SCIENCE PROVES HORSES SMARTER THAN MOST MEN

I came across an article today highlighting something that I always figured to be true: horses have the ability to distinguish between human emotions. This is truly fascinating, there is now scientific evidence that horses can recognize when your happy, sad or angry. Finally, proof of what I truly believed all along: horses exceed boys in their ability to recognize and respond to your emotions.  This explains a lot.
 

But didn't I already know this? After a ride I go to clean my tack and leave Moose in the aisle to cool down or dry off. As I disappear around the corner to the tack cleaning area, I can hear his feet start shifting on the concrete of the aisle. After 30 seconds of not seeing me, he starts to paw at the floor. This, at first may seem kind of cute. He misses me! But its actually really annoying, really bad for his feet, and really bad for the flooring of the barn. What's interesting is all that it takes for him to stop is for me to lean around the corner and shoot him an angry face. One stern extended glance and he's still as a statue, just looking at me with those big brown eyes. Sometimes I add in an firm, "Moooose! Stop it." Never a yell, never more than a stern command. But he gets it. He stops. At least for the next five minutes, until he thinks I am no longer angry with him and he tries to get my attention again.... I just lean around the corner again with another stern look and he stops.

The British study used a series of high quality photographs of an adult male making various faces connected to human emotions: angry, happy, etc. The study showed that horses could tell the difference as proven by their heart rates and own facial expressions. Although this is not unique to horses, and studies have shown dogs and sheep have similar reactions, it's interesting because it proves what so many of us horse people always just seemed to know. As one of the participating doctorate students said, "[w]e have known for a long time that horses are a socially sophisticated species but this is the first time we have seen that they can distinguish between positive and negative human facial expressions.”

 



This is Zoe's "I know I'm in trouble face".

Is anyone else not surprised by this? As I read this study, I thought anyone that has worked with ponies already knows that they can recognize emotions and a lot more. My mom could cluck to my pony Phantom from across the show ring and she would swish her tail, push into high gear, and extend her stride to get out of a line. Our pony Poppy will be bad for the little students behind my mom's back, but the second she turns around and gives him a firm look, he acts as if he's been an angel the whole time. We once had a horse in the  barn that refused to let his owner get on him. Every time she climbed up the mounting block he would take two steps to the side, making it impossible for her to throw her short legs over his back. All my mom had to do was walk out of the barn and look at him and he would behave. We had another horse like this too, that would hear her coming down the aisle, and move to the back of the stall in submission, knowing that the fun was over and he better let his human put his bridle on. Not only are these examples of horses distinguishing between different people, but it's evidence that they can distinguish between different emotions from different humans, and the different consequences that arise when confronted with those human emotions.

 

I think it works the other way too. Whenever I'm sad there is no question that my dog Rufus knows what's up and tries to cuddle me into happiness. (It usually works). But I'm pretty sure Moose also knows too! Maybe its just me being hopeful, but I'm certain he buries his head in my chest and is extra loving when I come visit him after a long bad day. He just knows. So next time a man asks why you expect them to read your mind, you can tell him because your horse already does.