do horses remember things?

Horses have extremely good memories, according not only to anecdotal evidence, but as has been proven by experiments conducted by research departments of several universities. From what you described I'd think she picked up the scent. For horses, and people too, scents actually evoke stronger memories than do visual or auditory stimuli.

Horses definitely miss their friends when they leave or die. Sometimes they mourn for a long time. Could tell a whole bunch of stories about horses associating certain clothes with certain things/people. They're a lot smarter, more observant, and complicated than many people give them credit for.

Yes, horses remember things. Absolutely, otherwise training would have no point and retraining a horse who had bad experiences would not be such a difficult task. I think it is likely your horse recognized the scent. Horses rely on scent more than we do in communication and identification.

I had a kinda similar experience. My horse's best buddy was out for training for several months. Her owner was washing blankets and had a bunch hanging along the fence. My horse didn't care about them at all as we walked by, but stopped suddenly at his buddy's blanket and spent a lot of time sniffing it over.

That said, they don't have the same cognitive process that we do when it comes to memories. They don't actually think "Ah yes, this smells like my best buddy Star who I miss to pieces! Remember that time we got through the fence together and ate all those great veggies in the neighbors garden? Good times! Sigh..." It is a more visceral, instinctual response for them.

Yes horses have a very good sense of smell and memory :)

IT is most likely that your horse recognized its Buddy's scent

Horses can even smell when a stranger is approaching

I knew a horse that recognized its dead owners scent off an old jumper she wore and he started doing the same things as your horse was.

so im pretty sure that is whats happened to your horse :)

hope i helped you :D

I can tell you a story that you probably wouldn't believe but it is very true. When I was in High School and College, i had a great mare that Showed in rail and stock horse classes. She got to the point that when the announcer would call for a change of gait she would do it immediately.

I had trained her to retrieve, I could throw anything and she would run get it for me, If we were in a field and the dog got it first she would chase him till he dropped it and bring it to me.\ When I rode out in the mountains by myself and would unsaddle her I would have her bring her saddle blanket to me and I would always dump some grain on it for her.

7 of us girls were on a 3 day camp out in the mountains, we unsaddled in front of the cabin to un pack the grub. The saddles were taken to the back of the cabin and put over a pole. I woke before it was quite light and it was quite cold so I was trying to get a fire started in the fire pit.

My mare was the only one loose, I could not bear to tie her. I was on my knees trying to get the damp wood to start she walked up to me and muzzled in my hair. I said "Gyp, go get your blanket and I'll give you some grain" I did not look up at her or point.

She was gone a long time I thought she had gone down to the other horses. I was still trying to get the fire going and I heard her coming and she swung her blanket into me. Seven blankets and she brought hers.

I have never kept a horse since I had to sell her to put hubby through school. Have never had one so intelligent and probably never will. I love to buy cheap, train and sell. and have never fall so in love with them that I cannot sell them.

They certainly do remember things, from people and other animals to places they've been.

Horses travel in herds, and within those herds they have a hierarchy. Horses get to know each other by scent; specifically by smelling each other's breath. But they can often recognize other scents.

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No offense but I think that she just smelt horse on your top and associated it as something she knows. However, I think that horses can remember their old friends and they certainly remember bad experiences.

yess horses are very good with scents and recognize them, even after long periods of time.

Yepp, they remember everything. They're very Intelligent animals, so don't underestimate them ;)