Less Can Be More When Training Horses

A research team wanted to determine how much repetition horses need to learn a new skill. So they trained each of 20 horses to back up, lower the head, lift the hind legs, and turn the head for two days a week over six weeks. As a cue, they put pressure on parts of the…

Study on Horse’s Sense of Smell

The current limited knowledge on equine smells poses a risk that horse behavior does not match human expectations, they said, as horses might react fearfully when exposed to certain odors, which humans do not consider as frightening. Learning more about equine smell could therefore boost our understand of horse behavior and reduce the risk of…

Stress Study Paints Surprising Picture of the Lives of Horses

Proper management of horses by humans may be more respectful of their well-being than life in the wilderness. Italian researchers based their findings on an analysis of cortisol levels in horse hair, which is considered an indicator of chronic stress levels. Horse hair provides a matrix where cortisol can accumulate over time, forming a stress…

The Science of Horse Racing: Hooves and Horseshoes

For humans, shoes fit the movement; running, jumping, sliding, whatever the tasks, we have footwear for it. Our equine friends, on the racetrack and off, are no different. For every pursuit is a shoe fitted to both the competitor and the competition. To understand how that works, we must understand a horse’s hoof and what…

An Equine Model for Human Anxiety

Having prey brains, horses are ruled primarily by fear. External stimulation enters their brain via one of the senses and is immediately shuttled to the motor cortex for instant reaction. There is no neural way station or prefrontal cortex for evaluation of the event. Why? Because evolution is based on survival, and it takes too much time to…

Fact Or Fiction? Horses Should Not Be Fed Before Exercise

The horse world is filled with “rules” many horse owners and caretakers follow, often without knowing why. One such myth that has been followed for years is that horses should not be fed before exercise. With updated research, that mindset has shifted: now, scientists suggest that feeding forage before a ride may be beneficial.