Let's Hear The Funny Things Your Horses Have Done

[Jill]

It's fun to read about the funny / goofy (we need a horse Doofus award) things that horses do.

Those who've been here awhile have heard me tell this story on Khaki before.

She had colic surgery as a filly back in 2003. Before the surgery, she lived with my trainer (back then), and then after, she came home for the first time to recover. I took A LOT of time off work to watch her and take care of her. When it was finally time for me to go back to work, I went to check her one last time before I left.

Well, the closer I got to Khaki's pen the more scared she was! I mean her eyes were huge, head way in the air, flared nostrils, etc. I actually looked over my shoulder to see what was coming to get us!!! But nothing was there. Then she ran into her little stall and frantically back and forth trying to find a way to escape when it dawned on me. That little goober was scared of ME! Yep. Since she'd never been at home before, she'd never seen me dressed up. She'd only seen me in barn or show clothes but NEVER a dress (oh the horror) and it was a windy day, too. The wind was flipping the skirt of the dress around some and it was apparently a terrifying sight.

THEN, Sunny did a little something that made me laugh recently. He is a GOOD BOY!! He really tries hard to do what you want and he is so well trained. Before handling him, I'd have not believed a horse could do so much on his own as far as setting up, pivoting, etc. Just amazing and very, very willing.

However, Sunny, like most horses, is also very lazy.

When I first started lunging him, he was fine and let me "catch" him easy. Just either stood there or walked to me before I took him over to the round pen. Well, the next day, he knew what I was getting ready to do and he ran from me! That's the first time he'd done that. He ran behind his little barn going clockwise. So, instead of running around behind him the same direction, I went the other way and was tip toeing and going slow.

As I'm creeping up to peak around the corner expecting he might be standing on that side and I could just grab him, there he is at the other corner doing the SAME THING as me!!! He was peaking around expecting that I did double back! I couldn't help but laugh at him -- that little red smart a**.

So, I guess two "funny" stories. One about a not too sharp filly (that day, anyway) and one about a too smart gelding. The filly is pictured now as a mare, the buckskin, and Sunny is the silver bay pictured by his hiding behind barn...

What are some of the funny (goofy, smart, whatever) things your guys have done?

 

[Fred]

Well Jill, you may remember this incident. It happened a few years ago at the Delmarva show. The ring at Harrington is extremely low and it has caused a problem for liberty classes in years past but I think ours was the most memorable! I had Fred tied in the aisle with a brand new harness on waiting for our driving class when this idiot comes by with her dogs [not on a leash] and the dog touches Fred on his hind foot. Well Fred HATES dogs so he pulls back blows up rolls down the concrete aisle through someones lawn chair. I get him righted [no damage to harness] but hes shaking like a leaf and acting like hes sore but not bad. Bruce Abbot tells me to give hime some bute as I have a 10 hour ride home but I hate giving anything unless I have to. The next day I figure I can find out if he's sore and still qualify him even if we don't place by putting him in liberty. He isn't a liberty horse he's just too lazy but what the heck I can see if he's sore. You have to understand also I have a gray mare Becky he absolutely adores and always looks for her. My friend Heidi also has a gray mare that is the same color. Liberty class comes we [my daughter Kim and I] go in the ring. Now the year before our black mare went over the gate at the end so they had set up drift fence up on top of the fence at the gates. Well Mr Fred is just too smart for us he spins me around I drop the halter he skins past Kim and goes over the fence sideways right for Heidi and her gray mare! Heidi is also holding my daughters gelding! Toal and complete bedlam erupts! Fred takes turns jumping on Heidi's mare and Courtney's gelding [the gelding still hasn't forgiven him] Heidi is spinning in circles trying to keep him off the steward is yelling to turn them loose and it takes three guys to body tackle him to catch him! Whew! They catch him and I get the halter on and go to walk away and the dang @#%@@(!!! snap on the lead lets go! Off we go again! The guys caught him a second time and as SOON as I put my hand on the halter he looks me in the eye as if to say... That was fun I'm done now HA HA!!!!! To this day I still get teased about how I should put him in jumping instead of driving! Linda B

 

[Miniequine]

hehehe

Those are great stories!

My first and ONLY obstacle course..

