Interesting new study on horse intelligence

[shortstuff99]

A study recently published has indicated that horses are a lot more intelligent than originally thought. including the ability to plan and strategise. This goes against the original belief that they react very in the moment.

Makes interesting reading!

Horses are smart enough to plan and strategise, new study shows

It's hoped the findings lead to more humane horse training regimes and improvements to welfare.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Highmileagecob]

Anyone who has watched their cob test the fence for the weak point, look round to see if he is being observed, and then take the entire herd into next door's grazing would agree with the findings.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My friend's old mare was on loan to a family with children. She was kept in by an electric fence. She used to watch the kids go through the fence and if they didn't get shocked by it she would promptly copy them. They had to make a great show of it being live to fool her.

 

[meleeka]

My friend's old mare was on loan to a family with children. She was kept in by an electric fence. She used to watch the kids go through the fence and if they didn't get shocked by it she would promptly copy them. They had to make a great show of it being live to fool her.

I have to do that with my Shetland!

 

[stangs]

Given that there are examples of tool use in horses, this should really come as no surprise.

 

[shortstuff99]

I don't think it is a surprise to most, but as with all science, does need to be shown!

This also opens the door for things like, a horse can't just decide to not want to do something must be an issue as horses can't think like that, into well yes they probably can so need to learn when is an issue and when not.

 

[Ratface]

Anyone who has watched their cob test the fence for the weak point, look round to see if he is being observed, and then take the entire herd into next door's grazing would agree with the findings.

Old Horse's YO has already bought a new supercharged battery for his new winter paddock. It has more grass than their old ones, plus yummy hedges in Old Horse's field. He and his gullible, easily-led nephew in the field next to him, have already gone straight through it and processed back to their old one. YO NOT best pleased. More placatory gin will be required.

 

[eahotson]

Anyone who has watched their cob test the fence for the weak point, look round to see if he is being observed, and then take the entire herd into next door's grazing would agree with the findings.

My cob can't be left tied up untended.She has worked out how to use the lead rope to unhitch the halter and remove it!

 

[eahotson]

I have always thought that as if they were always "In the moment" how would they ever learn anything.

 

[Ratface]

PS. Old Horse also discovered how to open the top latch on his wooden stable door. He figured out that by "tap dancing" on it, he would bring an irritated groom/the YO out to tell him off. The minute they did so, he stopped. They put sacks of straw inside the door. He took them down and chucked the contents into the yard. They've put a very solid dog lead clip on it now. He still does it, but they just ignore him now. Fortunately, he has very good feet and isn't shod.

 

[Time for Tea]

My cob can't be left tied up untended.She has worked out how to use the lead rope to unhitch the halter and remove it!

She must be cleverer than me as I don’t think I can do that!

 

[eahotson]

Apparently you duck your head untill you can manoevre the lead rope over the halter round one ear,It is then simple to lever the whole thing off.YO told me.She had tied her up and left her for a few moments.Another livery asked her if "That big black horse" is yours.Why she asked.Well she has just put herself in my stable.YO ran off and collected her, tied her up again and watched.

 

[Peglo]

Tali had busted the door of her stable the one night. The door was slightly ajar when I came in in the morning but she was standing in her stable as normal so I assumed she’d stayed put.
But upon further inspection Darci’s bucket of overnight soaked feed had been scoffed so she must’ve come out, eaten it, probably eaten some hay and had a wander around but went back in before I would get there. She knew she should be in her stable and she did look sheepish so there must be a thought process there. It did make me laugh though.

 

[splashgirl45]

My old horse used to jump from one field to the other leaving the others all wondering how she was eating the good grass, she knew the sound of my car and immediately jumped back in to where she should have been.. I could see the fields as I drove past but never found her in the wrong field. Cheeky girl

 

[paddy555]

Apparently you duck your head untill you can manoevre the lead rope over the halter round one ear,It is then simple to lever the whole thing off.YO told me.She had tied her up and left her for a few moments.Another livery asked her if "That big black horse" is yours.Why she asked.Well she has just put herself in my stable.YO ran off and collected her, tied her up again and watched.

one of mine removes his headcollar when tied up and I'm sure that, along with help from the wall he is tied to, is how he does it.

 

[dorsetladette]

MY terrorist has now learnt to open OH van door and take anything he can get his teeth on - keys out of the ignition, beer of the passenger seat, tools out of the door card, anything really. OH had van parked in the field to use as a platform to adjust the cctv cameras at the weekend - he heard the door go and before he could get down the ladder Robin was running off across the field with his cold beers for the BBQ in the afternoon. He's super cheeky and always up to something.

