How Stupid Do You Think Horses Are? POLL

Hedge or ditch?

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Tia

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I often wonder, when I read some posts on here and also hear some things in real life, whether people give horses enough, or indeed perhaps, too much credit. I have my own thoughts on where most horses are at and yes it is clear that some are more intelligent than others......however in my opinion there are just some things that all horses are smart enough to figure out.

So here goes - just a little poll to see if I am alone in my thinking or if it is shared by many. This is a poll about the AVERAGE horse, not your horse or my horse, just the average horse in general.
 
I said yes to all those except the last one. I dont know if they're THAT high up the intelligence list. I mean, compared to monkeys and dolphins etc. who are proven to be highly intelligent, I think horses are quite far down.

I dont think all animals are tested very well. I think things like cows could be pretty clever but nobody really bothers to notice!

You then of course have the question of how intelligence is actually measured.....
 
I said Yes to all but the last one - I don't think they are particularly intelligent within the animal kindgom.
 
I think there is a difference between intelligence and the ability to be conditioned - if someone comes by every evening around the same time with a bucket of feed, they will start to associate a person with the feeding. However, were that person to show up an hour early or an hour late, I don't think the horse would notice.

I do think there are horses that know what a saddle and bridle mean - heck for a couple of them over the years I would swear they knew which car was the vets by the way some of them behaved!!!!

As for sensing human emotions, here I do think that horses can be pretty perceptive - they may not know the complexity of the emotion, but they probably understand that the person is not the same as normal and pick up on it. By the same token, immitating the owner of a horse can sometimes yeild positive results, mimicking voice patterns, movements etc

I do think that in the big scheme of things they aren't the dumbest creatures around, but then they aren't the most intelligent either - probably somewhere in the middle.
 
Didn't answer the first one as if they had fingers they wouldn't really be horses now would they!? And having opposable thumbs is pretty special really..
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All the others I answered yes, apart from the last.
 
Well one of my horses can open a gate without the use of fingers.....the point was not the fingers but the rationale behind the opening of the gate.
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Given that a lot of horses can open stable doors with their teeth, I'm thinking that they could work out a gate with fingers!

As to whether they are more intelligent members of the animal kingdom, it depends totally how you measure it. Horses are good at tuning into others - it comes of being a herd animal. On the other hand, birds have amazingly good visuo-spatial memory, and humans are good at creative thinking. Which is most important?

(can you tell that I do research in intelligence?)
 
For the first one, I've had horses that open stable doors with their teeth so fingers would just mean they could do it quicker!

The second one, I had a horse in a field outside my bedroom window and he would stand and paw the ground and wake me up if I dared to have a lie in and he didn't get fed when he thought he should
 
Also they have the ability to read clocks. At old yard the whole lot were fed at 6am and 6pm, and there was a large clock hanging on the wall that all could see - well when 6o clock came (quite easy as its a straight line vertically down the clock) every single one of them went nuts, started neighing and box walking etc.
 
I answered:
Yes, Max can open gates and he only has hooves.
Yes, I can hear Cheekster tapping the wall sat where I am now, 20 mins prior to feeding.
No, I dont think so - I ahve had horses that certainly wouldnt let you in the stable with them if they did!
I answered no, but it would have been a 'maybe' depending on horse, if that was an option.
No, As long as someone feeds them they couldnt care where I am!
I answered no, but it is dependable on the individual. When you think the majority of dogs would point towards a resounding yes for all questions, it is easy to spot that some horses are resoundingly dumb.
Yes, Generally becasue they will get a poke, and then look at me funny.
 
I said yes to all apart from the two before the last answer. If I go away for a few days or whatever and come back, my welshie is pleased to see me, but my 14.2 couldn't care less :P

I don't think they understand when they have done something we frown upon, although I think they can do cheeky things to get attention, but I don't think this is the same as peeing on clean shavings and them knowing you spent an hour mucking out and it will annoy you or whatever.

I'm now talking drivel!
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I said yes to all except the frowning upon and the last one. I think they know that things like biting are not appreciated, but then it's not appreciated by other horses either. If you mean things like doing a massive poo just after you've swept up, or having a quick chew on your best leather headcollar, then I'm not sure they know it's wrong unless you start jumping up and down at them!
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I said yes to all, apart from the last. But I would have put maybe for a couple if it had been as option, like the knowing when feed time is, and knowing if you'd been gone for a week. I think they learn by association, so should associate tack with being ridden, and being naughty with getting a row etc.
 
