Mini horse stories that would shock disbelievers

[Shortpig]

I will start. I have heard too many horse owners say, horses are stupid. They don't have much of a memory.

Well! let me dispell that theory. The horses involved were, Susannes Mingus, A friends awesome stallion

Mooreacres Chip and my boy Jimmy. Chip is Jimmy's son and they hadn't seen each other for a few

years. Until that day at the fair.

We all lined up to go into the arena. Chip was first in line, Jimmy behind him, then the little stallion my friend owned and Mingus.

Chip got in place, we came in behind him and got in place, then the little stallion. Jimmy takes one look

at Chip turns around places himself in a position of defense and protection between Chip and the stallion.

Would not even turn back around the right direction. I tried, oh how I tried. Then I watched his body language and it was soooo obvious at that moment. He was clearly and definately saying to that little

stallion. "Back off buddy and do not even attempt to mess with my son or I will beat you down." The

funny part is his son is larger than him and much younger. But that didn't seem to matter. It was his boy and Jimmy has always spent time living with his sons. He has one with him now and he is such a great

Dad. Oh how they can play.

Any other stories I would love to read them.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Those who say all horses are stupid (or all cats are aloof) automatically label themselves as people I should avoid as far as I am concerned. They obviously have no sensitivity, no intuition, and no respect for other beings. It amazes me that people can be that, well, stupid.

But it's really fun to watch just how dumb smart critters can act around them to fulfill their expectations!

That sly look as they "accidentally" step on their foot, for instance....

Leia

 

[Buckskin gal]

Definitely, there are no dumb animals! I enjoy watching animals and how they enteract. Watch close enough and you will see them using their brains to figure things out. There is so much more to it than just instinct. Mary

 

[xxs]

LOL! Yes, they are so smart and seem to know ! I have a pair of sisters that I bought together, and they have always known they are sisters and treat each other as such. They always stick up for each other and are loving to one another.

The year for Wind Walker's first colt for us, Stormy, was born. Two days later, another mare foaled with a filly by another stallion. I was taking Windy out to his pasture and there was a lot of dew on the grass. Well, he acted up going out, and halfway there, he whirled around and ran for the barn with me in tow..he wanted to see that new baby!! LOL!! But, the wet grass had me like on water skis! What a rush! Oh my goodness! I've never had a trip that fast to the barn! The funny thing was, once he got there, he ran into his stall instead of stopping where the foal was..just a difference of a couple of feet. Then I slammed the door shut on him and he had this look like "What the heck did I just do?" So, I brought him back out and let him check out the new baby and he was satisfied and walked on out to his pasture like a good boy. He always has to see the new babies..just LOVES THEM!

Another funny thing that happened was when baby Stormy found a plastic Walmart bag that had blown into the field and picked it up. It didn't take him long to figure out that if he sneaked up on the mares with it and shook it, he could make them all run!! Soon after, that group of horses were moved to another pasture, and I saw him with something hanging from his mouth..and he was doing the same thing. Then , one of the sisters..the little one..started to run, then stopped and turned around a bit him like "cut that out!" and he dropped what ever it was I went out to see what it was and it was a corn leaf. He was also the cause of me having to fill the water tub 5-6 times a day and I couldn't figure out how 5 horses could drink that much water..until I caught him in the tub..all 4 feet..having a ball!

 

[mondak]

Actually I am taking an Equine Anatomy class in college and horses are second to elephants as far as memory is concerned, so people who say horses have no memory retention don't know what they are talking about...

Courtney

 

[Shari]

Have to say... most of the non animal owning people I have met... are dumber than my sheep where.

Animals are in no way dumb and they sure don't forget things. At least mine don't!

 

[outlawridge]

Great and interesting thread. I look forward to reading more stories!

My sister, many years ago, had a 16hh buckskin paint gelding. She rode him all over the neighboring countryside. One time she stopped by an elderly woman who was outside and the woman went and got King a sugar cube. About two years later my sister was riding that way again and King turned right down the elderly woman's driveway no matter how my sister tried to have him go past (the woman had passed away). He stoically stood near her door for quite awhile no matter how my sister tried to lead/ride him away. Only when he was satisfied that the woman was not coming out to give him another sugar cube did he continue the ride.

 

[Magic]

I've got a few, but here's one:

My "MayMay" and I have a pretty strong connection. One day I took her over to a friend's house to leave her for breeding to the gorgeous stallion my friend had. We put May in a paddock, waited to see how she settled in, then wandered around the place looking at the horses and talking for quite a while. All the time, May was quite content. But, when I went to leave, my truck and horse trailer were near where she was, and she saw me leaving---and May went ballistic--- running back and forth looking at me, and whinnying frantically. I felt really awful for leaving her. She didn't hold it against me though; that's one wonderful thing about animals, they love unconditionally....

