A recent study from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) suggests that horses are more intelligent and have the ability to learn and strategize for rewards. The research involved a treat-based exercise where 20 horses were rewarded with a treat for touching a piece of card with their noses. In the second stage, a “stop light” was introduced, and the reward was only given if the card was touched while the light was off.
However, the horses responded differently to the changing rules and adapted quickly to the exercise, showing their ability to strategize. In the final stage, researchers introduced a penalty of a 10-second timeout for touching the card while the stop light was on. To avoid the timeout, the horses quickly adjusted their behavior and learned to follow the new rule.
The researchers were surprised by the findings that the horses understood the rules of the exercise and adapted quickly, showing cognitive advancement. Lead researcher Louise Evans explains: “We were expecting horses’ performance to improve when we introduced the time-out, but were surprised by how immediate and significant the improvement was.”
The study has significant implications for animal training regimes and improvements to their welfare. Dr. Carrie Ijichi, a senior equine researcher at NTU, pointed out that “we shouldn’t make assumptions about animal intelligence or sentience based on whether they are ‘built’ just like us.”
In conclusion, the research highlights that horses are capable of cognitive advancement and have the ability to learn and strategize for rewards. The study could lead to more humane horse training regimes and improve the welfare of horses
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
