Horses have long been considered dumb animals. But the truth is, they are much more intelligent than people give them credit for. In fact, horses can learn complex tasks and figure out ways to solve problems. They are also very social animals, who enjoy interacting with their herd mates. So next time you see a horse, don’t underestimate it-it’s probably more intelligent than you think!
The Myth of the Dumb Horse
For years, people have considered horses to be dumb animals. This belief is likely due to the fact that horses cannot speak like humans. However, just because an animal cannot speak does not mean that it is dumb. In fact, there are many animals that are very intelligent but cannot speak because they do not have the physical ability to do so.
What is intelligence?
The definition of intelligence is difficult to define, as it can mean different things to different people. For the purposes of this article, intelligence will be defined as the ability to learn and understand new things.
The problem with IQ testing animals:
One of the main problems with trying to measure intelligence in animals is that they cannot be given traditional IQ tests as humans can. This is because IQ tests are designed specifically for humans and are based on human abilities and experiences. Therefore, it is not possible to directly compare the IQ of a human with that of an animal.
How smart are horses?
Horses are actually very intelligent animals. They have the ability to learn and understand new things, and they have a good memory. Studies have shown that horses can remember tasks that they have been taught for up to five years.
Why do we think of horses as dumb?
There are a few reasons why horses have wrongly been labeled as dumb animals. One reason is that they cannot speak like humans. Another reason is that they are often used for manual labor, such as pulling carts or plowing fields. This means that they are not often given the opportunity to show how intelligent they can be. Finally, some people may think of horses as dumb because they are afraid of them. This is likely due to the fact that horses are large animals and can be dangerous if they are not treated with respect.
Some interesting facts about how smart horses are
- Body language is so important to horses that they can not only understand what each other is saying, but also what we are saying and how we are feeling. The story of CleverHans, an Orlov Trotter that was owned by a math teacher named Wilhelm Von Osten and was said to be able to count, shows how much they understand our body language. People thought he could do math problems right, but research showed that Clever Hans was actually reading his owner’s body language to figure out if he was right or wrong.
- Horses will run away from a threat the first time they see it, but they quickly figure out if it really is a threat or not. If a horse thinks a barrow is dangerous, for example, he will naturally avoid it. However, if he doesn’t learn that it’s not dangerous, he will spend his whole life on edge, which can hurt him. He’ll be running away from it so much that he won’t have time to eat, sleep, or do anything else. This is why they can learn so quickly, much faster than dogs and most other animals.
- Horses are naturally good at solving problems, which is why we have to find new ways to keep them in their stalls or pastures. Some horses will “fiddle” with the bolts and figure out how to open the door. Others will go out of their way to try to open the door, but once they know how to do it, it’s much harder to stop them from trying again. After all, if you let them out, they could try to look around the feed room.
- Inquisitive nature: If you walk up to your horse with a bag in your hand, he will definitely want to know what it is and what’s in it. Yes, you could say that he wants to know what’s in it because he’s nosy, but the truth is that he’s just curious and doesn’t have any other reason than to find out.
The stupid things horses do that show how smart they are
We’ve all heard stories about funny things horses have done, but some of those stories show how smart they really are.
- Exhaling: There’s a reason why we should walk our horses around after we’ve saddled them up. Some horses will breathe out while you’re securing the saddle because they know that if they don’t, it won’t be tight enough. Walking them around makes them breathe normally, which lets you tie them upright.
- Faking an injury: If a horse doesn’t want to work, he can’t just say, “I don’t feel like it today.” Instead, he has to find another way to get out of it. One of the most common ways a horse will try to get out of work is by acting like it is lame. That doesn’t mean, though, that a lame horse is just putting on a show.
- Being afraid of shadows: As we talked about above, it may seem silly to us that a horse is afraid of something, but it’s an instinct that helps them stay alive. We might think this is funny and laugh at how silly they are, but it’s actually a sign of how smart they are and how important this behavior is to their survival.
Are horses dumb?
Even owners of smart horses will have a story or two about how “dumb” their horse is, but are they really being dumb? People are becoming more and more aware that the horses we love are not stupid at all, but very good at acting like they are.
In the wild, horses need to save their energy for when they really need it, and even though they are very different from their wild ancestors, they still have the instinct (or desire) to not work harder than they need to. At the same time, they are very smart about what they can get away with and who they can try to trick. After all, how many horses have suddenly gone lame right before they were about to be ridden, only to get better when it was time to feed them?
Do horses know who you are?
If you visit your horse (or any horse) every day, they will remember you, especially if you bring them treats. However, a horse’s memory is much better than just remembering you from day to day. Horses are very close to the rest of their herd, and to them, we are just another member of that herd, even though we act very differently.
If you’ve ever had to leave your horse for a long time, you know how happy he is to see you again. But what if you have to leave him for a few years? You might think he would forget about you after a year or two, but you might be surprised. About ten years ago, I bought a horse. The owner’s parents were moving abroad and couldn’t take the horse with them, so they were selling him. The girl who owned the horse asked if she could come to see him if she ever went back to the country. I told her she could, but I didn’t think she would. Anyway, she went back to see him about five years later, and he was so happy to see her that he started neighing as soon as he saw her. It was like they had never been apart.
Even though this might not be true for every horse, it is true that horses remember you more and for a longer time than you think.
In conclusion,
Horses are not dumb animals. They are actually very intelligent and have the ability to learn and understand new things. However, they have been wrongly labeled as dumb animals due to a number of factors, including their lack of speech, their use of manual labor, and the fact that they can be dangerous if not treated with respect.