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I have many stories but there are two that come to mind. One is the miracle of foaling. OUr foaling stall is one stall in our barn bigger than all the rest but the regular inhabitants of the rest of the barn are there in their own stalls when a pregnant mare occupies the foaling stall and I have seen so many times that when the mare gets down to business so to speak the entire barn becomes quiet and I mean deathly still not a knicker nor a pawing of the floor nothing until after the baby is safely delivered however I have also seen the reverse with a mare having a bit of trouble and the whole barn becomes noisy until help arrives almost like they are doing what they can to bring attention Once mom has delivered and is back on her feet normal barn sounds resume. It is almost eerie anyone else seen this?

The other is about learning by example. I have several in my barn who will pick their feed dishes up and hand them to me for a cookie. For the most part I have taught them to do this by saying dish dish and once they start to understand they are rewarded for giviing me their dish with a cookie. I have one girl who is coming 3 who simply would not even try to pick up her dish when I tried to teach her so I quit. About two weeks later as Im coming down the barn getting dishes from those who are holding them for me I look and there is Ellie standing proud with her dish in her mouth. and I have a yearling boy who was never taught but learned he could get a cookie if he did it so he hands me his now with no training at all he just watched what others were doing. And our young stallion who is 3 makes you show him the cookie BEFORE he will go get the dish. No cookie the dish stays in the back of the stall and YOU have to go get it so dont tell me they aren't smart. Even Helen who cant see has started picking her dish up so she can get that extra treat.

 

[Boinky]

I have two good examples. 1.) when i went to college in kentucky i took my STB mare with me. I was there for a few years. now you have to understand this mare is spooky about anything differnt or changed ect and is quite sensitive. Well when i brought her back EVERYTHIGN that was different than when she left she either looked at keenly, snorted, or spooked at. My grandfather came to see her and she was in the barn (run in type thing) she heard his voice from 150 feet away and came running out. She hadn't seen him in like 3 years but still knew who he was!

Secondly I have a mini stallion who came from a large dispersal in Arkansas. He was apparently pastured with the other boys his age. Well my friend purchased his half brother. they absolutely LOVE each other. They MIGHT see each other once a or twice a year now and they ALWAYS recognise each other and nuzzle and love on each other. it's really interesting to me to watch!

 

[kaykay]

Over the years people have always told me that horses dont know what "love" is and they really dont get attached to other horses. Well I for sure know differently.

Years ago we had a stallion who was so smitten with a certain mare. He was always by her side no matter what. Long story short she passed away in the night without us knowing. He was also sick but when I went out in the morning he was standing over her trying to make her get up. We almost lost him too but after a week of being in a stall he recovered. The minute I let him out he ran to where she died and pawed and smelled furiously. Then he just stood there with his head hanging. For weeks he would stand there and lay there in the exact spot that she died. Everytime I went outside it broke my heart to see him standing there waiting for her.

 

[Leeana]

I personally find the 'horses dont have feelings' idea a look of crap. I know when i go out and while the rest of the horses are in the run in eating, my sweet gelding Coco will follow me back to the end of the fence line and stand there while i go in my fathers barn and feed dads horses. I cant explain it, but we all know that feeling when they look at us ..its more then them just wanting food.

I have two horses that are just madly in love with each other, both geldings Royal and Coco, and they are never more then just 5 ft away from one another.

On a different note, i have two or three horses that completely hate each other! So that goes both ways i guess lol ...

Then there is Coco and Narko who have a 'love hate relationship'. Narko loves Coco, Coco hates Narko lol.

I know for a fact that horses have feeling just like us and nothing is going to sway my opinion on this, i feel very strongly about this topic.

 

[ruffian]

My daughter had a big horse that was an absolute angel with kids and inexperienced riders, but would be a fun ride with someone who knew what they were doing. All you had to do was have a crop or stick in your hand. You never had to touch him with it, he just had to know that you had one. So I'd get on, ride over to the trees along the barnyard and break one off. After 2 times, he wouldn't go near the trees anymore!

Another one - I had bought a little POA from a girl who loved horses, but was afraid. The first time I took the POA out to ride, she went about 10 steps. humped her back, and stopped and looked at me, saying, so are you getting off now?? Turns out the little girl would get scared and get off. When pony figured out I wasn't getting off, she gave a big sigh and turned out well!

 

[Boinky]

it's like saying horses are color blind and can't see color. Ask ANY jumper if they beleive horses are color blind! i bet 100% will tell you that they are indeed not! They may not see colors the way WE do but they certainly can see something different. I've found that the worst colors seem to be Red, Green, and Yellow that get the most horses. There is definatly something distinquishable and even almost "scarey" about those colors for many horses.

