Do horses in 'trouble' understand our helpful intentions?

[Teej]

Last night the YO's mare gave me quite a scare! She always paws at the gate with impatience whilst I'm doing her feed but the bottom bars are too close together to get her feet through. Last night however she somehow managed to get her leg far too high and of course it went right over the bar at shoulder level leaving her trapped. She started to panic and I rushed over to her telling her that it was ok. She stopped panicking as soon as I was with her and she let me do what needed to be done to release her leg ! She didn't paw at the gate tonight so hopefully she's learned a lesson!

I've noticed this with my own horses too that when they get themselves into trouble, they usually remain still & calm whilst I 'fix' the situation.

Another time in Zimbabwe we were driving past a farm with barbed wire fencing and noticed two horses fighting next to the fence. They were really going at it rearing up, biting, kicking, it was awful and I wasn't going anywhere without stopping this fight! Just as we pulled over, one horse fell onto the fence & was trapped in the barbed wire whilst the other tried to kill it!!!! I ran over and chased the horse away and shouted over at my OH to find wire cutters in the car to free the trapped horse. Amazingly even though the horse didn't know me, he stopped panicking and remained very calm whilst we worked on freeing him. We didn't have any cutters but luckily a farmer came by and had the right tools. We managed to free the horse and he trotted off and seemed absolutely fine.

I find it amazing that a prey animal would remain so calm when you would expect them to panic and thrash about trying to free themselves particularly with complete strangers.

Anyone else have any experiences?

[Ambers Mum]

Mony is a sweetie when she gets into bother. When she was younger she had a habit of putting her feet through the barbed wire fences on the farm (no moans please, you had barbed wire all over the place in the 1980's) She never got cut but could never figure out how to get back out so was often found standing there in a pile of poo until someone would release her in the mornings. Even now if she gets in to strife she will happily stand or lie around until we arrive and 'rescue' her.

Star on the other hand will happily demolish a stable rather than be helped by puney humans lol!

Kosha used to get in with my trailer when we first moved in the farm and was regulary found stuck, standing over the A frame caught on the hitch!!! Don't ask, I have no idea why or even how!! My friend went up at 5am most mornings and released him, took him back into the field and by the time I got back at 9am he was there again!!! I would have loved toknow what that was all about lol

[flambards]

I'm actually a proponent of hobble-breaking horses for this reason. It looks not so nice, but it teaches them not to panic and thrash if their legs get "stuck", which is very useful. But I do think they understand when a person is trying to help usually, too.

[fell lover]

Yep! My foal Summer tried to jump our fence and got caught in the pig fencing! Luckily I came through to the field as she did it! All of them were on this side but she was hanging on the other side!
She stopped thrashing when she saw me and the other three stood stock still - really weird!! She lay on her side, all legs in the wire and just looked at me!! I got her loose and then they all moved!!
Will never forget that day!!

[Susan]

Yes, I absolutely believe that they know when we are trying to help. I have experienced it a couple of times and been amazed that they didn't freak out and do real damage to themselves.

Brilliant story Teej - what a lucky horse that you guys were passing.

[Ambers Mum]

Originally Posted by fell lover

Yep! My foal Summer tried to jump our fence and got caught in the pig fencing! Luckily I came through to the field as she did it! All of them were on this side but she was hanging on the other side!
She stopped thrashing when she saw me and the other three stood stock still - really weird!! She lay on her side, all legs in the wire and just looked at me!! I got her loose and then they all moved!!
Will never forget that day!!

she probably said to them "shhh don't move, mums coming, maybe she won't notice if we act normal lol"

[Sasca]

Ive done it several times, mines got themselves in a silly or dangerous situation and as soon as you arrive they just have a sheepish look and wait for you to sort it. Stupid creatures.

[BEX101]

When Dancer was having her second foal i fell asleep outside the stable on a stack of straw while on foal watch (i had been up several nights) I woke up to Dancer pawing at the straw near my head.
Some how she had undone the bolt to her stable door. When i checked her over there was 1 foot showing but the foal had his second leg hooked back with his elbow hooked behind her pelvis.
She stood quietly while i pushed he back a little and brought the second leg forward and then completed the foaling herself.
She had never undone her bolt before and has never done it since. She must have on some level known that she needed help and came to get me.