I had to answer this question based on Mickey because he is the only horse I handle/have handled for a number of yrs:

I answered yes to all except the last question and I hesitated over the first, then selected no. Actually I think a horse could work out how to open a door with fingers but I am unsure as to whether this action would be taken in order to allow the horse access to somewhere else, or whether it is something done out of boredom.......depends on the horse.....some would do it to get out, some might do it and get out without knowingly trying to do so, some probably wouldn't work it out.

A lot of the other questions I feel relate to the horse's relationship with their owner. I feel that Mickey does know what kind of mood I am in by reading my body language - But I also feel that because I have handled him for so many yrs he can read me more easily than he might someone else. Similarly, he is so familiar with my way of behaving and training him and where necessary reprimanding him that he picks up quickly when I dislike a behaviour of his.

I don't know enough about animals in the animal kingdom to say whether horses are classed as one of the more intelligent species. I guess you would have to define what kind of intelligence you are specifically looking at and run a lot of tests/gather lots of data before you could answer this.
 
I think that horses have a form of intelligence very different from humans - we rate animals with similar social and intellectual skills as ourselves more highly - e.g. dolphins, dogs, primates.
My daemon 2 yo can pull electric fencing out of the ground, lay it flat and walk between the tape to get out. She can also untie the ballcock when I'm trying to clean the trough and she wants a drink. She seems to have a more problem solving intelligence than my other two.
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yep to all but last.

Dan can open his horse proof (yeah right) stable door with his teeth. He can even do bottom bolt if you leave a broom or fork within reach which he can drop on it.

He always whinneys when I drive in, or walk into stable yard if in housemates car. So he can recognise me and my car!

i think horses are more likely to recognise feed time through routine than anything else. If they are fed at a set time I totally believe they know when that time comes each day. Mine are not fed at exactly the same time each day though depending on if/when/how long i ride so they don't get excited until they see me mixing the feeds!!

but at the end of the day I think there are far more intelligent animals about...
 
No, I don't think the average horse could open a gate without being trained to.
Yes, I think they know a routine for feed.
Yes, I think they tell from us what a saddle and bridle mean, by picking up our vibes.
Yes, I think they can pick up our emotions
Yes, but only because they pick up on our body language/ emotions.
No, I don't think they understand we have been away for a reason, I think they just think we haven't bothered to see them
No, I don't think they are one of the more intelligent animals, I would think there are nearer the bottom.
 
I'm really perplexed here by the answers to one of my questions; I find it REALLY difficult to believe that some of you think that your horses would not remember you if you had been away on holiday for a week. Gosh even when I was out here in Canada for 6 week-trips at a time, my dogs, cats AND horses recognised me, and of course they remembered me when I returned. Maybe they are weird but I don't think they are.
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I must of interpreted the question wrong then. I thought you meant if they knew you were away for a reason. Of course a horse would know if you weren't they for a week and then came back again.
 
Good poll. I said yes to all.

My old pony could open the gate without fingers, also her stable door.

She also knew the sound of my car engine!!! People on the yard couldn't understand why she used to get excited and start to run around the stable (and nothing to do with a certain time of the day didn't matter what time it was) with a few seconds my car came up the drive. If I went in OH car she didn't do it.

Once went on holiday for a fortnight and when I came back she was like a dog greeting it's own. Jumping up and down around me and doing mini rears round and round me!!!

I am looking after my friends horse for 2 weeks as she is on holiday and she has become very withdrawn and quiet even though we are keeping to the same time routine and everything!!!
 
I think it depends on the individual horse mostly.

Mine is as thick as two short planks bless him.
Hes not the brightest spark though hes so affectionate and youve got too love him

However I know some very clever horses, my friends being one of them. She will stand there and study what she wants to do as it working it throgh in her mind and continue to try until she does it. She also manages to get rugs off as she doesnt like them without undoing any of the straps. Front, surcingles and legs straps.... how does she manage that one?
 
You get your bright horses and your really dumb ones. I have one at each end of the scale and several hovering in the middle.

Dear Robin bless her, really does 'appear' to have a bird sized brain. today she spent half an hour stood at the gate waiting for me to open it for her so she could walk to the barn........IT WAS OPEN she was just at the wrong end of it.
 
Gosh, I said no to lots!

I do think they know what the saddle and bridle means and i think they know when they have done something wrong (the horse at the yard who will go to bite you then swing his head away quickly anticipating a smack springs to mind). I definitely think that they know you/remember you when you go away. After I came out of hospital, there was no question that my horse was 'aware' that someone who had been away and was key in her life was back. (didn't say she was pleased about it mind LOL)
 
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