Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Horses are really funny with faking. My brother has a big quarterhorse/TB cross. They were out trail riding and he picked up a stone in his hoof. they dismounted and popped out the stone, but he limped all the way home... until he got near the mares. He hadn't been gelded yet and he started calling to the mares and prancing, trying to show off. Once he got away from the mares he started limping again, but it was on the wrong foot :-)

On 6/12/07, Tx Trigger <txtrigger@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Add me to the list of one who has seen a horse fake lameness to get out of work. I worked with a very smart, calculating type Arab gelding.(smarter than the average Arab for those Arab owners who feel they are all smart)  There was a guy who exercised some of the horses with me, and this horse did not like him. He would head out on him, and the horse would do a  head bob, grade 3 lame. He'd come back, and put the horse away, saying he was lame. Next time, horse would again do it, but some times on the other leg.  When I, or his owner would get on him, he'd not do it. But he could really buffalo this guy, and knew it. He'd fake feeling "sick" too, going really, really slow on the way out, dropping his head down, dragging his toes along. He thought the horse was tying up.  But I'd get on, and he was cured. 

 

Many people believe horses do not have the ability to reason as such. That is fine, they can believe it. Doesn't really matter I guess to me, but I have seen them do reasoning, like faking a lameness to get out of work.  The above horse should have had a job as a trick horse. lol He sure tricked Scott.

 

jonni in TX