Fact: Horses learn by watching!
Sep 3rd, 2008 by Carolyn Resnick Method
I was reading an article the other day about some scientists that were figuring out whether horses learned through watching or not and I found it fascinating that they came up with the idea that horses do not learn by watching other horses. It’s just so silly that they don’t know that they do!
When I went to Verde Valley School when I was 14, I had an Arab who was 3 years old and I took over there so I would have a horse to ride. I wanted to show her but there weren’t any horse shows in that part of Arizona. However, there was a rodeo coming to town and I realized that I could compete at the rodeo on her doing barrel racing. My mare had never actually done anything like that and, in fact, she’d only been under saddle a short while. As I said, she was 3 years old, so I had maybe only ridden her about 30 days but I wanted to compete with her all the same.
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I have an older horse that was clipped and shown as a baby and because of this still sticks his tongue out to feel the water level in the trough.
horses also learn from watching people
we are just working on a new trail connecting the pastures for our herd so they have to naturally walk more and keep their hoofes in self-trim.
The place where we are going to connect the pastures with the trail is very steep. So during the whole weekend we have been doing fence, cutting bush, finding ways to connect the electricity with local means. I have got a few questions from my students whether i really think the horses can do these hills, but as we can get up there and down there – the horse can too.
So 2 of the mares have been hanging around while we did the connecting part cutting the bush and removing old barb wire on the hill. Then i removed the metal wire between the pasture with the horses and the steep hill and keep working in the bush much further up, close to the fruitgarden.
To my big surprise, connecting some of the last wires – 6 happy horses came running and got even more happy as the fence was not finished so they jumped into the fruitgarden and attacked all the mangoes and guavas!
Well – we let them eat for a while, let them run around a bit outside the pastures before we asked them to go back inside.
I will take some pictures and a filmclip of the hill and the trail connecting the pastures and put up on my channel.
Have a wonderful sunday!
Love from sunny and rainy caribbean Stina
Hi Carolyn,
The clearest experience I have of my horses learning from watching each other is this: my husband built a platform so I could teach the horses something different and fun — step up front feet, walk over, stand with all four feet on it — all sorts of possibilities. We dragged this sturdy platform to the round pen aka the equine play ground.
The first horse I introduced to it, well, it took quite a few tries before she understood what I was asking. Meanwhile the other horses were grazing near by, not obviously standing around watching what we were doing. But each time I brought another horse to the platform, he or she stepped up on it as if this was something done on a daily basis around here.
That convinced me that horses learn by watching.
I was so surprised when I heard “experts” say horses don’t learn by watching! One day I was giving my first horse a treat of applesauce out of one of those little individual containers. She couldn’t figure out how to get it out since her nose wouldn’t fit, so I took it, and pretended to lick the sauce out in an exagerated way, offered it back to her and she immediately started licking it out! She was such a great teacher.
In the past when I had a horse afraid of something I would have them watch me touch the scary thing and sometimes if it were something like a plasic tarp I would have them watch me stand on the item. I guess I thought I was showing them that it was not scary to me and that they could actually dominate the item. I often put my foot on something they think is scary and have my horses watch me do that. I guess in my mind they know that humans are less vulnerable and that my horses trust me to know what is really scary and what is not. Maybe that is silly but it has always worked for me. I just thought it might be just a lark. But this information would tell me that it is not. Also in my youth we always had our green horses go with our other horses on trail rides. I always figured that they would see that the other horses loved it and were not afraid so they just decided it was ok too. Maybe we are wiser in our youth about some things. I love this board. It has helped me so much to see that other people out there have been doing the silly things i have and that someone like Carolyn is backing up these things with her expert advice.
Hi there,
Just read thoughts on horses watching each other. I would concur that all watch and learn from each other. One thing that is thought to be true though is that horses that crib bite and wind suck will learn this from each other, but is not the case. We have a pony that cribs and sucks and in full view of 50 other horses, and not one has copied her over the years we have been on our livery yard in UK. So goes to show they are even discerning in what they actually pick up to do. Imitating cribbing – nothing, stepping back and bum scratch – ooooh heaven!!! So guess what is learnt – yes bum scratches every time!!!.
Hi Carolyn,
You are quite right – It is just silly, that they think that horses do not learn through watching other horses.
