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Animal cognition2009; 13(1); 51-61; doi: 10.1007/s10071-009-0244-x

Human facial discrimination in horses: can they tell us apart?

Abstract: The human-horse relationship has a long evolutionary history. Horses continue to play a pivotal role in the lives of humans and it is common for humans to think their horses recognize them by face. If a horse can distinguish his/her human companion from other humans, then evolution has supplied the horse with a very adaptive cognitive ability. The current study used operant conditioning trials to examine whether horses could discriminate photographed human faces and transfer this facial recognition ability a novel setting. The results indicated the horses (a) learned to discriminate photographs of the unrelated individuals, fraternal twins, and identical twins and (b) demonstrated transfer of facial recognition by spending more time with their S+ woman in the field test.
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Publication Date: 2009-06-17 PubMed ID: 19533185DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0244-xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates whether horses can recognize and distinguish between human faces. Using photographic stimuli and conditioning tests, the researchers concluded that horses are indeed capable of discriminating between the faces of different humans, including identical twins, and demonstrate an ability to remember and exhibit a preference for familiar faces in new environments.

Research Objective and Methodology

  • The main aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that horses can identify and differentiate human faces, and further display this recognition capability in a new setting.
  • The researchers used an operant conditioning trial, a method where an animal learns to associate a specific behavior with either a reward (positive reinforcement) or a punishment (negative reinforcement).
  • They presented horses with photographs of different human individuals including identical and fraternal twins. The horse was trained to associate a positive experience (S+), in this case, a reward, with a particular human face in the photos.

Findings

  • The findings show that horses were able to discern among the human faces in the photographs, using their learned associations from the conditioning trials.
  • Interestingly, the horses could even differentiate between photographs of identical twins, suggesting a high level of facial recognition skill.
  • In addition to identifying different humans in a photo, the horses also demonstrated their facial memory in a different test context, a field test. They spent more time with the woman they were conditioned to associate with positive experiences (S+ woman), proving they could transfer their recognition skills learned in one scenario to another setting.

Conclusion

  • The research concluded that horses possess a sophisticated facial recognition system that enables them, not just to distinguish between different human faces, but to also remember them and respond accordingly in different environments.
  • This suggests an adaptive cognitive ability in horses, shaped over their long evolutionary history with humans, further strengthening their critical role in human lives and activities.

Cite This Article

APA
Stone SM. (2009). Human facial discrimination in horses: can they tell us apart? Anim Cogn, 13(1), 51-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-009-0244-x

Publication

Animal cognition
ISSN: 1435-9456
NlmUniqueID: 9814573
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 51-61

Researcher Affiliations

Stone, Sherril M
  • Oklahoma State University, 700 N. Greenwood, Tulsa, OK 74106, USA. smsbox@aol.com

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Discrimination, Psychological
  • Face
  • Female
  • Horses / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Twins, Dizygotic
  • Twins, Monozygotic

Citations

This article has been cited 23 times.
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