Fun question-What are signs of inteeligence in a horse to you?

Question

Just a simple question. What shows you that horse has at least some intelligence?

My horse showed me his intelligence today. I hopped off him on the trail because I forgot his fly spray and he is very sensitve to the biting flys, he was freaking out. I was walking ahead of him because he does follow me. My mom(who is terrified of horses and working on getting over it) was behind him on King, Rebel all the sudden stopped and my mom yelped. She though he had stumbled but when I turned around he had somehow managed to get the reins under his leg and stil laround his head. He didn't freak out, he just waited very patiently While I worked him free.

So List the things that show you a horse is at least a little intelligent.

Answer 1

Well you are supposed to be able to tell by how their eyes are set and how they are shaped etc...your horse prolly stopped because he pulled on the reins when he got them around his neck & he is supposed to stop when something pulls on them...not a big mystery...common sense...

Answer 2

One of my horses has very good sense.  He remembers things the very first time you show him something,

Example:  We have a fence that is white and if you don't know where it opens for people to walk thru, you cannot see it.  I led my horse thru and 2 days later, he was loose around the barn and ran right over to it and started nudging it with his nose.  He wanted it to open.  I could not beleive it.

Another time, we were going to a horse show with this same horse.  I walked up to load him into the horse trailer and the wind was blowing so hard, it blew the trailer door shut.  This horse kept his pace and as he approached the door which had swung shut, he took his nose and pushed it open and walked into the trailer.  I along with a friend of mine were shocked to say the least.

Answer 3

Horses typically don't score high on tests that require reasoning, but the tests that get used are those which work for mice and horses aren't mice.

Horses can figure out how to lift a bridle off a hook to drop it, they can have fun flipping over an open umbrella (they get better at it by themselves), and they can figure out how to get at the grass on the far side of a fence. They remember things well, like treats in their bucket at a certain time or after a certain event or from a specific person - or that you usually change leads in the center of the arena.

That last part, the ability to anticipate, feels a lot like intelligence (though it's very pesky when trying to control the horse at a detailed level). It's sort of like conceptualizing, especially when they do it in very different arenas.

A funnier example happened to my wife and I. My wife's horse and my horse were at liberty in the arena one day and the door was open. Her horse decided to go out, and then my horse put his head up and trotted after him. They had never run off or been at liberty on the property before. We found her horse in his turnout eating hay, and my horse eating grass just outside there.

Not sure if that's intelligence, but it sure was funny.

My final example is from when I went out to find my wife on the trail. It was dusk and I was going down a hill when my horse started "snorking" and wouldn't go on. I finally dismounted and attempted to lead him ahead so he could see there was nothing wrong.But he walked out ahead of me and put his head on my chest and tried to push me back like he was saying "Listen boss, I know you don't believe me, but there's dangerous boogers down there, we've got to go back."

There weren't any boogers, and I eventually got him to continue on, but it was oddly touching.

Answer 4

I had ridden the most intelligent pony I have ever known. I could tell to the first day I got on him to train him and get him used to having weight on his back. He would watch me ride the mares and then when it was his turn he was super. No freaking or flinching of bit, bridle, saddle pad, or saddle or girth. I walked him and trotted him. He had good muscle on him already from ground driving a bit but he hadn't have a human on his back before. Now he is a therapeutic pony for disabled people. He watches them and somehow he knows that there is something wrong with them and he is careful. Also at the special olympics he had a kid on his back and they were at the gate of a trail class where you open the gate, walk through, and shut it. Well when the kid reached to pull the rope over the pole and open it he turned around, grabbed the rope, slid it over the pole and the gate opened. Then he walked right through it and turned back around, grabbed the rope and somehow go it back over the pole and shut the gate.  

Answer 5

intelligence isnt it?

hmm.. idk..

anyway.. i think a horse is smart when they know exactly how to get away with anything they want. for example, my horse knows how to set against ANY bit and run...  

Answer 6

my horse used to make up little games,like the first one was,he pooped in my aunts arena,so I walked out there and cleaned it up,he watched me do it,when I was done,he pooped again,then same routine,we went through this about 4 times,then I got sick of it and put him back in his stall,lol and another time,I bent down and he moved his head so that I couldn't stand back up without hitting my head on his chin,but then I moved my head and tried to go around his head and he moved his head,I ended up having to reach up and push his head to the side,then I got up lol he is very smart,thats the Arab in him,he is half Arab and half Quater horse (commonly called a Quarab)

Answer 7

Most horses are intelligent in one way or another but some things that i see from my smart ones are:  My stallion knows when its breeding season and he has this sixth sense, he gallops to the gate of his paddock all excited when he sees horsefloats in the distance, but usually when they're coming to see him.  One of our gelding will jump solid fences if they're not too high for his liking. He'll walk upto the fence and push his chest against it, if it's not too tall he'll take a little run up and pop right over.  I use to own a horse who if he didn't want to be ridden would fake a limp, just depended on what day or what leg he chose!  Some of my ponies rest their wiskers on the electric fence wire to check if its working, if it's not they'll escape under it.  But i think each horse has something to show about it's own level of intelligence, some horses open gates, others might get tangled in wire and wait till someone comes to help and from some different stories i've read mares will bring sick foals to owners or try to get their owners attention if one of their friends is hurt and some even protect their owners in different situations.  Your horse showed his intelligence by not freaking out, Go Rebel!!

Answer 8

i think the cheeky/mischeivious horses are the smart ones.

they sumhow manage to open a gate or get out of their rug and they always know where the food is hidden. ahaha

my big ol warmblood is a sook on trail rides and freaks out at everything. my friend (who is a beginner) and i went out for a ride and my boy was doin his usual prancing, jumping head in the air ect when my friend horse freaked and she fell off.

my friend refused to hop back on coz she was hurt and so i had to lead her horse home while she walked and her horse was goin berzerko, rearing and tryin to attack my boy n me.

im really proud of bogart (my warmblood) coz he seemed to know that he had to behave. he didnt prance on the way home or freak out even though he was beiing pushed about and we had to walk down a road and through water and everything.

Answer 9

My horse can tell the level of a rider... he will only walk and slow trot for people who havent really ridden before, but with people who do ride he will fast trot and canter!!! even when coaxed he wont canter for a beginer! its really cool

Answer 10

Ha ha My last horse Beauty, she was old, but use to compete in barrel racing, and every time a show went on at the ranch, she neighed at it. good times lol