I have had so much fun watching my, now two years old knabstrupper stallion ever since he was 6 months old. He liked to follow my 14 years old gelding and copy him. When he turned to scratch his belly the young one did the same. When he sniffed another horse’s dropping and lifted his upper lip the little one was watching and did the same immediately after. When a new horse came to the flock, it thought him to dig big holes in the ground. I am quite sure he would never have learned that if he didn’t se the other horse do it.
I have never thought to teach my horse’s things by showing them other horses doing it. I will certainly try that. Thanks for the good advice.
Best regards
Zoe
http://www.contact-saddle.com
Hi Carolyn,
What you’ve described in your post is called patterning. It’s the same method animals and people use to mimic their parents when they’re young. It’s how we all learn. I think people use this all the time while training their horses whether or not they’re aware of it. How many times have you worked with a horse who’s afraid to cross a bridge or go down an unfamiliar trail until he sees another horse do it first? It stands to reason that horses should certainly be able to use this same ability to mimic another horse’s behavior to learn something much harder–like the Spanish walk, for example. Frankly, I think scientists sometimes think too much when the answers are right there in front of them. Thanks for sharing your clever observations with us. I’d trust your thoughts on horses over a scientific study any day!
Thea,
I do not remove whiskers because they use them to communicate with one another and I think they are attractive. Most horses really do not mind the procedure of having them removed.
Milk whiskers on foals I believe to be very valuable.
Whiskers on an adult horse would be used for affection. At least that is how I have seen them used.
Since horses are kept separate from one another how would they have use for them?
I think this is the bigger concern for our horses, not being able to whisker touch one another on a daily basis. Remember that horses are also very adaptable. I have seen very happy show horses as well as unhappy ones.
Interesting fact: Lions in a circus live longer than zoo lions and lions in nature. I asked someone who took care of lions in a zoo why this was and he said that because in a circus they are usually large numbers of them. This provides them with a sense of belonging, they talk to one another all day and they enjoy their training and exercise. They are also travel a lot so they get a lot of things to occupy their minds as well as a daily routine of activities and exercise. While zoo lions have little in the day to look forward to. I do not approve of the way zoo lions and circus lions are kept however. I am only offering this as food for thought.
Carolyn
Do you clip your horse’s whiskers regularly? I understand its necessary for showing and I also thought they provided spatial information for horses. Are they more like cat whiskers as I understand or like men’s whiskers (or mine for that matter). Just thought I’d ask. Seems the horses objecting might have a legitimate complaint is all. Sure can’t see my cat sitting still for it.
Dear Carolyn,
I absolutely know that Destiny learned how to open gates from watching the mustang mare that he hung out with at Jacksonhill when he was young. He would do it exactly the way she did it.
He also pawed at the water after watching the mustang do the same thing. Many a day I would watch him mimic her. It’s amazing that scientist haven’t observed this.
Roseann
I also teach my horses with other horses. I just recently purchased a new horse (Chip) who just turned 4 yrs old and is very green. Everytime I play with my other horses (Kiss & Gabby) I would have Chip in the arena with us, whether I am riding or playing with them on the ground. One day I was asking Kiss to back up with her tail, and then just by my motion with no contact while Chip was watching. Kiss is VERY good at this and loves to have her butt scratched as her reward, so she is a good example. After a few weeks of doing this in front of Chip I decided to play with him, to ask him to back up by the tail. He has many itcy spots that he loves to have scratched so I started by scratching his lower back and then his butt. When I would stop I would take a step back, pull very ligthly on his tail and asked if he could take a step back and he did. I have only played with him a few times with this and he is doing really well. I use Kiss as an example for clipping as well. CHip hates it and Kiss LOVES it, she loves the attention. So I make sure everytime I clip Kiss that Chip is in the stall next to us so he can watch. Last Sunday, he let me clip a few whiskers without pitching a fit – at last progress – thank you Kiss for helping me with Chip.
Oh Carolyn, you always post stuff that we don’t always think about, but is very important. I agree, having a horse watch makes a world of difference.
I guess I use it mostly for clipping. I have one pony that’s such a bugger about it. I tie him next to his pasture mate and I clip that pony first. It gets better each time. The first pony still doesn’t like it, but it gets done and with less fuss each time. I hope that seeing the other pony getting clipped without freaking out will eventually get him over it.
Good post, as always!!
PS – I’m plotting this years Xmas card….lol