Horses Can Plan And Strategize, New Study Finds

A new study has found that horses are capable of strategic thinking and planning ahead, showing more cognitive complexity than previously believed. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University created a game for horses where they had to touch a card to receive a treat, and found that the horses changed their strategies when faced with more difficult stages to ensure they would continue getting rewards. The study reveals that horses can perform a cost-benefit analysis and demonstrate goal-oriented thinking, challenging the previous belief that this cognitive capacity is beyond their abilities.

Despite having a underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex, which is typically credited with producing strategic thinking in humans, horses were able to understand and play the game correctly when introduced with a penalty for making errors. This suggests that horses are more cognitively advanced than previously assumed and raises questions about animal intelligence and sentience. The study highlights the need to avoid making assumptions about animal abilities based on human similarities, emphasizing the importance of further research into animal cognition.