Are horses as smart as dogs, or dolphins? Do they recognize their owners? Can they learn words? Horse lovers have long believed that their trusty steeds are the smartest animals in the world, but skeptics would be doubtful. After all, if they’re so clever, why do they keep on spooking at the same tree every day for a year? Given our relationship with horses, the question of horse intelligence is an important one.
While we most often compare them to dogs when asking the question ‘are horses intelligent?’ This is, in fact, not a fair comparison. Dogs and cats are animals who have evolved to be predators and hunters. Horses are prey animals who have an ingrained flight response and will react to situations differently to a dog.
Recognize our Emotions. What is evident though, is that the facts all point towards one thing – horses owners are right in saying that their equine companions are pretty clever. In fact, research has shown that horses can recognize human emotions, much like a dog.
Can Talk to Us. On top of that, it is evident that horses can definitely learn and make associations. Some research took it even further and found that horses can even ‘talk’ to us. By learning to touch their muzzles to a sign for ‘rug’ and for ‘no rug’ 23 horses were taught to request whether or not they wore rugs. The result? In cold or wet weather, they asked for one. In sunny weather, they told the humans that they were warm enough!
Match Voices to Faces. And it turns out that your horse is pleased to see you isn’t just because of the carrot you always bring…though it probably helps. Your horse can tell you apart from other humans not just by your voice, but your face too. They also learn to recognize your smell, according to numerous other sources. Spending time with your horse is the best way to make them recognize you.
