Scared of something we cant explain

[Anniecarer]

I share the care of a horse kept at a local farm. She is kept with three other mares, one 16hh and two mini shetlands. The girl I look after is around 15hh and 8 years old. They all live out in three different fields, but we have a 2 stable block used for storage where we sometimes tie them up to eat/groom/tack up etc.

Recently the two larger girls have been really agitated by the stables, constantly looking up towards a field at the top, and spinning round on their ropes etc. This has got very bad over the last few weeks. It hasn't bothered the smaller ponies.

After a recent hurricane type storm, a very large tree fell down just where they have been looking when they are very agitated.

I'm wondering whether anyone has heard of horses sensing unsafe trees? I've looked on websites and it seems as though they could sense that type of thing, but it just seems amazing that it could be sensed so far in advance. That said, it would explain how scared they look and how they act when they are there. We haven't been able to take them back there yet as the tree is blocking the path, and it will be interesting
to see if they are less agitated by the stable.

 

[OrangePepper]

Horses have an excellent memory of smells and use it to navigate around their surroundings. A horse would be able to smell cracks in trees.

 

[Anniecarer]

Thanks for that. I guess that would be a while beforehand? They've been getting increasingly agitated over the last three months or so.

 

[showpony]

That's a bit odd... Are they possibly seeing something we cant?

 

[Queenbee]

If the tree is still down I would actually take them to see it, it may help... If it's what they were sensing it may put an end to their behaviour to see for themselves

 

[HappyHooves]

Could be that a damaged branch would make odd noises that would have frightened them?

 

[texas]

How interesting!

 

[Janee]

Horse have excellent senses, sight, hearing, smell and also natural instinct. They knew that tree was going to move at some time.

 

[kellybee]

One of my boss's horses has been refusing to come in at night - she stands at the gate blowing and snorting, her attention on the stable block. Took me a few days to figure out what the problem was, as once she's in she tends to settle and has no further issue til bringing in the next day. Turns out she's petrified of the noise the acorns make when they bounce off the muck trailer. I have had to lay a thin carpet of straw on the trailer bed to muffle the thuds and she's much happier as a result.

My own horse is scared of the gateway that leads to the yard. He comes through it sideways and have never been able to figure out why. I do wonder (as he likes to open latches and things) if maybe the gate latch has pinched his lip or something and he thinks it bites.