PREVIEW

A new study from Nottingham Trent University reveals that horses can strategize and adapt to changing rules, challenging previous assumptions about their cognitive abilities, BBC News reports. Researchers observed that horses quickly adapted to a treat-based game, adjusting their behavior when penalties were introduced, indicating a higher level of intelligence than previously thought. The study involved 20 horses who initially responded to a simple reward system but later learned to follow more complex rules when consequences were added. The introduction of a 10-second timeout penalty for incorrect actions led to rapid behavioral adjustments, showing the horses’ ability to strategize to avoid punishment. Lead researcher Louise Evans expressed surprise at how quickly the horses improved their performance once the timeout penalty was introduced. The findings suggest that horses understood the rules of the game from the beginning but chose to follow them only when there was a consequence for not doing so. The study's results, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, highlight that horses are more cognitively advanced than traditionally believed. Dr. Carrie Ijichi, a senior equine researcher, emphasized that the study challenges assumptions about animal intelligence, showing that animals can have complex thought processes even if they are different from humans. The study's insights could lead to more humane and effective horse training methods, improving their overall welfare. These findings contribute to a better understanding of equine intelligence, suggesting that horses are capable of planning and strategizing, similar to more traditionally recognized intelligent animals.
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