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Can horses identify different people in their lives? (Owner, Riders, Trainers, Barn Help)

Off Course
#21

Don’t feel bad, some horses are just not that type of horse, like some people are not huggers. I’ve had my TB mare nearly 13 years now. She absolutely knows me, and my vehicles. Her ears perk up and she watches me, but won’t even walk up to me in the field–the peasant must approach the queen, after all :lol: I don’t think she’s ever nickered at anyone. But she absolutely knows and trusts me, and despite all the occasional silliness, has really tolerated me asking her to do all kinds of crazy things over the time we’ve been together, from big indoor A hunter shows to trying jousting.

She knows when the trainer is in the ring, and will get a bit more revved up while warming up, because she knows she gets to jump. It’s actually pretty funny, because other people can be in the ring and she doesn’t care, but she knows when it’s the trainer, and she associates it with a jump lesson.

Other than the regular people at the barn, she recognizes my SO, who she only sees every couple months, usually at shows. He is a known source of treats and spoiling and zero demands, and she starts mugging for him almost as soon as she sees him!

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#22

Yes … too many stories to recount of some dear old friends ~

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#23

My trainer in college had a youngster who had a crush on me. I fed and did barn chores a few days a week and he’d follow me around like a puppy. I never gave him any more attention than any of the other horses and only rode him once, but he thought I hung the moon. She sent him away for training and then he was with her brother-in-law for a few years, but when he came back home I happened to be up for a visit. He heard my voice as they were unloading him and came running to me, whinnying. I have no idea why he liked me so much, but he sure did. And he absolutely recognized me after years of no interaction.

I am told that when I broke my leg in a riding accident in 2017, my mare went “into a depression” for the weeks that I was unable to get to the barn. (My response to this was "Good. She should think about what she’s done.) When I was finally mobile enough to go visit, she whickered at me and did that thing mares do with foals–where they use their neck to “hug” the baby against their side.

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#24

I have a very snuggly horse, who enjoys human companionship and attention. She almost never says anything. She very rarely neighs or nickers or makes any sounds at all. When she does, it’s always surprising. But, she clearly has a “connection” and enjoys my company, so I don’t think you can associate the nickered greeting with connection.

I had a pony for 10 years that I eventually sold. About 8 years later, I found him again. He immediately nickered to me when I called his name. I figured no big deal, that he probably always did, but the current owner was shocked. Apparently he didn’t do that, and had recognized me. I brought him home, and he nickered every time I called his name or fed him until he died.

One of my other current horses will ALWAYS nicker for food. One is the previously mentioned silent one, and the other two sometimes nicker at feeding time, or when called.

I think horses definitely recognize people individually, but I don’t think they care if you go on vacation for a week as long as someone is feeding them.

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#25

I live on the same property as my horse so I can’t say if he differentiates between people but he damn sure knows when I come out in the morning in riding clothes instead of work clothes! If he sees me in my visor (which I never wear unless I’m gonna ride) its an instant sour puss on his face lol

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#26

To the first question, no. As long as the food arrives they’re good.

To the second question, yes. And long before, also.

G.

#27

I had a lease and 2 horses previous to my current, but despite my best efforts, felt zero bond with them. They never nickered when I showed up and never came to me in the pasture, and I ALWAYS had treats in my pocket. My current horse was still quite baby and new under saddle. We’d just finished up a ride and was walking on a long rein when a big pickup with a souped up engine went roaring by on the neighboring road. He lept through the air and spun around causing me to fall off the side. I’m no spring chicken, so it took me several moments to catch my breath and attempt to get up. He never moved as I lay there on the ground. Just stood there watching me. He could have easily, as most horses would, bolted back to the barn. My SO other was there, but he was so concerned about me, he didn’t think to grab the horse. After a couple minutes I picked myself up, and as soon as I did, my horse walked over to me, nickered, and nuzzled me. That’s when I knew he was the one.

He comes to me whether I have treats or not, whether it’s feeding time or not, and BOY, his pasture mate better not even THINK about approaching his mom first!

A couple weeks ago, I paid a friend to do his first full body clip. I was there when she got started. She couldn’t believe how easy he was. I couldn’t hang around and had to leave for work. She texted me later and said despite her best efforts, he simply wouldn’t let her touch his face, so she left it.

The next day, I brought a pair of old clippers with me just to see. Brought him out, tied him, and started them up. He didn’t flinch. Ran these loud old clippers right against his face and he never moved. I am his person. Why would he? :slight_smile:

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#28

They know people and they know other horses. I personally think they’re a lot smarter and wiser than a lot of people, even horse people, give them credit for.

