Studies Find That Horses Never Forget A Friend

Two recent studies found that horses have excellent long term memories. The studies found that horses recall human friends after months of separation. Horses also understand verbal commands better than previously thought, and remember complex, problem-solving strategies for ten years or longer.

The first study, led by University of Rennes ethologist Carol Sankey, and published in the most recent issue of Animal Behavior, explored the effects of positive reinforcement (i.e. food rewards) on horse training and memory. The training program of 23 yearlings consisted of basic grooming and medical care. For example, the horses were asked to stand still in response to verbal command. When a horse did as it was instructed, the trainer rewarded it with treats. The control group received no food rewards.

The researchers found that the horses that received food rewards displayed more "'positive' behaviors toward the experimenter, such as sniffing and licking." Horses display these behaviors as a sign of affection with each other, so they weren't necessarily looking for more treats.

The control group, trained without treats, "expressed four to six times more 'negative' behaviors, such as biting, kicking and 'falling down' on the experimenter."

But what was most interesting was the eight month period of separation following the training. When reunited with the trainers, even after eight months, the horses trained with food rewards displayed the same affectionate behaviors toward the trainer. Horses who had been trained with food rewards were also generally friendlier with humans they had not previously met.

In terms of positive reinforcement training, "it appears that horses are no different than humans," the researchers concluded. "They behave, learn and memorize better when learning is associated with a positive situation."

The second study, done by the Equine Research Foundation and published last year in Animal Cognition, found that horses that had been tested on recognition and advanced learning abilities 10 years earlier were able to repeat the same tasks, with a nearly perfect level of accuracy, without having to learn the skills again.

Horses are social animals. In the wild, horses form long-lasting relationships with members of their herd, and also interact with members of other herds. These research findings are consistent with how horses interact with one another, displaying aggressive behaviors to some horses and affection towards others.

Anyone who has spent time with horses should not be surprised that horses form long-lasting attachments to specific individuals, be those individuals horses or humans.

Photo Credit: Western Horse