Knowing horses, thats a tough predicament, some are ok when in trouble, some are not. Its great when they work with you, or you can keep or calm them, sometimes I would think they are the dumbest, other times, rhodes scholars, LOL!
I had our almost draft horse size thorough bred gelding, all 1600+ lbs he weighs according to the last time he was at Cornell, get his darned blanket catch on, then feed into a screw eye for the stall gate latch. Seems that a tiny gap in the eye, 1/16" was enough to grab onto that blanket and let it feed in, then start to tear it. This horse immediately stopped, like by command, I have a lead shank in one hand, my other on that screw eye which is now spring loaded and of course now winding the opposite way to unscrew it, solving the problem. To add to this, I'm pinned against the door jamb, and not another person in either barn, my father convalescing at the time, in the house on the premises would not have been able to help, if he stomped me, I'd have laid their til morning, was a lonely feeling. Another horse would have destroyed that just about new winter blanket (ask me how much I enjoy using those on horses %$&#@!$). This guy whom can be, shall I say a bit sarcastic with a rider on occasion, just knew to stay cool until I got it free, still an easily repairable blanket, and I'm unharmed. he got a pat on the back and a good reward. He literally felt the tug and knew to just stop, of course you can get him to walk, trot or canter by voice and not have a lunge line or whip, he will do whatever you ask when on these terms and show off a bit sometimes, he always impressed me. I used to work him like that when conditions outside were inclement, never rode him, just kept him fit for other riders, all that quality time paid off.
Same horse, again, while turning around in the stall and was going to unhook him, take off the halter, some $#@!', riders dog, came along in a hurry, spooked him, drove my elbow into the flange edge of the steel stall gate, needless to say I could not feel 2 fingers on the left hand for months after, you just never know. They don't or did not like my policy of no dogs in the barns or near pastures, of course they're also not the same ones tethered to a 1600 lb animal. Don't mind most dogs, some I don't like, but for good reason, my safety, I do not and will not tolerate them around TB's when handling one, part of the reason I don't do this work anymore, odds were against me staying safe and working with horses as the silly horse folks always have to have these highly annoying and safety compromising dogs with them, at all times.
