Is it really true? Fun question.

[The-Bookworm]

That horses have a brain the size of a walnut?
Given the size of their skull have the scientists and biologists mislead us. Shouldn't it actually be bigger to cope with modern life

My limited knowledge of brain development is that it crucial in the first four years of a human and possibly the first four years of a horse.
So my mares neurons should know what a recycling bin is by now. Now I will accept the bow at the cardboard hiding in the driveway, as I don't think she has the links for that, but the bin really should have triggered
'I know what that is'

Three guesses the type of ride I had and you might work out why I was wondering exactly how big her brain was, and how much of it was taken up with scarey thoughts!!

 

[Meredith]

It wasn’t the recycling bin that frightened your mare. She recognised what that was.
It was the trolls having a party inside it!

 

[ponynutz]

Not even sure my girl has a brain tbh

 

[Leam_Carrie]

It amazes me that my Arab can find a leaf terrifying... but a pheasant flying straight passed her is fine.

She is with your horse that recycling bins are dangerous and should be given a wide berth.

There was a fascinating video on YouTube that showed how a horse sees the world compared to us, which did explain it a bit.

 

[The-Bookworm]

I get that their eyesight is different, but why don't they file those big green bins as a 'tree'

We must have different people living in a house because a bin gets left by a junction. I bet if I repeat the route tomorrow, she will be all bendy as there is no bin.

We see some pretty weird stuff you couldn't make up that she ignores. Pheasants might get a little startle and they definately were not in the handing out a brain cell queue.

 

[windand rain]

I was told many years ago that no matter how big the horse is its brain is the size of a small adult fist. This is why the smaller the pony the more brainy they are. why shetlands are cheeky, naughty, devious little beggars and shires are docile and slow witted. I am also certain there are exceptions that prove the rule

 

[Steerpike]

I went to a vets evening where they had parts of horses dissected, was fascinating but scary to see the size of the horses brain, I Ryan not to think about it now 😂

 

[DD]

my great big ploddy cob (see photo left) was dozily stumbling round the lanes some time ago, ignoring the bins which had been put out for the bin men, when he SUDDENLY saw a bag placed ontop of a gate post. it was END OF THE WORLD. He was totally terrified. unbelievable and what a job to coax him past it !

 

[Reacher]

Apparently an ostrich’s eye is bigger than it’s brain. Which may not be strictly relevant to this thread.

 

[The-Bookworm]

Apparently an ostrich’s eye is bigger than it’s brain. Which may not be strictly relevant to this thread.

It is because I think that applies to the horse on occasions.
The eye tells is brain I am going to die along with ooooh lookie grass.

 

[Meredith]

A friend’s horse calmly walked over a yellow plastic sack that had blown into the road and then had forty fits at a black one lying a yard further on!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

A big ugly tractor in a field right next to us with a rackety plough thing bouncing around making a lot of noise and moving very erratically...not a problem, looks at it, but no need to stop or anything.
5 mins later, a small, parked up tractor doing nothing, no one in it, no threat of moving...yep, we're dancing around that one sideways. (Stealth tractor obviously)

 

[The Trooper]

Blue water pipe on the ground, Belle refuses to step over it. Deep ditch, burn, trotting poles, no problem. But not 3/4" diameter water piping.

In her defence though, I think that is more down to a bad experience than anything else.

 

[McFluff]

I get that their eyesight is different, but why don't they file those big green bins as a 'tree'
.

Maybe your horse is a Doctor Who fan and KNOWS that all bins are actually aliens on a mission to take over Earth

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Well apparently a white sack full of fly tipping or a pile of fly tipped wood/ rubble are enough to veer to the other side of the road at but he is still capable of keeping walking while passing them

However muddy tyre tracks across the road left by the truck that had turned across it to get into the driveway was the most horrendous terrifying sight he had ever seen he completely froze and couldn't believe his eyes that something so horrifying existed. He had no intention of going over them on initial asking and I wasnt going to turn round so he received a smack on his arse and it took that combined with some pony club kicking to get him over them! Sorry but if he can walk past something justifiably scary like the flu tipping he is going over the tyre tracks of doom!!

