2024-08-20 12:02:00
Animal intelligence has always been a subject of fascination and debate at research meetings. Horses have long been seen as sentient and intuitive creatures, but rarely as complex strategists capable of understanding and adapting to changing situations. However, a recent study conducted by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) challenges these preconceived ideas. The results reveal that horses have a capacity for rapid adaptation and a more advanced cognitive understanding than previously believed.
This discovery opens new perspectives not only on how we perceive equine intelligence, but also on the training and care methods that could be developed to improve their well-being. By exploring these new facets of equine cognition, this study disrupts traditional assumptions and invites us to rethink our relationship with these majestic animals.
When Horses Defy Expectations
The new study suggests that horses are smarter than previously thought, as they have been observed to adapt quickly to a reward-based game with changing rules.
Researchers from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) said they were surprised at how quickly the horses understood the game, overturning previous theories that horses’ brains only responded to immediate stimuli and were not sufficiently developed to strategise.
Towards New Training Methods
According to the researchers, these new findings could lead to better training programs for horses and improve their welfare.
The Red Light Experiment: A Lesson in Cognition
In this study, 20 horses were first rewarded for touching a card with their noses. In the second phase, a “red light” was introduced and the rule was changed so that they were only rewarded if they touched the card when the light was off.
The light did not change the horses’ behavior, as they were observed to touch the card regardless of the state of the light. Until the rules were changed a third time, of course. In the final stage, the researchers imposed a 10-second penalty for touching the card while the red light was on.
According to the researchers, they observed a rapid adaptation in the horses’ behavior, showing that they had understood that there was now a cost to making mistakes, and they quickly learned to play by the rules to avoid punishment.
Lead researcher Louise Evans said: “We expected the horses’ performance to improve with the application of the penalty, but we were surprised to find that the improvement was immediate and significant.”
Thoughts for the Future
The researchers believe that the fact that the horses adapted so quickly indicates that they understood the red light rule all along, but had no reason to follow the rule because there were no consequences for not understanding it.
Lead researcher Dr. Karyn Egetchi said the study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, shows that horses have higher cognitive abilities than is generally acknowledged.
He added that this teaches us not to make assumptions about animals’ intelligence or emotions based on their similarity to us.
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