Strong and majestic, most people often think of horses as powerful, dignified animals. But if you’ve ever taken care of a horse yourself, you’ll know that underneath that kingly exterior, these animals hide a silly, comical side that shows through their behavior.
Sometimes acting in cartoonish ways, there are quite a number of funny things that horses do. And while some of these funny things horses do can be scratched up to plain humor, others point to potential issues that you should definitely look into as an owner.
1. You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours
Grooming a horse requires serious strength and patience. Don’t get us wrong – most horses love getting cleaned up and cared for. But because they are social creatures, they often think that caressing and brushing should be cordially reciprocated.
As you scratch or brush your horse, you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of horse-brand scratches as well. They’ll rub their head all over you as a sort of thanks for the affection and care. And because these animals are pretty darn strong, expect to look like a haystack at the end of the exercise.
2. Now You See It, Now You Don’t
We’ve all had the annoying experience of putting something down and then forgetting where we put it entirely. But this is a different story. Horses are curious, intelligent animals, and they’ll explore anything that they think deserves to be explored.
So as you set down a sponge, a brush, or even a bucket, make sure you don’t turn your back. Horses have been known to work silently as they steal items out of view. Whether they do it to mess with you or to simply suffer their curiosity, we don’t truly know.
3. Stop, Drop, and Roll
So you’ve just finished an extensive grooming session that included not only a bath, but also a careful hair and skincare routine. And as you let your horse roam free in the paddock, it squanders all of your efforts with the iconic stop, drop, and roll.
Sure, you might feel a little frustrated at your horse’s seemingly tongue-in-cheek behavior. But according to many equine experts, horses roll in the dirt to dry their skin, which is why they usually do it after a bath. They can also roll in the dirt if they feel sweaty or hot. Check out our guide with all the reasons why horses roll in the dirt.
4. A Little Help, Please?
After the whole rolling fiasco, most horses use the momentum of the stop, drop, and roll to quickly and swiftly rise back up to their feet. But in some cases, heavier or older horses can have a bit of a challenge getting back up.
Slow rolling can have your pot bellied horse stuck on the ground after a good dirt rub. They’ll teeter from side to side as they regain their bearings. But they’ll most likely decide to sit up on their rump (like a proper dog) before wobbling to one side and regaining footing. Majestic indeed.
5. Oh, Were You Using Those?
It takes a village to raise a young horse. Often described as playful and even naughty, colts demonstrate slightly more free spirited behavior. Many owners have told stories of young male horses knocking over wheelbarrows, buckets of water, and even grooming tools, as though amused by watching his handlers having to pick them up.
While it might all seem like funny behavior, Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, DACVN, a professor at the Animal Science Department of Rutgers University, explains that it’s attention seeking behavior. Handled properly, geldlings tend to outgrow the naughtiness. But it can easily get out of hand when indulged.
6. Say Cheese!
It’s one of the funniest things to see your horse curl back its upper lip in an apparent smile. What’s even funnier is that they’ll seem to bare those pearly whites with strangers for a picture! This leads many to question if horses can actually laugh.
According to experts however, that curling back of the lip is called the Flehmen response, and animals do it to facilitate the intake of pheromones in the air. Basically, they want to smell something better when they do it, and this probably explains why they ‘smile’ in the presence of strangers.
7. How Much Wood?
So your horse has recently gotten into wood chewing. Don’t sweat it – lots of horse owners have had to deal with the problem. And while it definitely looks funny on the surface, wood chewing in horses is much more than just a horse-branded joke.
According to the American Quarter Horse Association, wood chewing could point to increased stress levels in horses. Finding the root of the situation can help prevent the immediate dangers of wood chewing, as well as the risks of the underlying problem.
8. Ready, Set, Run!
Particularly with mares, handlers have noticed the tendency to start mock stampedes. Female horses – particularly those who are new to the ranch – may incite other horses to start running by kicking up her feet and starting to run. Of course, more tamed, docile horses might not follow suit.
The reason? Stress. If she’s new to the herd, female horses might feel threatened and may feel the need to run. In some cases, it’s all just part of their nature. Whatever the case, it’s rare that these instances would ever cause a full on stampede.
9. Was That You?
Horses are prone to gas colic, and develop the minor issue as the result of changes to their routine or even confinement and changes to their diet. And what happens when a horse gets colic? Flatulence, of course.
What’s funny is that they seem to always know the perfect time to let her rip – when their handlers are right behind them. So don’t be surprised when your horse lets out a big one while you brush their back end.
10. A Pet for a Pet
As highly social creatures, horses can get along with almost any other animal you have on the ranch. In fact, they’ll even act like smaller animals like chickens, cats, and dogs are their fun little pets.
Horses have been known to be particularly gentle with smaller creatures, but some will exhibit funny bully behavior that ruffles up some feathers. As long as no one gets hurt, it’s all just horse play.
A Day on the Ranch
They might seem serious and magnificent, but they can be a bunch of goofballs when you get to know them. Often exhibiting laughable, silly behavior, these animals definitely have a fun, silly side to them as well.
Handlers just need to know which habits to chalk up to just plain funny thing horses do, and which ones might need a little more scrutiny.
