How intelligent are horses?
- cadoga1
- Oct 15, 2024
- 3 min read
“Horses are not natural geniuses, they are thought of as mediocre, but this study shows they’re not average and are in fact more cognitively advanced than we give them credit for”
There was once a horse called Clever Hans, who in the 1890’s stunned crowds with his apparent ability to count and spell, read a clock and differentiate musical tones tapping the answers with his hoof. Hans could seem to do this when separated from his owner von Osten. Hans was investigated many times and many believed Hans was intelligent and not a fraud. Latterly, it was explained that even the unknown questioners unconsciously and unknowingly gave Hands cues that he was exceptionally talented at picking them up and thereby getting the right answer.
Samhita, Laasya & Gross, Hans. (2013). The “Clever Hans Phenomenon” revisited. Communicative & integrative biology. 6. e27122. 10.4161/cib.27122.
Now it seems horses may be able to plan and think ahead and once again we owners and riders have underestimated their ability to be aware of the consequences of their own actions. That is the first and most simple lesson from the study, but there are far more wide ranging implications aside from how we might just hold to the way we train our horses.
Many owners anthropomorphise their animals whether cats or dogs or horses giving them a wide range a few emotions and qualities; happy or sad alone are subjective and need significant assessment skills. This can be both positive and negative, how much he loves me or how naughty he is. Scientific studies assist in unpicking the degree to which our companion animals truly present with these abilities
Dr Carrie Ijichi, a researcher on the study and a senior lecturer in equine science at NTU, noted, “This teaches us that we shouldn’t make assumptions about animal intelligence or sentience based on whether they are ‘built’ just like us.”
The lead researcher on the study, Louise Evans, said, “Generally, when we start to think that animals may have better cognitive abilities than previously thought, their welfare does improve.” She also noted that the study shows horse training does not require aversive tools, which subject animals to pain, fear, and stress.
In a ground breaking study equine scientist at Nottingham Trent University have published research which indicate that horses are far more capable and previously thought, in effect the horses were capable of undertaking a cost benefit analysis. Horses had to work to get a treat something that they would enjoy the horses willingly played the game where they had to touch a pieces of Card with their noses later when they touch the piece of card that was paired with switching on a light, the horses were only given a treat if they touch the card when that light was off, as the horses had initially been given a treat for touching the card, at first they indiscriminately continue to touch the card. Importantly the researches then change the game and if the horse touch the card when the stoplight was on there was a timeout for 10 seconds which prevented the horses from playing the game completely. At this moment the way in which the horses play the game changed significantly and the number of errors by the horses reduced. The horses correct themselves and started touching the card only at the correct time thereby winning their treat.
It seems by introducing the concept of a time out of consequence to an action which did not have then allow the horses to play the game to get the treat. The horses could comprehend the rules and immediately readjusted their own strategies to ensure success.
In conclusion, the researcher thought the horses used’ model-based learning’ this had previously been discounted as too complex for horses. If applied correctly this will give owners and riders another helpful training carrot in the toolbox of none of aversive training methods a win-win for both Horse and human.
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