My dad's first job was cleaning horse stables and says on his first day he got stepped on right where the steel toe of his steel toed boots wasn't, so I'll believe it.
If I had to run around on One Toe while also having the sideways anti-predator vision, I would also evolve into a powerful creature worth taking precautions against
From my last experience horseback riding, I can confirm this. That horse saw my amateur ass coming from a mile away & made a plan. As soon as I hopped on he went about his agenda of going way off the beaten path to his secret grazing spot at a pretty nice clip & took me along for the ride.
Sure. Until a leaf blows across the path. Then planning & strategy are violently jettisoned in favor of shooting straight up, all hooves off the ground and executing a mid-air about-face.
Are we to believe that all THIS was part of the horses' master plan? Because I'm not seeing it. They do not occupy the top tier of society, shall we say.
I knew one who'd lure me over to pet him so he could open the drawstring treat bag on my belt while I wasn't looking. It only contained dog treats, but I think his trainer must have carried a similar one because he kept trying.
Basically, in equines, both intelligence and attitude, in the general case, generally go in reverse size order. Draft horses? Amiable chill gargantuans.
I recently came across a story about a horse who plays dead whenever people try to ride him. When prospective riders give up and walk away, the horse gets up and is fine. Large animal vets say he’s perfectly healthy. The horse’s favorite food is carrots but he won’t eat them while playing dead
We had to take special precautions to keep Ray from opening his stall door and what did he do? he started opening his NEIGHBOR's stall door. (and yes I do mean NEIGHbor).
His new owner says she had the exact same problem when he moved to her barn.
Listening to MBMBaM has taught me that horses
1. Can pull three times the weight of a single horse in pairs
2. Can pull MORE than that if the pair is good friends
3. Have two kinds of anger
4. Are unstoppable
Comments
not only are animals persons, humans are animals.
When will animal behaviorists start trusting that animals are smart?
...of course. Of COURSE!
Are we talkin’ Jurassic Park’s Clever Girl¹⁰ level mischief here?
Ponies? Smart little punk fuckers.
Toy horses? SATAN.
But there are memes.
https://bsky.app/profile/jnxouaquaga.bsky.social/post/3kc4i3pxn732c
https://bsky.app/profile/jnxouaquaga.bsky.social/post/3kunjyojeeq22
We had to take special precautions to keep Ray from opening his stall door and what did he do? he started opening his NEIGHBOR's stall door. (and yes I do mean NEIGHbor).
His new owner says she had the exact same problem when he moved to her barn.
https://www.thefield.co.uk/country-house/queens-horses-black-beauties-knightsbridge-31908
#HorseSense
1. Can pull three times the weight of a single horse in pairs
2. Can pull MORE than that if the pair is good friends
3. Have two kinds of anger
4. Are unstoppable
This is concerning.
https://youtu.be/KCzwyFHSMdY?si=CIiYBHwJ5n7bpiAM