Ever notice - horses are like little kids?

[dixie]

We bought our gelding a jolly ball, something to occupy him and keep him amused since he needs to be separated by fenceline from the mares. One of the mares (haflinger) got hold of the ball and killed it. Wonder if they make tougher ones for her

The gelding pretty much ignored the ball in favor of the empty food pan. We had to by a new bucket we could attach to the fence because the pan would end up who knows where in the paddock.

He also takes the water tubs when they are mostly empty and overturns them. He will kick/push/roll the metal one. He pushed the metal one into the electric wire shocking himself - you should have seen him snort at it after I turned off the fence, moved the tub and refilled it. Do you think that lesson would have stopped him - NOPE. He is at it again.

Just like the kid at Christmas who spurns the toy in favor of the box.

[TDH]

As an elementary school teacher and as a horse owner... my Mom has always compared them to each other. They each have their own backgrounds and personalities, and both will run all over you if you let them.

[Orchid]

They are exactly like little kids - always testing you and asking "Why should I?"

[muttduck]

Ever notice that a horse will act like its owner, too?

For instance, my youngest child "owns" our youngest horse. Both are conniving, and will look for a loophole in every rule. Both will try to find a way to con their (brother or pasturemate) out of the item that they have, only because they feel it is better than their own.
Generally well behaved, but if they can test your authority they will. They are also both attention hogs and show offs.

My oldest "owns" our oldest horse. Both understand the rules. Very rarely try to test you, and take your authority well once it is established. Both have fear issues and problems relating to people. Both form strong bonds once they feel confident in you. They both also have short tempers, and get frustrated when they feel inferior to a peer. (Lily gets ticked when Berry outruns her -grunting and groaning, Gareth gets mad when he can't run as fast as his classmates - also grunting and groaning.)

[thunderbaby703]

Dixie, My gelding must be related to yours. He would rather play with his food bowl and aggravate the other horses than play with toys. He also is notorious for being an escape artist. He will even rearrange the round pen panels into shapes I never knew existed (sp?).

[dixie]

Thunderbaby - I had him in a small corral prior to getting this new area fenced off. I would give him hay and move the corral panels every day so he could graze a little. Well, after watching me for several days - he started moving the panels himself. He would put his chest into the joint and shove, move to another area the panels joined and repeat. I never knew exactly where he would be (except still in the corral) when I would go out.

Muttduck - I have to admit to being shocked a couple of times by the fence. I thought it was off and my husband had left it pugged in. He thought it was funny - I did not.

[TDH]

Also wanted to add...

My non-horsie husband, who since marrying me has definitely turned horsie, always has a good analogy when we go through a "phase" with one of our boys: He always says, well, they're just testing the fenced boundary, just like a horse. Sooner or later he'll figure out on his own that the fence isn't going to budge, or if he pushes TOO hard there will be undesirable consequences..... and then he'll be fine again!

SO true!