My “heart horse” is kind of a long back story; we showed across the country and wound up with year end awards, congress championships, and world titles but parted ways due to circumstance. I had the opportunity to buy him back in 2017 and when I turned the corner with a halter in my hand after not seeing him for three years… if his jaw could have hit the floor, it would have. To this day, he knows my car, he has the first stall in the barn that can see the house and he watches the windows, and he is incredibly jealous of my other horses. :lol:

I also have a mare that I love deeply, who I’ve had since she was 3 and I was 13. I’m now 31 and she’s 22 and during the last 20 years we’ve been a team I’ve had other horses come and go. Back in 2006, I sold a palomino mare I owned as I was off to college. Didn’t think much of it for several years, until in 2012 I got an email out of the blue that the couple who bought her divorced and the wife just needed to reduce numbers. Of course, I went to pick her up - and while there’s a whole sad story about that and the condition she was in - I turned into the driveway of the boarding barn my longtime paint mare was at and the palomino mare let out a whinny to the horses in the front pasture. My paint mare came running from across the pasture and the two were screaming at each other from the trailer the entire way up the drive.

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#29

Actually the question here isn’t so much, do horses remember and recognize people? They do.

The question is more, how do I get my horse to vocally recognize and welcome me in a noisy and gratifying way, like a dog? :slight_smile:

While keeping in mind that lots of people are also trying to figure out how to tone down excessive pawing and kicking at dinner time!

My horse’s enthusiasm to see me is in direct proportion to how uncomfortable she is. Leave her in a holding pen without hay for 5 hours while you power wash her stall and she will turn herself inside out when you reappear. Put her on a lovely summer pasture with a congenial herd and she will wander over to say hello quietly when you visit. If she is eating hay when I arrive she may look up but she won’t nicker with her mouth full!

Also with a new horse it’s good to get attuned to the more subtle signs they are noticing things. You can certainly start a routine where you pause, greet, treat scratch, when you arrive at the stall and encourage him to actively greet you. Some horses may understand that standing back quietly is a sign of respect and that mugging people for treats and pawing the stall door is not appreciated. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember you.

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

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#30

When I had all three of my last herd, any appearance of a human resulted in high pitched whinnies from the Hackney pony, and whiskey-voiced nickers from the Paint mare. Silence from the larger pony. I never heard the big pony’s voice until the other two had died off. All of a sudden, any time he saw me, he yelled his head off, saying hello.

When I boarded him, after the other two had died, BOs said “Salt sure talks a lot.” When I said it took him about 12 years to first say anything, they were surprised.

Rebecca

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#31

On the topic of horses recognising cars as well, when I was young I used to keep 3 horses in a 30 acre paddock that was on a very busy road with constant traffic going by during the daytime. Every time I drove past that paddock, no matter how far away from the fence they were, my 3 grazing horses would lift their heads and watch me to see if I was going to turn into the parking area. They could obviously identify the sound of my car, even in amongst heavy traffic. There was no way I could ever sneak past. It made me laugh every time.

Most of my horses have ended up being talkers, even if they didn’t come to me that way. I have often wondered if it is because I talk to them constantly.

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#32

I get what you’re saying, and yes we all get warm fuzzies when a horse nickers a greeting. But, just a little “watch out” b/c this mindset can be a dicey slope in terms of training. It’s a mistake to ascribe their behavior or their motives to human emotions. You kinda have to stop caring WHY they’re doing xyz behavior, and focus on a consistent, motive-neutral response to that behavior. If a horse jumps into my pocket while being led, I don’t care whether it’s because he’s nervous, affectionate, or because he’s aggressive. He has to be corrected either way.

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#33

Of course I don’t know if he “was sad” while I was away, but in high school, I would go to the barn 6-7 days a week and ride my gelding. Even though I rarely brought treats, he would be at the gate nickering when I arrived. On a few occasions I couldn’t make it out for 3-4 days at a time, and when I’d return, he would look at me and silently turn his butt to the gate and stand there until I got a halter and walked into the pen. Behavior-wise, it seems like he would be more anxious to get out after being cooped up, but he seemed clearly offended by my absences.

Current horses - yeah, they nicker when I get out to the barn before morning feed. They know I’ll give them a snack. On other days, I might flatter myself that I’m the center of their attention, but that only lasts until someone who is doing the feeding walks into the barn aisle.

On memory - I had a mare who was BFF’s with my friend’s mare. She moved her horse to another boarding facility, and once we trailered over, picked them up and went for a trail ride. Friend’s mare almost drug her onto the trailer realizing who was in there. The second time I picked them up, the girls were calling to each other from 100 yards away before I even parked. They can learn so quickly!

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#34

I also have a chestnut TB, who also makes me walk over to him in the field :lol: He never runs away and he’s very easy to catch, he just doesn’t come over on his own.

Except…last year I went on vacation for about 10 days. I did have people riding him while I was gone so he was interacting with others and getting exercise, not just left for that time. The first day I got back and went to his paddock, he saw me, perked up and walked right over.