 

[Fjord]

My fjord chased her field mate over the downed electric fence, when she realised her friend didn't get zapped she walked over it herself.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

One of the horses I bred was extremely intelligent. My sister had him from a foal and found him one of the easiest horses to back. His attitude seemed to be what are you waiting for. The problem was in restricting how much he did, always wanted to do more, never wanted to turn for home. He had a sneaky trick when you mounted of waiting till you started to swing up then stepping sideways and trying to tread on the foot that was still on the ground. He had a very twisted sense of humour. His next owner told us about the time he was stabled but thought he should be out. Saw the YM crossing the yard so managed to reach his headcollar hung outside his stable and slung it at her. She adored him and could have written a book about the things he got up to. He stayed with her for the rest of his long life finally having to be put down at about 27. That horse had been round before, too clever for his own good.

 

[Gloi]

My old pony used to pull out the electric fence posts by pulling the piece you put your foot on to push them in. Once it was down he let the Fell pony cross it first to check it was safe.

 

[eahotson]

Very clever.

 

[SEL]

My Appy is very intelligent - just doesn't always use it for the power of good! I need to spend more time teaching her tricks really (she's retired from ridden work) because otherwise she makes up her own entertainment. But she also knows that she shouldn't cross the electric fencing so when she is unmuzzled she will walk around the entire track pulling up the plastic posts and placing them neatly on the ground with the ticking tape - but she leans over to eat and doesn't cross it.

Unfortunately my others don't see tape on the ground as a boundary. When the Ardennes was still alive I used to hide behind the stable and watch him scan the horizon to check there were no humans around before neatly trotting a circle and jumping the downed bit of tape. He also learnt how to open a dodgy gate and let himself onto the footpath to eat down the grass - but only if I wasn't around. I did catch him doing a limbo dance between 2 strands of fence once as well and it obviously wasn't the first time he'd done that.

He knew he wasn't allowed in the feed room, but apparently leaning in and dragging the bin full of minty treats outside the feed room didn't count!

 

[Alibear]

I'm not surprised. I've got a few recommended books on equine thinking, and most contain something that doesn't match my experiences; I've not decided the experts are wrong, but I usually go with the wait-and-see approach and stick with what seems to work best for my horse. I'm waiting for them to prove that horses have a concept of hope or that things will improve with time, as the thought of any living animal not having that upsets me.

 

[Cloball]

D took my stick out of my hand and poked me with it because she didn't think I was getting her treat fast enough. I only use the stick as a fly swatter so I don't know if that's tool use or her expression her opinion of me

 

[dorsetladette]

One of the horses I bred was extremely intelligent. My sister had him from a foal and found him one of the easiest horses to back. His attitude seemed to be what are you waiting for. The problem was in restricting how much he did, always wanted to do more, never wanted to turn for home. He had a sneaky trick when you mounted of waiting till you started to swing up then stepping sideways and trying to tread on the foot that was still on the ground. He had a very twisted sense of humour. His next owner told us about the time he was stabled but thought he should be out. Saw the YM crossing the yard so managed to reach his headcollar hung outside his stable and slung it at her. She adored him and could have written a book about the things he got up to. He stayed with her for the rest of his long life finally having to be put down at about 27. That horse had been round before, too clever for his own good.

We always say Robin has been here before.

 

[Cortez]

Intelligence in horses, as in people, is variable. Beware the clever horse! The most intelligent horse I ever bred was a pure antichrist, and very amusing with it.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

My fell pony can also remove electric fence posts. I was moving the fence one day and he was following me along watching and I was merrily thinking how nice it is to have a friendly pony who likes to be around you. It was only when I turned round and saw him grabbing a post and pulling it out that I realised I'd just been cheerfully been showing him how to to do it. My pony is clearly far more clever than I am

My old pony used to pull out the electric fence posts by pulling the piece you put your foot on to push them in. Once it was down he let the Fell pony cross it first to check it was safe.

 

[Goldenstar]

These studies tend to simply confirm what all of us know horses are clever and good at being horses .
Intelligence varies between individuals and some horses have special skill sets like watching humans and learning to untie ropes and go underthings ,
Fatty was a very clever very funny horse who was exceptionally naughty but never ever nasty
He learnt to pause and hitch to get the rider back into the middle of the saddle when jumping .
Sky is highly intelligent and loves learning stuff easily bored you have to careful what you teach him because he will transfer it to another application.
I taught him the command push he likes that it was a mistake .

 

[YourValentine]

As well as being more intelligent than most experts give them credit for I think they also have a sense of humour, or the ability to enjoy getting a certain reaction out of you. Even when there is no gain/reward for them in it.

We had a gelding that took great pleasure in winding my mum up when she was gardening. All he'd get out of it was being shouted, at but I swear he'd walk off sniggering.

 

[Alibear]

I guess this research has implications for those who use positive + only training, and I'm struck most by the fact the horses only seemed to step up their effort when the time out highlighted it was worth their while.

 

[eahotson]

Sounds like most of us then!