My mare Moose spooked at the 'water' tarp and

bridge. She reared up, fell over backwards then

layed there eating grass.... and refused to get up....LOL

Such a spoiled brat...

:

I was driving home from the Camden show last weekend.

Little John had accidently been fed double his

regular size meal before we left.. still not sure how

i did that... anyway, a couple hours up the

road, I stop to check on them in the trailer.

Little John was LOOSE, turned around and helping himself

to my other mini's meal...... What a piggy!!

He is just fine, inspite of me!

Oh, another funny thing Little John does.. I let him out

in the pasture for a couple hours every evening. When it is

time to come in, I call him. He gallops like a bat out of h#$#LL

straight at me then does the prettiest sliding stop. Makes me

laugh every time. :lol:

Semi, my show filly for the year.. If you bait her with a sugar

cube, she proceeds to start sucking, sticking her tongue up under

her top lip (making her face look VERY FUNNY) for about 15 minutes!

It gets very LOUD and she works up all this foam!!! silly girl..

Sandy

 

[susanne]

While I was in hospital, Keith cheered me up with this story...

My three boys' favorite pastime is to mount and ride each other around the dry lot...nothing terribly unusual in that. But one morning Keith went out to feed, and there was Mingus riding Thelonius as Flash was riding Mingus!

A train? A congo line? (We had many other theories that I won't mention here, LOL)

Unfortunately, Keith had no camera, so we're hoping for a repeat...

..............

We had a couple of good episodes in my initial efforts teaching Mingus to jump. The first time, I jumped over the very low jump with him. All good. Then I thought I'd better get him used to jumping on his own as I went around, so we did that...so far, so good. But the next time, Mingus' eyes lit up (you could see the lightbulb over his head...) and instead of jumping, he proceeded to follow me around the jump with a look on his face like, "WOW Mom...you are so smart!"

I decided to put a low jump in when I was free lunging Mingus and Thelonius, but Mingus didn't want to play that game. I moved in closer to the jump so he would have to go over, but instead he decided to jump the fence -- all 48 inches of it! -- as easy as if he were standing still. Now, if I can just get him to use that jumping ability over the jumps and still stay in the corral!

 

[Danielle_E.]

Yes we all have quircky horses, minis and full size. My miniature gelding, Storm, like to stand in the LARGE feed tub (I use the smallest of the water troughs) to feed him and my two mares and he gets in it during feed time :new_shocked: :new_shocked: I guess he is trying to make sure he gets his fair share of the feed, what an idiot. Now Blue, my saddlebred has a habit that totally drives me insane. The wall between him and my mare Shafeena, the top 1/4 after wood is steel mesh to the ceiling. Well, when Monsieur Blue is either not being paid attention to when he thinks he should be or if he wants food, he takes his teeth and zings them back and forth over the steel mesh, talk about a racket and I am sure he is going to wear his teeth down by being such a butthead. My old 30 year old arabian tap dances quite beautifully. Nothing wrong with that old gal. When she gets mad or wants attention or thinks she wants "out" she hoofs the back wall with all her might. I think this mare is going to outlive me. Dancer, one of my mini stallions is very mouthy and manages to remove his water bucket almost on a daily basis. Once he does that he turns it upside down and plays "circus horse". Put's his front feet ont he bucket and then he can see over the front door of his stall and talk dirty to all the ladies. Never a dull miniute in our barn I tell ya.

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Whenever I go to our local saddle club show I have to put my mini donkey, Fred, in one of the stalls or he unties hisself and then proceeds to try and untie everyone else that is with me.......which is usally his partner mini donkey, Bubba, and then he moves on to my stud, Popcorn, filly Lily, and then the mini mule Amos.....

My dwarf thinks it is better to have his feet trimmed while he is laying down and when you try to lead him to where the farrier is standing he will just flop over on his side like he is saying...."carry me mama"........which Earl my husband usually does....

