We have always known how intelligent some dog and cat breeds are with the ability to figure out many things by themselves.
So, how about horses?
There is a lot of research has been carried out to find out how smart are horses. The truth is, horses excel in fast response time, fantastic memories, and incredible senses.
Horses are smart in their ways – Source: totalprosports.com
Being flighty doesn’t mean they aren’t bright
Equine intelligence researcher Evelyn Hanggi, Ph.D. announced that horses are more intelligent than many people believe.
Rumor has it that horses have a walnut-sized brain, horses are color blind, horses have no sense of the concept, etc.
Popular beliefs say that horses are merely conditioned-response animals, and cannot transfer information from one eye to another.
Ph.D. Evelyn said: “In reality, horses have to manage both ordinary daily cognitive tasks and mental challenges.
In the wild, they must deal with food and water of inconsistent quality or random distribution, predators that change locations and habits, and a social system in which identities and roles of individuals must be discovered and remembered.”
Flightiness does not mean horses are not smart
It’s obvious that the flightiness of horses is not the same as the lack of intelligence. Ph.D. Evelyn told that: “The horse rates extremely high on some scales. In several places, it rates higher than any other domestic animal.”
>>> Read this article to know: Are Horses smarter than Dogs?
Evidence to prove the intelligence of horses
Dr. Robert M. Miller, an equine veterinarian, has explained how horses show their brilliance as excitable animals. Once again, we’ve summed up three pieces of evidence to help you understand the complex underpinnings behind horse intelligence.
No.1 in response times of domestic animals
If a horse wants to kick you and you are in the right position, you will get hurt. The reason is that we can’t react and avoid their kick that fast.
You should remember to notify a horse first before approaching its two “blind spots” (directly in front of or in back of them), so she will not be frightened, and you will be safe as well.
Excellent Memories
Miller stated that horses never forget both bad and good experiences. He conducted an experiment, in which horses were taught to use a touch-screen computer to distinguish different sizes and shapes.
The 42-inch touchscreens presented horses of various sizes or shapes. They received a carrot distributed under the screen when they picked correctly by touching the right choice with their noses.
After the experiment, Miller found that the horses were quick to learn how to use the screen even though they had difficulties with similar shapes like triangles, squares, and letters D and O.
Incredible Senses
Horses have evolved amazingly sensitive senses, from their vision to their nose and tactile sensation due to their living conditions.
Miller added that: “Horses own the champion of perception among domestics animals. They can sense even the slightest changes in position in a rider on its back and broaden their vision to 360 degrees.
Horses’ eyes are set on the sides of its head which gives them the ability to see on both sides but prevents them from perceiving the depth. That’s why horses always hesitate before crossing a stream.
So, “How smart are horses?”
Horses are flighty animals and develop their intelligence because of predators, owning the fastest response time, great memories, and incredible senses.
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