Hes also been known to screech to a halt/ teleport sideways at... get this.. flattened poo in the road 🙄🙄🙄🙄

He's a Welsh D so that may explain it. Scuffed up sand in the school is also going to kill him as well... but bits of broken bike on the side of the lane aren't

 

[The-Bookworm]

Well apparently a white sack full of fly tipping or a pile of fly tipped wood/ rubble are enough to veer to the other side of the road at but he is still capable of keeping walking while passing them

However muddy tyre tracks across the road left by the truck that had turned across it to get into the driveway was the most horrendous terrifying sight he had ever seen he completely froze and couldn't believe his eyes that something so horrifying existed. He had no intention of going over them on initial asking and I wasnt going to turn round so he received a smack on his arse and it took that combined with some pony club kicking to get him over them! Sorry but if he can walk past something justifiably scary like the flu tipping he is going over the tyre tracks of doom!!

Hes also been known to screech to a halt/ teleport sideways at... get this.. flattened poo in the road 🙄🙄🙄🙄

He's a Welsh D so that may explain it. Scuffed up sand in the school is also going to kill him as well... but bits of broken bike on the side of the lane aren't

If it's their own poo it's even funnier.

Mine always looks sideways a mud piles that have appeared since the farmer cleaned the road and any wet patches on the clean road-pot holes to her eyes though, so just looking after the rider when she half halts her trot.

 

[The-Bookworm]

Maybe your horse is a Doctor Who fan and KNOWS that all bins are actually aliens on a mission to take over Earth

See I knew someone on here would have the answer to that one.
She watches too much Sci Fi, my fault there.

 

[catkin]

I am now very careful what I tell my horses in case they think I'm telling fibs.
I told one of mine that there were no fire-breathing dragons and not to be daft................only to turn a couple of corners to meet a traction engine steaming down the road!

 

[The-Bookworm]

I think it's the iffy wiring.
I'm sure I read somewhere that the eyes don't communicate and the left eye and right eye are not connected up!

 

[windand rain]

It took weeks of training to get my colt passed a stop sign on the road he took it very seriously indeed. He wasnt to keen on the street name signs either I used to swear he could read. My old eventer never stopped at anything out jumping but could not walk or trot passed a milestone we went round and round in circles trying

 

[Meredith]

I think it's the iffy wiring.
I'm sure I read somewhere that the eyes don't communicate and the left eye and right eye are not connected up!

I have got half way through reading this and decided to post it.
Very interesting.
https://thehorse.com/14895/the-equine-eye/

 

[cindars]

Ah yes the newly painted road signs always a killer that one.

 

[ycbm]

Blue water pipe on the ground, Belle refuses to step over it. Deep ditch, burn, trotting poles, no problem. But not 3/4" diameter water piping.

In her defence though, I think that is more down to a bad experience than anything else.

SNAKE 😳😳😳 !!!

 

[rabatsa]

I was once stuck inside a bus stop painted on the road. The mare would not follow her friend out, she had gone in through the open bit at the end and ground to a halt at the words. Over two hours it took and when she left it was with a huge leap onto the grass verge. As this was opposite the village shop I think everyone in the area came by for a look see.

 

[SEL]

They may only have small brains but they become super intelligent when food is involved. The Ardennes negotiated a tractor, a car being jet washed and a yapping spaniel this morning on his way to his favourite bit of grass verge snacking. He'd leapt 6 feet (ok - inches) in the air 10 mins earlier at a bucket in the wrong spot.

 

[Hack4fun]

This book has a lot about the horse brain - by a neurologist.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evidence-Based-Horsemanship-Stephen-Peters/dp/1600476856

 

[ZondaR]

I have got half way through reading this and decided to post it.
Very interesting.
https://thehorse.com/14895/the-equine-eye/

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.