Do horses miss people?

Hammie

Hammie

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Jan 3, 2008
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What do you think?

I don't mean, is your horse glad to see you when you turn up (especially with carrots lol). I mean, do you think your horse thinks about you when you're not there? If they are fed, looked after, exercised by someone else, do they pine away in their field or is it out of sight out of mind?
 
I would normally say no but Sovereign and Mony have both changed my opinion lately. They seem to know I belong to them and when my girls go up they will come in and go straight to their dinners but when I go up the always 'talk to me' have a cuddle and then go in. My friend said they aren't very affectionate but then saw them with me and changed her mind. I don't think they think about me as such but they do know when I am not there x
 
They 100% can miss people, imo. When I got my new horse he was completely untrusting and naughty but when his old owners came to visit he was back to the horse that I tried out.

(after a few months he did become better and now he trusts me as much as he did his old owners but it took some time)

so basically, i think that they will miss people but they get over it easily if they find someone else, bit like people really i guess
 
Think so, yeah. Beau ran off from the groom but ran to me and shouts for me if he can hear but not see me on the yard. Had a scary moment this morning catching in when other ponies wanted to barge through the gate and he spun and kicked at them to get them away from me!

If someone else is riding him, he kind of coyly looks at me every time he goes past!
 
my share horse does. Bless him, each time i rock up to the yard and he's in the school (he's used part time in his owners riding school) he looks for me. If they stop to have something explained, he fidgets till he gets as close to me as he can.
 
I reckon so, yes.

When I was suffering badly with depression, I didn't go to see Harley for about a month. When I eventually went down to see him, he was so happy to see me.
I think that comes from having a strong bond with him. My mum's horse doesn't care if he sees me or not! ;)
 
Probably not in the same way we miss something*. But I would say yes, I think they do.

* Like I doubt they will be thinking about us when they are in the field, but when we see them they will more happy to see us than usual.

Though once I did 'disappear' behind a tree when Ginny was in the field next door and she panicked, bearing in mind it takes a lot to panic Ginny like that in the field. The last time she did I would say would have been the hot-air balloon which I have picture proof was extremely low. She was neighing, trotting up and down with her head up etc. Then as soon as I came out from behind the tree she looked at me and calmed down. She didn't react like that when dad went behind the tree!!:p
 
Definatly yes.

If my mum doesnt go up the yard for a few days Maddy greets her as normal, its Nanny and its fairly normal for her to miss the odd day here or there.

If I'm not there for a day Maddy gets pushy with me, like a mini tantrum.:p If I'm away for a couple of days she has a major tantrum. When I go in her stable she turns her bum on me and wont look at me. If I manage to get round her front end and grab her round the neck she suddenly grows from 14.1hh to about 17hh to get away from the hug!! I've since learnt that I go in and stand at ther front of the stable ignoring her, play her at her own game. Eventually (bout 10mins) she slowly creeps up behind me.... one.... step.... at.... a ....time. She puts her nose to my cheak, and breaths out slowly, then grabs my collor and tugs!! I know then she wants a cuddle:rolleyes::rolleyes:. She'll still be a bit pushy for about 24hrs, I've learnt to take it as a compliment:D:D
 
:)I think they do,especially if they have got a strong bond with you,and i think they remember old owners as well if they were with that person for a number of years.:)
 
xander didnt miss me at all when we went away for 2 weeks. as long as he was fed every day he didnt care who it was chucking his bucket down! he still had all his friends day & night. but i had only had him 2 months then. i think it would be slightly different now, we've come a long way in the last few months. its still nothing compared to where i want to be though, so im not sure he would. he also seemed perfectly fine when madlady left him here. he was a right mommy's boy, but was more interested in all the new things to look at, than where his mommy & daddy had gone. i do believe that when we have the relationship im aiming for, he might, just might miss me.

the cat, on the other hand, doesnt eat for days when we leave her. in fact she sulks & has a fit if we get back from work later than normal!
 
Who knows what goes on in his little head :p? I'm really not sure. I highly doubt that when I went on holiday Toby was grazing thinking 'where's Aunty?' ;) - he had food, a fieldmate, water, shelter - he was probably enjoying himself more than usual without the interruption of my visits :o! That being said, I went to see him today for the first time since coming back and he was extra-nice to me :P - so he probably recognises that I'd been away longer than usual and that it was good for me to be back (me = endless attention and obstacle courses, playing chase round the field etc) - but I certainally don't think that he pined for me while I was gone. As long as he has food, water, shelter and his fieldmate he's happy as larry no matter who comes to visit :D:rolleyes:!

ETA: Although should say I just share Toby so I probably don't have a particularly strong bond with him compared to his owner.
 
I know a horse called Fagan that positively grieved when his owner went away on holiday. Seriosuly you had to see it to believe it. Once my friend went away and got some help in from an experienced horseperson. She called me at work to get permission to call the vet because "something" was wrong with Fagan. She was truly worried about him. I told her not to worry Id check him later and explained to her how much he sulked when his owner was on holiday...:p
 
I'd love to think so. I know Basil whinny's when he sees me, and comes to my call, which he won't do with anyone else. However, I think he associates me with carrots, apples, swede, parsnips, polos etc etc.... you get the general idea! He is definitely the best fed horse in Bristol! He eats better than me.

He certainly seems pleased to see me when I arrive anyway. Not sure if he misses me but I tell myself he does!;):D
 
I think so ..
because I went on holiday for 2 weeks in july, and when I came back the pony I am looking after wouldn't let me leave the field, it was quite cute really, he kept following me and walking infront of me as if to stop me going any further .. then after a few days he actually stopped wanting to go into the field, he would stand before the gate and plank his heels, it was as if he knew once he was in the field that was me leaving again, and he didn't know when I would be back .. because before then I was always up on the same days at the same time he has stopped that now though now we are back in our routine .. don't know how he is going to cope now I am back at college and won't be able to make it up as often :(,
 
the first time i left my daughters pony to go on holiday, she came galloping up to me, whickering when i returned.
however, my friend has been looking after her for 3 weeks while i have been sorting out my field and while i have been pining away, when i went to bring her back on sunday, she again came cantering up to me, only this time kept going right past me and into the stable, waiting for my friend to sort her feed!
i was absolutely gutted lol
 
I used to look after someones horse for them when they went away on holiday, and he nearly always left his breakfast/tea and haynet. Would leave at least half his net!

As soon as 'mummy' was home, everything would get eaten again. And yes the feeds were the same size as she used to make them up for me before I went in plastic bags.

So yes, definately, they do miss people.
 
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