These Horses Just Learned To Communicate With Humans

18 February 2018

 - Norwegian researchers taught 23 horses how to express their needs using symbol boards, and the horses loved it.

It’s what we wish of all our pets: If only they could tell us what they want. Of course, we know when the dog wants to go out; and good lord do we know when the cat wants to be fed in the morning – but what about other pets and other needs? Like, what if your horse could run up to you and say, “I’m cold, may I have my blanket?”

That’s exactly what a group of researchers at Norwegian University of Life Sciences and their team of 23 steeds have accomplished in two separate stables in Norway. Anyone who has ever had a relationship with a horse knows how intelligent they are, and that they often understand what the human wants – but now we may have an entry into better understanding what it is a horse may desire.

The team trained the horses for 10 to 15 minutes a day to learn the meaning of three symbols. After just 11 days, all 23 horses were able to recognize the meanings: Blanket on, blanket off, or no change. What’s beautiful is that not only were they so easily able to learn the symbols and then they put that knowledge to work, but the whole thought process involved. “I’m hot, I want this blanket off, I’ll nudge the “blanket off” symbol to have my blanket removed” – which is what participating horse Poltergeist is indicating in the photo above.