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Your horses "smartest" moment

3K views 16 replies 16 participants last post by  AnalisaParalyzer 
#1 ·
Hey,

I'm just wondering if any of you have a story to share about when your horse was, lets say, extremely smart!?



One of my favorite memories of Scooter was a few years back when we were having a family fun day at our 4-H barn. I had Hunter already then so I was going to ride him and my dad was going to ride Scooter. Well, Scooter had just had his shoes taken off for winter a few days before so his feet were a bit sensitive. But it happened every fall so it was no different from any other year that I rode him soon after. (it was a very soft dirt ground too) We took him out of the pasture and got him saddled up - he was fine - and my dad went to get on and Scooter started shaking. It scared me a lot so I tried to get on to see if it would happen again and he started shaking and lowering himself to the ground. Needless to say we all got really worried and unsaddled him and brought him back to the pasture. Well, he darn near took off running to the barn and when we let him out in the pasture he ran away as fast as he could throwing little bucks here and there as if to say "I'm Free!!" Smart old boy...
Also when we get him out to go riding he starts acting really really tired. Puts his head down low and closes his eyes as if to try and say "I'm too tired to do this"!
He's funny :)
 
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#3 ·
When willow was younger she stayed in the pasture with the 3 mares and their new foals. One of the mares mindy was really grouchy and had this grudge against me for some reason so willow would hide behind her when she didn't feel like coming in.
She also knows how to knock a jump down if she feels it is too high for her to waste her energy on. She will refuse or slow down because she knows I will make her walk over it. When shes half over she uses her right leg to push it backwards and off the jump cups then walks off quite satisfied with herself. As annoying as it can be its quite funny to watch:)
 
#4 ·
When I first started back into riding I had my Matty horse. She was just a mix breed QH type. We were riding with some friends and had to go down a very steep muddy creek bank. I somehow started to fall foreward when she sat down on her butt raised her neck up and more or less pushed me back into the saddle as she slid down the creek bank on her butt. She was smart enough to know I was a new rider and was going to fall off if she didn't save me.

Vida when I first got her was a sort of hard catch. Now when I get ready for a ride and she is back in the shelter, I just stand at the gate and say "where is she, where is my Vida?" and she will come up and peek around the corner at me and walk to the gate. Like "ok mom I'm ready are we going riding?"
 
#5 ·
Aww good stories!
Another I thought of with Scooter...
We went to the fairgrounds to practice before the fair a few years back and he was in the front of the trailer with a horse named Clint. Well, when the door opened Clint freaked out and flew backwards, broke the rope he was tied with and Scooter just turned around and looked at him as if he was saying "You dummy, that's not how we do it!"

That's my moms favorite story!
 
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#6 ·
I have a favorite story about both horses.

Dumas. The first day he was here we were told that he wouldn't allow us to touch his head and blah blah...Headshy horse, he'll rear, he doesn't like anyone...Let's pull him out of the trailer. Our friend that we bought them from grabbed the lead and started to bring Dumas out and promptly handed me the lead rope. Dumas then proceeded to be the most kind, gentle, lovable guy I had ever met. He let me rub his forhead and be loving on him... It was the NEXT day when Dumas decided to go headshy...It was his way of surviving I suppose...be really really nice to the new people and let them fall in love BEFORE you show them your true colors..lol.. Now he's back to the I'll let you love me stage.

Twister. Twister has been Mr. Happy go lucky the entire time we have had him. When I was clipping a bridle path...With scissors...I wasn't doing a very good job and I mentioned to my hubby that I hope he doesn't mind the bad hair cut since it was my first attempt....I SWEAR the moment my hubby said.."He's a horse! He don't care!!!" Twister Huffed and blew grass chunks all over my hubby's shirt...Apparently he does care!
 
#7 ·
One day when I was calling my horses in from the pasture, my young colt did not come up with the rest. I called and could hear him behind some trees yelling, but he never came out. When I went out to investigate, I found that someone had thrown a bundle of old barbed wire into our pasture. My nosey little guy managed to get all four legs tangled up in the mess. The wire was extending all the way up his legs to his body. You can imagine the freaking out I did. And, from the looks of the poop that was around him, he had been there all day.

Anyway, after cutting away all the barbed wire, there were only two small very superficial scratches on his legs.

I am going to guess it had to do with his training, about giving to pressure, but I am so thankful that he was smart enough to not struggle and cut himself to pieces.
 
#8 ·
We used to have this school horse who learned that when he got into the "pee position" his rider would just sit there and he wouldn't have to trot around! So he started stopping like he was going to pee all the time and the vet was constantly out checking him for infections, problems, etc etc but never found anything. It finally occurred to someone that he might be doing it to get out of work and sure enough, once people stopped letting him just stand there he quit trying it. :roll: Pretty smart.
 
#9 ·
When my mare was younger, I worried a lot about her getting hurt as she was sort of reckless... Well, one day, I took her out to ride, and she was favoring her front left. Well, of course, I got off, and checked. But I couldn't find anything wrong so I led her all the way back to the barn, concerned. I gave her a few days to heal up, and the next time I took her out, the same thing happened. So I called the vet. He came up, examined her, scratched his head, and asked me to get on. As soon as I got on, she had a magical limp. Ha. Smart snotty horse. As soon as I stopped getting off when she did it, she quit. The vet almost died of laughter. It was pretty funny, actually... :D
 
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#12 ·
Well my boy Boo has been observed on a couple occasions trying to push paddock mates through electric fences so he can get through with out getting the shock.
He is a terrible little devil for testing fences to the limits, especially electric tape.
He was spotted by my cousin trying to coax/ push her horse through the tape once. And the other time My mum saw him trying to push my other dopey TB through :roll:.

I have also seen him fiddle with the chain and paddlock around the gates with a expression saying he knows just were to get out but darn the contraption holding it shut. :razz:
 
#13 ·
Santana can open stalls. he sticks his nose through the bars, and pulls down. He then twists to get out, and noses the now-un-locked door open. Stupid smart horse.

Millie knows that if she turns to the back of the stall and hangs her head people feel bad and give her a carrot.
 
#16 ·
I am kind of glad my horse isn't overly smart. He's not dumb, but thankfully not smart enough to think up and pull off some of the tricks that your horses do! My guy's only 'clever' thing is that he can limbo. If there is a single rail fence, or a barbed or straight wire fence that someone has allowed to get loose, he happily limbos and stretches his way under and out so he can find some good grass. Thankfully he won't test it with electric, and he only goes as far as the nearest tasty grazing!
 
#17 ·
Annie has trained everybody who works with her to give her treats before she'll work. if you walk up to her with her halter she'll let you pet her all over, but raise that halter and you'll get the butt. if shes out, she'll walk off.
But if you have a mint or she smells a treat, she'll stand right with you and even put her nose in the halter for you. i can get her without treats, shes had too many comin ta jesus meetins over givin me the butt, but her lease girl and her new buddy brian still get the treats first treatment.

Annie impresses me every time i see her with a kid. she goes from being my impatient, demanding, willful mare to a calm, responsive, respectful mount. ive seen her stop when her lease girl gets off balance and even leaning to keep her in the saddle. you can see her thinking of where each foot is when shes led by youngsters (5-under). it makes me proud of her :)
 
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