The Intelligence of Horses

I knew they were very smart creatures, I am surprised horses didn't get their own day in the creation story. At least they could have gotten a mention in Job 12, "Ask the horses and they will teach you!" I suppose the fact that horses were mentioned 175 times in scripture compared to a mere 40 times that dogs were mentioned does attest to their intelligence. It may explain why it took almost a full two weeks of pushing the dog in and out through the doggy door for him to realize he could do it himself. Although if standing at the doggy door whining until someone came to push you through works, why waste the energy attempting it yourself.

Horses however don't need as much time to figure things out. I did expect them to take few days, however, to figure out our new feeding routine. After all, they had been loaded into a trailer for the first time in ten years, unloaded into a new field almost fifty miles away, and had no clue who I was. The first morning after their arrival I had to convince them to come up near the gate for their morning feeding of grain. They stood off mid-field scoping me out but were more interested in visiting across the fence with the neighbor's horses.

I shook grain, whistled, called them by name. Finally, I walked half way down into the field. Again I shook grain, whistled, called them by name. Not convinced the leader, a large black gelding, decided to venture a few steps toward me but unimpressed returned to his neighborly chat. I encouraged them, "Come on, I don't have all day. I have to go to work." I really didn't want to leave the grain at the gate in hopes they would stumble upon it sometime during the day.

Tick... tick...tick. I was going to be late for work if I didn't convince them to come up and eat. I wanted them to find the grain close to where we would be feeding and not have to take it to them. The plan was to load the grain up in the trunk of the car and feed the horses each morning as we waited near the gate for the bus and then off to work. Surely, by the end of the week they would be used to me feeding in the morning and come when I called. Horses are smart that way.

I figured, not like the dog, the horses would figure it out by the end of the week and when school resumes after the holidays we'd have a quick routine down. The next day I decided to leave early so I could round them up and still be on time for work. I loaded up the trunk full of their grain and shiney new buckets and headed down the hill to the front gate.

It was still a little dark. As I turned the corner, a large figure down by the gate startled me. My headlights eventually illuminated the scene and huddled at the gate four very large equine figures came into view. You don't need to tell horses twice. No pushing them up to their grain buckets for almost two weeks until they catch on.

I'm sure they hadn't waited there for me all night. They hadn't been there when we stopped at the gate last night on the way in from town. Maybe one of them looked at their watch this morning and said, "Hay... it's six o'clock we better head to the gate. She'll be here soon." However they did it, they were there hoping things would happen the same way it happened the morning before and there I was! I guess that explains why horses are mentioned in scripture 135 more times than dogs. They hope, they act on their hopes, they figure things out.