:lol:

 

[ibquackers20]

I went into my corral with grooming brush in hand and figured the minute I got close to my resting minis on the ground they would get up and take off,well they just stayed there so I figured I would try to groom them I started off with my 9 month old filly and brushed her sides then she layed her head flat on the ground. I figured why not try to see if I can lift her legs up and do her belly as well,again she just layed there and she even closed her eyes and went to sleep. I did the same thing to my gelding and would'nt you know he did the same thing as my filly.Strange but great that he let me do it because I have only owned him for less than a month but figured since the filly was born here she was use to me. Pretty cool and when it came to their other side to be done they just flipped over,when I was done they got up and followed me asking for more. lol

 

[notadumbld]

Luc decided she was relaly one of our dogs instead of a mini horse. She was in her paddock and found a stick blown in by the wind. She picked it up and then dropped it, but when I went to take it away, she picked it up again and ran away from me. I must have looked pretty foolish trying to catch a fat pregnant mini with a stick in her mouth!

 

[AppyLover2]

Can't think of anything with the minis but my big guy does something I think is really odd and cute.

When he lays down to roll he gets done rolling on one side but doesn't stand up to lay back down and do the other side. Instead he sits up (butt on ground, front legs straight) and just shifts his weight to the other hip, then lowers his front end down and rolls on that side. Kinda hard to describe, but really neat to watch. I've seen him do this many times, so it isn't just a fluke. It's actually "his thing".

 

[littlesteppers]

We have blackberries growing all along One side of One pasture..our neighbor is in his 80's.

He cut a milkjug and made him a berry picking bowl :lol: he had it attached on his belt. Slipped the handle through..well his wife called

him for Lunch when he had it about half full. So he hung it up on the fence and went to go eat.

Not a good idea...when he came back it was empty and chiquita looked like

she was in a fist fight ..her whole face was red and blue..he said she looked at him like

What?? I didn't do it!!

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Well I dont know if its odd or not but I have 4 out of 11 that will retrieve their bowls for me so I dont have to go in the stalls to get them and one mare who will smile a full fledged toothy grin to get a piece of celery. It used to be a cookie but she is on a diet now so celery is her treat. The boy who learned to get his dish first will take every opportunity to grab someone elses so he can double up the treat.

This same stallion is the one who I decided to run with early last Spring my boot caught a hump in the frozen ground and I fell losing the lead in the process Im laying belly flopped out on the ground thinking Oh no he'll be running all over but when I looked up he was only about 4 feet from me trailing the lead and looking back as if to say what are you doing down there. It wasnt funny at the time but it surely was when I thought about it after.

 

[minimule]

One of my mini mules, Jester, is our clown.

One day I was out cleaning stalls. It was cool when I started and I had on a sweat jacket. When it warmed up, I took it off and laid it over one of the corrals. Jester decided he needed to check it out. He grabbed it by one sleeve and started walking away with it. Of course, it "moved" and scared him so he tried turning in circles to get away. It kept following him. He must have spun for 5 minutes trying to get away from "it". He finally dropped it and took off running. Sure wish I'd had a video camera then.

 

["City Slicker"]

:bgrin :bgrin you all will die laughing at this!!!!!!

Slept in for work one morning......... run around feed and water quick..... make a super fast lunch and throw it in lunch pail....... fly out the door and on the entire way to work can't figure what I forgot for the life of me! I get to work get a service call to fix a machine that won't start and realize I forgot two-way on charger at home! So grab the radio in office and off I go......... I get home unlock the door, walk in. Ok now where is he, because Tonto is usally ready to tackle me every nite! I notice the lid of the peanut butter jar (the large ones) laying in the middle of kitchen floor?? I pick it up and no cracks or anything. Scratching my head I call out for him, and he comes troting out of the living room with this huge jar stuck over his muzzle still trying to get the last little bit of peanut butter off the bottom of jar!!!!!! I race for cam and by the time I get back he is standing there, jar at his feet looking like " What did I do " look! Still to this day how the heck he got the lid off without breaking jar or lid is beyond me :new_shocked: He never ceases to amaze me!!!!

 

[chandab]

I don't have a mini story, but do have one or two on my APHA mare.

Hayley loves to amuse herself. If she's tied to the trailer, she runs her teeth back and forth across the diamond tread on the fender, making lots of noise. She loves to play in the water tank; when she was a youngster, I had my horses at a boarding facility, the owner took care of filling water tanks, she had to leave ours down 4-6 inches, as that's how much Hayley would splash out while playing (she went bobbing for an apple slice one day, as she dropped it in the tank). She's now 9 years old and I've caught her out in the pasture making "Mr Ed" faces; she'll flop her bottom lip around making all kinds of faces and noises. She also likes to twang the wire fences; she'll grab the fence with her teeth, pull back and let go, and then watch it vibrate; she'll repeat this several times before she is bored with it.

