eek: Cheeky boy he is :rolleyes: ;) :p Love my pony even if he is waaaaaaaaaaaay to cleaver. :D
 
mine can understand english. i have to say 1st 2nd and 3rd instead of walk trot and canter when im teaching my mum as she will do what i say.

if i try to catch her with the head coller out she runs of but if i have a treat in my pocket thats fine.

she knows her pink bucket is food and her orange bucket is water. i can put them both in the field in random places and she will go to the pink on everytime and they are the same shape just differant colours

if the puppy runs round her back legs she will pick her foot up and push the puppy out the way. honestly she just puts her at the distance she wants and then calmly puts her foot down.

if i pick up a differant brush that i dont normally use she complains. even if ive used it on her int he past but not recently.
 
Laura, that is brilliant.

My boy can undo stable doors. He also knows the difference if I turn up in jodphurs, means he is going to be ridden, so not so easy to catch (if he isn't in the mood) or jeans, easy to catch.

He can undo any knot, always safety knot, when I tie him up.
 
LauraWheeler said:
snoopyinfrance Thankyou. She was amazing. Never a dull moment when she was around. I miss her so much.

Gusbear thats so funny :D

I forgot Herbies way to get out of lunging.
[youtube]kvq-82jdVSU[/youtube]

He also did it while I was riding him bareback in the school the otherday :eek: Cheeky boy he is :rolleyes: ;) :p Love my pony even if he is waaaaaaaaaaaay to cleaver. :D
Click to expand...

Love him x
 
My girly can untie herself easily - we went for a pub ride, I sat down on the bench, she was already loose wandering around 'viewing' dinner plates! She can undo the stable door. When her dinner bucket is empty, she picks it up and throws it in my general direction. And the funniest,...the OH was very kindly doing field poo picking, the barrow was very full, he turned around to try get one more scoop in,....she picked up the handle and emptied it,...then walked away!!! Very very much a character! She also knows the game of 'race you to the hay' and comes to her name (in fact,...shes more voice trained than most dogs!)
 
At old livery yard when they let the big bucket under the bowser run dry, he turned tap on so he could get a drink! Not clever enough to turn it off thou and hundreds of litres of water went everywhere. They were not amused. But i thought well if you didn't let his water run out he wouldn't have done it.
 
Nell is a very smart young girl, I can see her studying me and other things sometimes, working things out, she learns things very quickly and I expect she will be quite a challenge in the years ahead! :D

Seren was a clever girl too but she was too laid back/lazy to get up to any kind of mischief, she liked the simple things in life. Again she picked up things very quickly and was an absolute pro and opening and closing gates for me while out riding, any type of gate too, from 5bar gates to the smaller types, she was a smart little star of a horse
 
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