# Horses or homing pigeons?



## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Mine certainly do! As a matter of fact T has saved my "kesta" many a time. 

Don't you love when they let you know how inept you are! :lol:


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## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

Walkamile said:


> Don't you love when they let you know how inept you are! :lol:


I'm not gonna complain! :wink:
It's like they all have the lassie gene.:lol:


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Not ALL horses will do it, but many will. Some are a LOT better than others. My girl Lisa will get back to the trailer or barn that she came from in a heartbeat, but Jade is only just now learning which way home is and she's been here close to 8 months I think.


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## lb_cake (Aug 26, 2008)

When I was about 13, I lived in the Ozark hills and we had mules. We went for a long trail ride and got lost. We trecked through horrible thorns and boulders. I had bleeding scratches everywhere. It was getting dark and I actually got scared. We finally gave up and let the mules lead us home. It was almost pitch dark outside and we made it home at about 10:00 at night. The mules took us straight home. It was really amazing and very humbling at the same time.


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

My boys are very good at taking me home as I have a terrible sense of direction and get lost all the time on the trails hehe. I wonder how they do it too?


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

I've ridden my horse until it was too dark to see, then just dropped the reins and let them go, they always bring me home. But, the trust & horse sense that people used to have in horses is far greater than most people have now days.
My grandfather used to tell stories about his childhood, and one of my favorites involved how they used to cut ice out of one of the big bays in Lake Michigan. This was back when everything was still horse powered, for the most part. They would drive the horses & sleighs out onto the ice, cut what they needed out & load it onto the sleighs. This was tough for a lot of reasons - imagine the large gaping holes this left in 150' deep waters by other people that didn't want to go out as far. Well, the weather on the lake changes fast. He was 5 or 6 with his dad one day, cutting ice, when the weather changed. They could not see anything in front of them, let alone where the holes in the ice were, or where the shore was. His dad just dropped the reins and let the horses go. On their own, they pulled the sleigh, ice & the men back to shore in a full on blizzard. 
I know some horses don't do that, but most on their own generally know where home is, or even, where the trailer to home is.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I think that many horses have almost a sixth sense of where danger is or which way to go to get home. Horses will step around holes or jump over ditches that are completely covered with grass and you have to dig through the grass to see them.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Qtswede, that was a fantastic story! I got goose bumps just envisioning those horses finding the way across the ice to shore. Thanks for the telling.


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## Shadow157 (Mar 21, 2009)

haha i was riding this horse on a new trail for the first time. we were out about 3 hours and probably half way through to loop and i stopped at a friends house, tied her to a tree and she freaked, broke her lead and bolted. that horse was standing at the enterance to the barn by the time we were able to drive back (about 10 minute drive!) i couldnt believe it. smart little mustang she was :0)


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## Cayuse (May 28, 2009)

For this reason I never ride without a handheld GPS when I ride off the property. I like to go into the national wilderness sometimes!!

You could esily get lost out here!!


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

yeah, I take a gps, and a compass with me when I ride in the UP. Working on prepping a few horses to do the shore to shore in northern michigan, too (Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the fingers- that will require gps & compass & all kinds of fun equipment


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Horses definitely have an excellent sense of direction  It's a good thing, too, considering I've gotten 'lost' on the trails at times...Lol!


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## Chickerdoodle13 (Jun 15, 2009)

I always know when I'm heading towards the trailer because our horses always have a lot more "get up and go"!


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