Horses able to recognize if you're happy or angry

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by Plazma Inferno!, Feb 10, 2016.

  1. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    In an recent experiment using photographs of male human faces, scientists from the University of Sussex showed that domestic horses are able to discriminate between happy and angry human facial expressions..
    The scientists say domestication may have enabled horses to adapt to and interpret human behavior.
    Similar results have been reported recently in domestic dogs, raising questions about how living with humans might have influenced animals' abilities.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35522233
     
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  3. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    The eyes have a lot to do with this. Dogs that have been bred for hunting have their visual receptors spread out in a narrow horizontal line across their retina. This allows them to track their prey.

    But dogs that have been bred for companionship, especially the smaller ones, have their receptors clustered in a relatively small area in the center of their retina. This gives them a very small field of vision--it's not easy for a Shi-tzu or a Chihuahua to chase a ball because it keeps bouncing out of his visual range. But it gives them a much more detailed view of their master's face than the hunting dogs get. They can see all the little nuances of our eyes, forehead, lips, cheeks, etc., and by the time they reach adulthood they can read the emotions in our faces as well as we do--perhaps even better--and react accordingly: stay out of the way if we're angry, climb up into our laps if we're sad, drop a ball at our feet if we're playful (they might be able to track it indoors

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    ), etc. These are, of course, the breeds we call "charming."
     
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  5. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    One of our horses is very difficult to load onto a trailer. It can take anywhere from 10 min to 2 hours. The poor thing is a rescue horse and in all other aspects is a wonderful horse - but he was clearly tramatized with loading from the previous jerks who had him. Anyway the point is I get frustrated with his inability to "just step into the goddamn trailer!" If I get the slightest bit frustrated, even if I think I am not showing my frustration he will not load and it is best to just give up. My daughter has found the perfect solution - dad stays in the house when that horse is loaded.

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  7. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Have you tried blinkers or a hood on that horse? It's hard to deal with animals that have suffered abuse at the hands of humans - Well, how are they supposed to trust more bloody humans?

    Of course they understand our moods and feelings! Facial recognition is only the most recent skill they've added to a range of perceptions we don't begin to appreciate.
    Domestic animals, especially horses and dogs, who have been working for humans for many generations, have learned a good deal more about our communications than we have learned about them, just as human servants read their masters more accurately than masters ever bother to read servants. (Sometimes to their peril.)
     
  8. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    That is something we could try, but I'm worried that could just make him more apprehensive. It really is pretty sad, he knows what he should do and you can see him trying to get on the trailer but the fear in him is painfully obvious.
    Just to show how screwed up the earlier owners were, after we had the horse for about 8 years he got a sore neck so we took him to the vet and found out that the previous owners had broken his neck - one of he vertabrae looks like a pile of broken glass. Neither the vets nor I have any idea how he was able to survive that. He is by far the sweetest horse I've ever had. I am really glad we were able rescue him and give him a nice home.

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  9. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    So am I!
    The reason I mention blinkers is: sometimes the problem is a particular angle of vision that holds a spooky image for them. I knew a racehorse one time who would kick up a fuss whenever we tried to lead him around a certain out-building. Until the trainer covered his face with a bandana. No problem coming back: the same building from a different angle didn't frighten him. We never figured out why.
    Some of them had to be loaded in the trailers backward - seems they didn't like walking into confined darkness.
    Of course, if it's the motion of the trailer or bad associations with a destination, blind loading won't help.
    They're so sensitive!
     
  10. Waiter_2001 Registered Senior Member

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    Why the long face?
     
  11. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Could they make 2 doors on the front of the trailer so that they could walk the horses into the trailer then walk out the front closing the doors behind them. They could hold the reigns as the rear doors are shut along with the front doors. I'd think with the front of the trailer open the horses won't get afraid and walk right in behind whoever is walking with them.
     

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