 

[Dairygirl]

Well most recent I was bent over getting another scoop of feed from the bucket when one of my mares came running up behind me and headbutted me in the rear. Needless to say I went flying over the bucket face down in the mud. LOL. I wasn't too happy at the time.

2nd is when I just had shipped in 3 foals from NE.. All straight out of the pasture so not tame at all. We get them unloaded by letting them loose because they didn't lead. My mom came over and wanted to see my new horses. Well I was talking to her and noticed that my black colt was laid out. Not moving. I went over and watched him and no movement at all. Then he started moaning and I pushed him, nothing happen, I talked to him, nothing happen. I pushed and shook him and nothing happen. Needless to say I was getting very worried at this time. Just get him off the trailer and he falls dead. So I start to panic. Meantime he is still moaning. I push one last time and he opens his eyes and looks around, like" Hey why did you wake me up" The little guy was asleep and snoring. LOL. After that I never had a problem putting my hands on him. Hard to believe for a foal never messed with.

The list can go on and on around my house with silly animal tricks.

 

[txminipinto]

My first story is about a client's horse that I have in for training. She's mainly here for halter, but they also wanted her trained in the in-hand performance events. We've been working on our backing, sidepasses, pivots and forehand turns and its obviously paying off. I had just asked her to sidepass left over a pole and then whoa when I noticed I needed to adjust distance between some of my poles. Asking for a ground tie, I stepped back to make my adjustments when she took a step up towards me. I gave a quick correction with my chain and then had to keep from falling over laughing. She sidepassed all the way back to the right PERFECTLY as if I had asked her to.

Then, there's Rosie. Rosie is my shetland mare and she's a character. To start, her lips never stop moving and she can be a real pain in showmanship and obstacle. And she only does it when the judge is looking, as soon as they look away, she stops. At home, she runs her teeth over the bars in her stall door as if she's a jail house prisioner with a metal cup and I can't have anything hanging from the roof of her stall. She will step up on her stall door or make like a deer until she pulls it down. She's a hoot and I wouldn't have her any other way.

And Design, our other shetland mare. Don't you dare lay a tail bag or brush on her rump while you're working on her tail because she'll turn around and take it off. Then, you'll have to play tug a war to get it back. She also prefers to dump her grain into her mouth wearing the bucket on top of her head with the grain raining down on her. And blankets? They better be closed front!!

 

[Loess Hills]

When we were building an addition to our barn, all the horses want to hang around and "help". Our red roan mare kept reaching in my husband's tool pouch and pulling out the screw drivers which she would carry around in her mouth!

Also tried

: to get the screws!

 

[Kim Rule]

Okay, Okay...I've been avoiding remembering this...but, since you asked!!!

We have a clown in horse clothing here...and his name is Beren. He's too smart for his own good. He loves making up games with the rubber grain bowls that I leave in the pen. He'll play Bowl Tag with another horse. He starts with a bowl in his mouth, and he'll go over to another young horse, and flap it in their face. They'll try to get it, and he runs away, with the other horse following. He'll drop the bowl, the other horse will pick it up, and he'll try to get it from them!!!! He also likes to take the edge of the bowl in his mouth, and he'll push the bowl all over the pen, making trails. If I need to find bowls, I can follow the trail...however it is quite a maze!

But the kicker is:

2 years ago my husband was working in Medford for a time. Somehow we talked his boss into flying me down there for a weekend get away. We had a marvelous time. Kyle was home, taking care of the horses and dog. I was checking in with him daily. We were at the airport, ready to go home. We had just been informed that our plane was canceled, and we had to wait 3 hours for the next one. My cell phone rang. Here's the conversation (as near as I can remember)

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Yeah, we're going to be late dear, our plane has been canceled."

"Oh. Uh, Mom, the horses got loose."

"Oh my god, did you catch them, are they on the street?"

"Uh, no, they didn't get out of the yard."

"Oh, that's no big deal...did you put them away?"

