# Smart Bumps



## Marsha Cassada (Apr 2, 2012)

Anyone have any thoughts on smart bumps? I had an australian shepherd that had one. My present dog and my gelding do not. I've handled a donkey that had a huge one. My new shetland mare has one. Do you think this is an old wive's tale? Or is there something to it?


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## muffntuf (Apr 2, 2012)

Nope never heard that in the equine world. Just know ponies are smart and if they are bored, they prove it. LOL!


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## Norah (Apr 4, 2012)

yea , what is a smart bump ? I know if you have 2 cawlics on your head , you will do a lot of traveling : )


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 4, 2012)

It is a bony knob between the ears. A vet tech is the first person who mentioned it to me about 10 years ago on our dog--I had never heard of it. A few people I've asked about it have heard of it, so it is not just a local thing. Just wondered if it was an old wive's tale. I haven't had another horse with one; this pony is my first. My sister's Walking horse has one.

btw, I do have 2 cowlicks and we have moved a lot!


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## paintponylvr (Apr 6, 2012)

To the best of my knowledge all ponies and horses have one. I use that "knobby bump" as a marker to stop clippimg my bridlepaths forward on ponies and arabs. On some of ours it's been closer to the center of between the ears - meaning I stop clipping BEFORE the bump, but most have it a little further back. The Arab mare, the shetland stallion and 3 shetland mares tha are 20 &21 yrs old, have all become very prominent in the last two years. AJ is the most prominent and he also is the only one who has really developed the sunken eye hollows above his eyes, too.

Looking back, I don't think that our Paints and QH in the 70s, 80s & 90s had them as promenently(tho they did have a bump) as the arabs and ponies do, and in their own ways they were never as smart or as "hot" as our ponies and arabs have tended to be.

Had never heard of it being called a smart bump before...


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## Marsha Cassada (Apr 6, 2012)

I looked it up online and it started with hunters, who seemed to notice their smartest dogs had it. They called it a "wisdom knot". None of the miniature horses I've owned had one. The new horse is my first shetland, and she has one. Just a curiousity...

I haven't clipped her bridle path yet, but that will probably be a good marker!


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## Norah (Apr 6, 2012)

I will have to feel around for that next week when I clip the kids : ) will let you know


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