Equine learning behaviour: what we know, what we don’t and future research priorities.

This research critically explores equine learning behavior, providing an extensive review of existing studies, noting their limitations, and suggesting areas for future research. It calls for an evidence-based shift in horse training and management practices, moving away from anthropocentric and anthropomorphic approaches, and flagging areas of concern like learned helplessness.

Equine Learning Behaviour

• Murphy and Arkins (2007) offer a comprehensive review of the research conducted thus far on equine learning behavior. They identify gaps in the literature and outline areas needing further investigation.
• The authors argue that current understanding of horses is often tainted by historical practices and cultural biases, underlining the need for rigorous scientific enquiry into equine learning.
• They caution against anthropocentric and anthropomorphic approaches that might skew our understanding of equine cognitive abilities. Instead, researchers should consider using ethology and conditional anthropomorphism to ensure a more accurate representation of equine intelligence.

Comparative Intellectual Investigation

• The authors debate the relevance of comparing equine intellect to that of other species. They suggest that such investigations might not offer any real insights into equine learning, as each species adapts to their unique ecological niche.
• Moreover, the human perception of intelligence tends to be prejudiced towards species genetically closer to us, like primates.

“Imprint” Training and Learned Helplessness

• Murphy and Arkins critique “imprint” training, which involves repeatedly manipulating newborn foals until they stop resisting. They argue that this method contradicts the ethological definition of imprinting and could lead to learned helplessness.
• They cite various studies indicating that imprint training has few long-term effects and advise the use of less intrusive methods for introducing young horses to human contact.
• Notably, the authors recommend further exploration of learned helplessness related to other training types, which might raise awareness about harmful current training approaches and promote horse welfare.

Need for Context-Specific Research

• Though horses have not shown to learn differently from other species, the authors caution against assuming that they learn in similar ways. They note that standard subjects of comparative psychology experiments, like primates, rats, and pigeons, have distinctive life histories and sensory capacities compared to horses.
• Therefore, they call for research designs that align with a horse’s ethology and adaptive behaviour. Trials under such conditions could offer a more appropriate setting for understanding equine learning processes.