 

[susanne]

Even though I was there in person to see it for myself, Marie's story about Jimmy and Chip brings tears to my eyes.

Besides being smart, Jimmy has an extraordinary personality and passes it on to his offspring. We have our own Jimmy son in Flash, and whenever I'm around Jimmy, Chip, or young Koda, that sweet, gentle personality is overwhelming.

 

[outlawridge]

Well, I have another one to add, and it just happened... This is a large standard donkey so I hope that counts for inclusion here as I find this amazing.

For the last two years I have periodically seen this donkey from quite a distance as I go down the highway. He is out on several thousand acres of range with hundreds of sheep. He is one of their guardians I guess. Well, this donkey came in close to the old buildings that I go past, and I saw his feet were terribly long and curling up like elf shoes. I have seen this before on range donkeys that have little to none human contact, just like this guy. My heart just dropped. Talked with the ranchers about him and they said I could have him.

The next day my husband and I drove in on the old driveway by the field and there was the old donkey near the road. He took one look at us driving and he let out a huge bray and started briskly walking towards us. Naturally we stopped the vehicle and I got out and asked him what he wanted

He came right to me and buried his head in my chest!!!

So I wrapped my arms around his face and just held him while my tears fell to his fuzzy forehead. I honestly think he knows he is coming home with me very soon.

 

[jleonard]

I'd had my first mini for about a year when we decided to move to KY. A while before that I had considered taking another mini, but decided we just didn't have the room at our old place. When we found out we were moving and would have more land, we decided to take the other one after all. I had been told that the two had been buddies when they were young at the owners farm before being taken to the farm I got them from. Thay had not seen each other in years. I went to pick up another big mare from the farm one night, and I had the first mini in the trailer, so I decided to see what the two little ones did togeather. They immediatly recognized each other in the dark from a distance, and, once the first had drug me down the drive to where the other was stabbled, they could not get enough of each other! It was truly heart warming to see them reunited. To this day they are great friends, and they are always togeather, getting into mischief.

I also had an arab who did not like to load onto the trailer. We used to put the chain on him to get him in, but after probably two times loading him with the chain, he would jump right in. If he ever had his resistant days, all I would have to do was walk to the tack room, get the chain, and rattle it a bit and he would hop in. The second he saw the chain he knew it was time for bussiness and that the games were over.

It is amazing some of the things these animals do! I have many more stories, but I think I've rambled enough!

 

[Mini Mouse]

Over the years people have always told me that horses dont know what "love" is and they really dont get attached to other horses. Well I for sure know differently.

Years ago we had a stallion who was so smitten with a certain mare. He was always by her side no matter what. Long story short she passed away in the night without us knowing. He was also sick but when I went out in the morning he was standing over her trying to make her get up. We almost lost him too but after a week of being in a stall he recovered. The minute I let him out he ran to where she died and pawed and smelled furiously. Then he just stood there with his head hanging. For weeks he would stand there and lay there in the exact spot that she died. Everytime I went outside it broke my heart to see him standing there waiting for her.

OMG Kay, that story just broke my heart. Both my geldings have been together since birth and I just know one would grieve himself to death if something happened to the other one. They never get out of site from each other and if you are doing something to one the other is right there seeing what is going on.

 

[Epona Stable Belgium]

I have a story too.

It was my first pony and he was in his paddock like every day... And one day my father was walking to the paddock to get my pony but he had to walk a little bit... when my pony saw him he didn't stopped whinning at my father... result: my little pony had passed he's leg in the barbed-wire... and he was standing there for a long time but most of the horses panic and are verry injured, but he was so smart that he waited till my daddy came allong...

Verry smart little one

[SIZE=8pt]Sorry for my mistakes![/SIZE]

 

[Chilli's Mum]

This is such a lovely thread!

I have two little stories: My three year old warmblood absolutely loves having a bath and especially loves having his mouth washed out with the hose. Of course however long I do it for is never enough. One day i finished hosing him off and went into the tack room to get a scraper and came back out to find him turning the tap on by himself and grabbing the end of the hose to squirt himself a bit more

- so cute and amazing to see that after watching me turn off the water he figured out that the tap had something to do with it!

I was grooming my mini princess last week ready to gear up for some work and my friend was sitting in the stables with us. A delivery guy came to the house so I went in to sort that out while my friend stayed with Chilli. When I came back to the stables my friend told me that the whole time I was in the house, every time I spoke, Chilli nickered and started nodding her head up and down. When the delivery guy was talking she just stood there listening until I spoke again. I hadn't realised until then that she really looked for me!