Horses have much higher intelligence than we thought

Our equine friends, horses, just galloped past the conventional wisdom about their intelligence. It turns out they’re quite smarter than we’ve been giving them credit for, according to a fascinating study by Nottingham Trent University.

Leading the study is seasoned equine scientist, Dr. Carrie Ijichi, alongside fellow researcher Louise Evans from the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

The experts embarked upon this journey of discovery to understand more about how horses learn, a valuable insight that could help us train them more humanely and improve their welfare.

Testing the intelligence of horses

The team set up a unique experiment to see how smart horses really are. The rules? Horses had to touch a piece of card with their noses to get a treat.

A simple task, but the researchers added a twist. The horses were not rewarded if they touched the card while a light was on but rewarded when the light was off.

Despite the change in conditions, horses continued to touch the card whether the light was on or off, still bagging in those goodies they love so much.

Horses can adapt to the rules

In a final twist, the scientists introduced an unexpected penalty – a 10-second timeout where the horses couldn’t play the game or receive a reward if they touched the card while the “stop” light was on. Then, something remarkable happened.

The horses, rather abruptly, began to play the game “correctly,” only touching the card at the right point to receive their treat. It was as if they were adapting their strategy, sticking with the game plan only when there was a risk of penalty involved.

Are horses natural geniuses?

These clever responses from the horses were not anticipated initially. “At first, we found that horses would just keep touching the card over and over, as they probably realized they would still get a frequent reward with minimal mental effort,” noted Dr. Ijichi.

However, the smart responses of the horses when penalties were introduced signified their understanding of the game. This ability to switch strategies and behave differently when a risk was introduced showed a surprising level of cognitive processing.

Unexpected intelligence of horses

“Our horses immediately improved when we introduced a cost for errors. This suggests that the horses knew all along what the rules of the game were,” said Louise Evans.

The results indicate that the horses were able to use a form of learning called “model-based learning.” This cognitive capacity was thought to be beyond their reach.

Even more exciting is the fact that this cognitive ability is usually attributed to the human pre-frontal cortex. Horses, not having a well-developed equivalent, still demonstrated this level of sophistication, suggesting they are using a different part of their brains to achieve similar results.

Future research directions

As we venture further into understanding equine intelligence, this research opens the door to numerous future investigations. Further studies could explore the extent of horses’ cognitive flexibility and how various environmental factors influence their learning processes.

Additionally, examining differences in intelligence among various breeds could help refine training techniques tailored to individual horses’ strengths.

By continuing to expand our knowledge of equine cognition, we move closer to creating a world where horses are recognized not only for their physical prowess but also for their remarkable mental capabilities.

Such strides in research could reshape our interactions with these animals, leading to richer partnerships grounded in understanding and respect.

A leap in understanding

This study not only changes our perception of horses’ intelligence but also prompts us to reassess how we understand animal intelligence as a whole.

Horses aren’t average – they’re as unique and intelligent as any creature on this planet, each in their own special way.

So, the next time you see a horse just grazing around, remember they’re not just brawn -they’re full of brain too.

The study is published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

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