do you think horses have feelings?

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Megibo

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as title really. i ask as i was speaking to a horsey friend who says her and her pony have a bond (which they do) but then went onto say she thinks horses have no feelings...she's welcome to her opinion but what are yours?

i think they do, i've witnessed jealousy, possessiveness, protection, happiness, sadness etc all from mine. and she had no feelings why would she be pleased to see me? she wouldnt feel it.
horses can miss eachother, and if my horse sees me grooming another i get a hard nip off her! plus if they had no feelings why would mares grieve for lost babies or horses for their passed-on field mates.
once when my mare was out on loan and i went to visit, she showed a clear dislike for her loaners. when she saw me she came trotting over very quickly and her put her head in my hands and relaxed there. the girl rode her and wound her up very quickly she was tensed, confused and stressed-once i got on her within five minutes she was relaxed enough to go on the buckle and you could almost literally feel the relief coming from her. i believe part of that was us knowing how to 'communicate' with each other.

so do you think they have feelings and if so what proof have they given you?
 
Of course horses have feelings. I have seen them mourn friends, sulk, get jealous, be insanely happy, get angry, act excited. There is no doubt in my mind, I am 100% sure horses have emotions.
 
of course they have feelings! Surely your friend can appreciate this if she says she has a bond with her horse?
I've met horses who are more moody than others, but never one with no emotion or feelings. My little guy is a stroppy so-and-so. He sulks when he doesn't get a rossette, is visibly pleased with himself when he does well, he gets jealous if I do anything with other horses, he's stubborn as you like and more than anything, he is an extreme show-off and very very cocky! Without feelings, surely we wouldn't see these different displays of character?
 
It amazes me that people think they don't!! Like we are the only species that can have emotions!
Like other people I've seen horses display a whole range of feelings! Xx
 
All animals have feelings because without those feelings animals wouldn't be driven to do things that keep themselves and the species alive. Feelings are the product of instinct and thus are the catalyst for things like running away (fear), getting what you need to survive (jealousy) etc. These basic essential feelings develop into friendship, etc. but I think on a base level they all come from survival instinct.

But without language there is no acknowledgement of feeling. I.e. it just happens, there is no consciousness or awareness, and no development of feeling beyond needs and desires (that come from and drive those needs). I think that kind of complexity of thought and awareness requires language, which only we have.

Does that make any sense? =S
 
Hmm KittyJay, not sure I agree, horses clearly have their own language with each other, body language predominantly as well as different neighs/sounds meaning different things.
 
Yes of course they do, but don't anthropomorphise too much, they are much simpler than that. Interpreted "jealousy" is most often simple domination by a higher up horse over an important food source.
 
Horse's definately have feelings - I know when Billy boy is feeling happy, cross or playful (although playful is not hard to spot, considering it is usually when a bucket is thrown at me...)

But then I know his personality - Billy is more of a happy-go-lucky type :)

When he had to stay in one night (he normally lives out) because of the weather, he was very cross with me and didn't speak to me for 3 days :eek:
 
Don't know if this is the sort of thing you mean but it convinced me that horses have feelings for one another.

A few weeks ago went down to yard at usual time with other girl on yard. My boy as always greeted me from his paddock with a neigh, he is quite vocal. The odd thing was he kept neighing. Didn't think anything of it. Went and brought him in as friend went to her paddock to fetch her boy. She was gone ages.

Turned out her boy had gone into the river dividing the ponies fields and wouldn't come out. Went and gave her a hand with feed bucket and persuaded him out after 10mins or so. He was quite cold and unnerved.

I feel sure my boy kept neighing to tell me his friend was in trouble, he wasn't neighing to his friend as was looking directly at me the whole time.

