Can A Horse Recognize Himself In A Mirror?
When a horse peers at his reflection in the arena mirror, does he know he’s looking at himself? Researchers in Italy are working to answer that question, but the nature of horses themselves is complicating the effort.
“Of course, horses and animals in general don’t have a need to recognize them selves in the mirror---they don’t need to shave or put on makeup,” says Paolo Baragli, DVM, PhD, of the University of Pisa, “but the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror is a building block of self-awareness. Mirror self-recognition highlights the cognitive and emotional skills that are necessary to develop complex social relationships and to engage in behaviors relying on the different levels of empathy. For this reason, comparative psychologists, primatologists and ethologists have concentrated their efforts over the past four decades on the study of mirror self recognition in animals, in and out the primate order.”
To determine whether horses have this ability, the Italian researchers first acclimated four horses to an enclosure that contained a mirror, which was first covered and then uncovered. They then conducted the mark test paradigm, a standard method of gauging self recognition in individuals.
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PROGRESS AND STRUGGLE IN SENIOR HORSE CARE
A study from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University confirms what many dedicated horse owners have long known: Caring for a geriatric horse with a chronic health condition can be a significant physical and emotional burden.
THREE WAYS TO PREVENT BLANKET INJURIES
Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
While it’s impossible to prevent all discord at the barn, conflict resolution techniques can help solve problems, restore calm and enable everyone to enjoy their horses.
The turning point
You don’t always get the horse you want, but sometimes you get the one you need.
A FOREVER HOME
How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
Nice work if you can get it
A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
