Emily Chan
Throughout history, horses have assisted and inspired humans. They have served as forms of transportation, soldiers in battle and the basis of myths and artworks.
Most of all, they have been constant loyal and trustworthy companions. Clearly, horses are smart creatures. But it turns out that our equine friends are much more intelligent than we’ve realized.
A team of equine researchers at Nottingham Trent University wanted to understand more about how horses learn, as the knowledge could help horses to be trained more humanely and improve their welfare. They set up an experiment in which horses had to touch a piece of card with their nose to receive a treat.
They started out with this simple task but then added a twist. In the next stage, the horses were not rewarded if they touched a card while a light was on.
Instead, they would be given a treat if they touched it when the light was off. The horses continued to touch the card, regardless of the light being on or off. They were still rewarded for their correct answers.
For the final phase, the researchers introduced a penalty for touching the card while the “stop” light was on. Horses that did so would be given a 10-second timeout. During that time, they could not participate in the game or receive a treat.
Once the rule was implemented, the research team noticed a sudden change. The horses began to play the game “correctly,” only touching the card at the right time.
As a result, the number of errors they made was reduced significantly. Although the team expected to see an improvement, they were blown away by how abruptly it occurred.
Initially, it appeared that the horses did not understand the game. But the team argues that the horses understood how to play the game the entire time and had figured out a way to play where they didn’t have to pay much attention but could still earn treats.
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