Jane
 
Your friend must surely realise that if her and her horse have a bond then her horse does have feelings and emotions, it's the same thing isn't it?
 
yes, i do think they have feelings.
I remember when one of our dear horses (the alpha female in the girls field) was being put to sleep, hours before she actually died, the girls were all standing by the gate. They never stood right by the gate, they were all out 24/7, the were standing looking very sad. usually if all standing together, they would scrap but not this day.
My horse will call and 'grunt' to be.
My old horse used to do the same.
They obviously feel fear...
and they get excited when they reach the big hill we usually gallop up, even after many times of making them walk up they still get excited.
they also feel pruide i think, we have a couple of mares and geldings who, after doing a big jump/grid, have a little bronco session (their backs, teeth and saddles are all fine) to me and the guys at work, they seem to be proud and excited.

so yes, they do have feelings :)
 
to some of you- if you read my post carefully i state that i do think horses have feelings etc i just want to know what you all think :)

but from the replies it seems you're all on the same wavelength. and Skewby-i can see your point in the post, one of the reasons i think that she gets jealous as (in many different situations) my mares seen me with another horse (shocking :eek:) and been very off with me! thats just one example :)
 
I agree that all animals have feelings and emotions, you do not need to spend much time with them to realise that, they are capable of happiness, depression, jealousy, anger, hate,love, fear contentment and so on.

There was a great documentary on (which I think was English) about this, and we humans chose/choose to distinguish between races believing that other races were incapable of the same thoughts, intelligence, feelings and emotions so that it would justify our treatment of them including slavery, torture, and so on. They made the argument that we do this with animals as well, still do, to justify once again the conditions that they are kept in, and us eating them. It was well researched and very thought provoking.
 
jeeve said:
I agree that all animals have feelings and emotions, you do not need to spend much time with them to realise that, they are capable of happiness, depression, jealousy, anger, hate,love, fear contentment and so on.

There was a great documentary on (which I think was English) about this, and we humans chose/choose to distinguish between races believing that other races were incapable of the same thoughts, intelligence, feelings and emotions so that it would justify our treatment of them including slavery, torture, and so on. They made the argument that we do this with animals as well, still do, to justify once again the conditions that they are kept in, and us eating them. It was well researched and very thought provoking.
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huh, that does sound quite interesting actually
 
Most definately have feelins - especially my Clydie mare!

As a 2 yr old was fidgeting at a show and I got tough with her and made her stand - she got really miffed with me and when it was her turnto trot up she wouldn't!

Another time a friend yanked her head up hard when Serenity had put her head down yet again to graze, she growled at her at the same time, same thing happened to her - she refused to trot in hand.

A few weeks ago I muzzled same mare - for the benefit of her figure - and she wouldn't speak to me for days after, and this is a horse that neighs her welcome everytime I arrive at the paddock. I felt really hurt.

She pushes the others out of the way so that the attention is focused on her and heaven help the rider if I say anything within her earshot, she will come straight over regardless of instructioins. She is a real mummys girl.
 
Evelyn said:
Most definately have feelins - especially my Clydie mare!

As a 2 yr old was fidgeting at a show and I got tough with her and made her stand - she got really miffed with me and when it was her turnto trot up she wouldn't!

Another time a friend yanked her head up hard when Serenity had put her head down yet again to graze, she growled at her at the same time, same thing happened to her - she refused to trot in hand.

A few weeks ago I muzzled same mare - for the benefit of her figure - and she wouldn't speak to me for days after, and this is a horse that neighs her welcome everytime I arrive at the paddock. I felt really hurt.

She pushes the others out of the way so that the attention is focused on her and heaven help the rider if I say anything within her earshot, she will come straight over regardless of instructioins. She is a real mummys girl.
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aww she does sound a character! normally if my mare is annoyed with she'll nip me, hard, then walk off wiggling her big native bum at me :rolleyes:
 
My old pony had NEVER in her life (even as a baby) bitten or kicked anyone. (Oh no there was one time when this really nasty girl at the yard went to pick up her foot and she kicked out and walked away) but apart from that in the 6 years we had her she never showed a nasty sign but when we went to load her after we sold her :( :( :( she bit my mums hand...so yes I'm sure they do.

Surely trust is a feeling? Without trust we couldn't get NEAR horses right??

:) xx
 
TuscanBunnyGirl said:
My old pony had NEVER in her life (even as a baby) bitten or kicked anyone. (Oh no there was one time when this really nasty girl at the yard went to pick up her foot and she kicked out and walked away) but apart from that in the 6 years we had her she never showed a nasty sign but when we went to load her after we sold her :( :( :( she bit my mums hand...so yes I'm sure they do.

Surely trust is a feeling? Without trust we couldn't get NEAR horses right??

:) xx
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see :) these are all good points. i guess its just some people who dont think so, which kinda makes them sound like slaves or objects but each to their own
 
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