The next day was back to me having to go get him again :lol:

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#35

My daughter has been leasing a horse for about 3 years now. The horse is friendly and sweet on the ground but I never really felt the horse particularly favored my kid other than under saddle (they were always a good match riding). This is at a lesson barn so the horse is regularly handled by different people.

A few months ago something changed. If my daughter rides another horse her lease horse watches them. She seems happy to see my daughter and comes to her more when catching. The horse obviously knows me (bringer of treats and occasional rider) but I got a new pony and this horse who tends to hate other horses anywhere near her especially when in the ring (her ears are always pinned when other horses are in the ring) will let me come right up to her when Im on my pony without pinned ears. Never thought I’d see the day.

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#36

When I was in college I boarded at a barn where my horse’s stall overlooked the parking area and as soon as he heard my car pull in he’d pop his head out the window and whinny. It was very flattering! I’ve had him for 20 years now so he’d damn well better recognize me by now, especially since I’ve kept him at home and been the food lady for the last 6 years. However, in retrospect I think that his enthusiasm at that one barn had more to do with limited turnout than affection. He knew that my arrival meant exercise and maybe some hand grazing.

The same horse adores my current farrier and gets the cutest look on his face when he sees her. I think it’s because she’s super gentle with him, gives him lots of breaks, and always has German horse muffins for him. He’s friendly in general but didn’t seem to care one way or another about previous farriers.

#37

I find it remarkable that this question would be asked.

Just because humans often cannot read horse’s expressions, and see facial differences until we’ve been around equines for a long time doesn’t mean THEY can’t distinguish us from one another. They have much more developed senses of all kinds than we do.

my horses recognize even my footfalls (and their horse friend’s footfalls)
of course they know every individual of the people in their herd. They know how you smell, how you touch, how you regard them, if you notice THEM or if you are another clueless human who doesn’t get “horse”. They are much more intimately aware of you than you are of them, I guarantee it.

They are herd animals, and prey animals as well, whose lives depend on discerning nuanced distinctions between individuals, and they live 24 hours a day in OUR world.

Most poeople, even if they own a horse, are around horses how many hours per day? Three maybe, and many are around them FAR less than that. Two hours total… just breeze in and ride, then leave.
Even less if a groom gets the horse ready and it’s handed to them for a ride, then handed back.
They don’t hang out with the horses and watch them carefully.

horses do not show affection as dogs do. Learn “Horse”.
they show affection to each other by literally “hanging out”, just standing near each other, breathing together, noticing the world together, mutual grooming, and play (we can’t really play like they do: inappropriate). Find your horse’s favorite itchy spot, and they will start to see you differently.

Do not confuse excitement about food for affection. They are excited about food, not you. You are the gum ball machine. Horses are, again, not like dogs, who share food as part of bonding. Horse “food” is all over the place in the national state, and the only relationship they generally around it is aggression. Exceptions happen, but mostly they fight over it.

Horses watch us ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

To to ask this question indicates that there is much more to notice about horses than currently being seen. Take the time to get into their world, and you would never ask it.

Granted, I spend on average 9 hours a day in close proximity with a herd of fifteen…and have been immersed daily in horse’s every-day life for fourty years, but still, this surprises me.

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#38

I am sure horses can tell us apart. I’m also sure they don’t know a sense of ownership but they do know who is nice to them!

I remember the day my last horse realized I could drive, and which car I drove. I rolled down the window as I drove into the barn as usual and called him. He was dumbfounded that I was in a car. The look on his face was one of shock. But he knew my car from then on and he’d head to the gate as soon as he saw it.

My truck though: different vehicle but another barn mate has the same make, model and color. So he got excited about that incorrectly a few times. But he learned to look carefully at who was in the car.

Our cats get excited when they hear my husbands car park in the (fairly busy) street outside and they all run to the door.

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#39

Not only do they recognize different people, some even recognize attire. I remember one owner whose horse was uncatchable if they went out to get the horse when wearing breeches. Blue jeans were OK. rider never rode in them tho.:lol::lol:

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#40

As far as actual recognition, of course. Is it food related, yes. On the other hand:

  1. My horse does greet me, even though treats are given AFTER he is ridden, not before.

  2. With regard to a horse’s “feelings” about “its person:” I usually arrange for someone to ride my horse while I am on vacation. This can be problem because he’s very reactive and not just “anyone” will be safe on him. Last April, I went to Rolex/Landrover. Was gone two weeks. I wasn’t able to find anyone to ride him, but arranged for someone he “knew” to see him and interact with him every day, even though they didn’t ride him. They petted, hand walked him, let him graze, etc. I left all his food prepared for daily feedings. When I got back, I found he had TRASHED his stall window frame. He is a neat and tidy horse, totally non-destructive of his surroundings. BO repaired window. He hasn’t touched it since (and haven’t been away since). shrug

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