Horses really don't forget, do they?

[vineyridge]

Need to brag just a bit. My young gelding is just barely four. He came to my place in a trailer when he was six months old. Then when he was two, he broke his jaw and had three trailer rides to the vet's. He loaded up like a star, but the trailer was a lovely 4 Star Stock Trailer.

Now he's four and hasn't been in a trailer since. So he's been hauled exactly four times in his life, and the last time was a year ago last December. He has a vet appointment tomorrow, and I'm using a different trailer. So I thought we would practice loading to make sure tomorrow wasn't going to be awful.

He sniffed the trailer. He put his front legs up and jumped back at the thump. We waited a moment, then I pulled out the licorice treats and he came right on in. Got him hooked up to the trailer tie, gave more treats, waited a bit, then unloaded him with no problem at all.

So he remembers exactly what do and how to do it, even after all this time.

Did I mention that I LOVE him?

[FlashGordon]

Sounds like you've got a good baby there VR! The ones with retention like that are super! I never realized how important a quality that is until I had a gelding that had zero retention... even the smallest things required re-teaching over and over.

Enjoy your horse!

[merrygoround]

In your situation it worked to your advantage that he had no really bad memories. Imagine where you would be if he had.

Horses are a prey animals, their survival depends on their ability to remember what to them may be dangerous or uncomfortable situations.

This memory carries over to other horses, and people. I've had horses stop dead in the aisle and then back up to say hello to a horse they shared a week in another barn with three years previously. Made me chuckle. They must have had some wild parties during that week. ;)