"Uh, yeah. But Mom..."

"Yes Kyle?"

"They got into the house."

"They WHAT???!"

"After I fed, I left the back door open so that Ash (the dog) could get in and out. Then I went to spend the night at Tony's. Somehow they got the gate open (he forgot to latch the chain) and they got out. They came into the house. It's a real mess. Someone peed on the carpet. Twice. Mom, how do I rent a steam cleaner?"

"Uh Kyle, maybe you better call Uncle Alan and see if you can get some help. Just clean it up as best you can." (by now I'm laughing hysterically...what else could I do?? And, Uncl4e Alan was no help)

I then called Nila, and she went over to take a look, and give me a report. She said that it was a disaster, but that Kyle was cleaning it up as best he could. Apparently they had stayed in the house, and had a party!!! Fortunately there was nothing broken, though somehow a pillow from the sofa wound up in the back yard.

My husband was livid, and he didn't develop a sense of humor about this for a very long time. We got home at about midnight, and the stench was awful!! There were flies all over, and the carpet was ruined. Kyle had picked up the poop (about half a garbage can full) and cleaned up as best he could. We could not shut the doors and turn on the airconditioner because it reeked...so it was horribly hot!

The next day Kris had rented a steam cleaner, and I was expecting visitors. Andrea (Disneyhorse) was visiting Lisa (Ruffandtuff) and they were coming over to see my horses. I stuck my head out the door when I saw them coming. "Don't you dare laugh!" I warned them. They stiffled their laughter while they walked through the living room, in the presence of my sweaty, grumpy husband. We got to the back yard, and it could be held back no longer! The three of us roared...not at my sweaty, grumpy husband, but at the quirky, horrible mess that somehow my horses made in my house!

Kim R.

 

[Feather1414]

Hmmm... Peanut. Now there is one serious character.

Once I took him into a jumping class and although I could tell that he didnt want to do it, it was the last class fo the day and I figured he could do it. I should have known better. They blew the whistle and I went to take off and Peanut just stood there. We could not get him moving. Then when he does, he walks. Ok, I can work with this. The comes the first jump. Not only does he not jump, but he goes to the pole, and headbutts it so that it falls over. THen he looked at me and we took off. It was so incredibly pathetic.

Then at nationals in jumper... I almost retired that horse right there. Once again, he would not trot more the 3 mph and at the first jump... well here is a picture.

Then by the time I got him over this one... we were at a walk. I could still deal with this. However, when we got to the middle jumps... see those flowers? THe booger grabbed them and started to throw them all over the ring, and there was nothing I could do about it. We made it through the course, but everyone was laughing. Even the judges!

Dealer however is a different kind of horse. In the ring, he is just fine, does what he needs. However I got the bright idea when I was in the aisle to let him have a taste of a lollypop. I stuck it in the side of his mouth, and his eyes got wide and he sure did love it. Then I was talking to my friend and I had my hand with the sucker behind me. I feel a tug, and there is Dealer. He untied himself and had managed to grab ahold of the sucker with his teeth. Uh oh, there is a stick on that thing, and he cant have that. So I was playing tug of war with a horse and a lollypop. You should have seen the look in his eyes. He was not going to let go. After about 10 minutes of my pulling ((and I mean he was arched and I was putting in all my weight)) the candy part came off the stick and I went flying into the aisle. That was quite interesting trying to explain.

 

[Reble]

A few years ago,

This is our creek, when I got my mare Sweetie home, took her out and around her area where she would be staying.

Decided, on her lead line to take her down to the creek to show her where to drink.

The old story can lead a horse to water but cannot make them drink. Never thought of swimming.

Well she thought I meant go right on in, and off she went, had to let go of her lead, screaming for hubby to come quick, Sweetie is swimming down the creek. Help !!!!!!!!!!!!

Hubby ran in the barn got a bail with feed, started shaking it, and calling sweetie come here, come here,

Finally, I said you have to get her, go in, get her. Ok he says, not looking to happy, just than she headed for land and up she came.

Well thank goodness the sun was shining, she rolled, got up shooked off the access water and looked like she was smiling, thinking what a great place, my own swimming pool.

Hubby and I looked at each other, and said hope she doesn't do that again.