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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(5); 641; doi: 10.3390/ani15050641

Nay to Prey: Challenging the View of Horses as a “Prey” Species.

Abstract: This paper challenges the prevalent characterization of domesticated horses as prey species that inherently view humans as predators. Drawing on evolutionary, ethological, and cognitive evidence, we propose the "mutualistic coevolution hypothesis", which posits that horses and humans have evolved a partnership marked by cooperation rather than fear. We critically assess the "prey hypothesis", emphasizing a predator-prey model, which dominates equine training and the literature, and we argue that it inadequately explains horses' morphology, behaviors, and cognitive capacities. Comparative studies on horses' socio-cognitive skills suggest that domestication has fostered emotional, behavioral, and cognitive adaptations supporting a human-horse bond. This review examines evidence from archaeological findings and experimental research on horses' responsiveness to human gestures, emotions, and social cues, underscoring their complex cognition and capacity for collaboration. Furthermore, morphological and behavioral analyses reveal inconsistencies in using orbital orientation or predation-related traits as evidence for categorizing horses as prey species. By emphasizing the coevolutionary dynamics underlying human-horse interactions, we advocate for replacing traditional training models centered on fear and submission with approaches that leverage horses' mutualistic and social nature. This perspective offers insights for enhancing horse welfare and improving human-equine relationships.
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Publication Date: 2025-02-22 PubMed ID: 40075924PubMed Central: PMC11898186DOI: 10.3390/ani15050641Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research paper disputes the widespread view that domesticated horses inherently see humans as predators, instead proposing that horses and humans have developed an evolutionary partnership based on cooperation, not fear.

Overview of the Research

This paper puts forth a new viewpoint that challenges the traditional “prey hypothesis” that perceives equines as prey animals that naturally see humans as predators. Challenging this assumption, the researchers propose a “mutualistic coevolution hypothesis”, pointing towards a long evolutionary relationship between horses and humans based on cooperation rather than fear.

Issues with the Prey Hypothesis

  • The authors argue that the prey hypothesis, which favors a predator-prey model, has been the dominant thought in equine training and scholarly literature. However, it inadequately explains important aspects of horses such as their morphology, behaviors, and cognitive abilities.
  • By taking into account archaeological findings and experimental research on horses’ reactions to human gestures, emotions, and social signals, the authors highlight inconsistencies in current understanding. They argue that horses possess complex cognition and a capacity for collaboration that is overlooked or unaccounted for by the prey hypothesis.

Arguments for the Mutualistic Coevolution Hypothesis

  • Comparative studies reveal that over time, domestication has led to evolution of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive traits in horses that support a bond with humans, as opposed to a fear-based relationship.
  • Further, morphological and behavioral analyses suggest that the use of certain traits, like orbital orientation or other predation-related characteristics, as evidence for categorizing horses as prey species, is inconsistent and lacks strong backing.

Impact on Horse Training and Welfare

  • Leading on from the mutualistic coevolution hypothesis, the researchers argue for a shift from prevalent training models that rely on fear and submission, towards methods that leverages mutualistic and social aspects of horses’ nature.
  • The implications of this new perspective can have promising outcomes for improving horse welfare, as well as enhancing the quality of human-equine relationships.

Cite This Article

APA
Steklis NG, Peñaherrera-Aguirre M, Steklis HD. (2025). Nay to Prey: Challenging the View of Horses as a “Prey” Species. Animals (Basel), 15(5), 641. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050641

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 5
PII: 641

Researcher Affiliations

Steklis, Netzin G
  • Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Peñaherrera-Aguirre, Mateo
  • Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Steklis, Horst Dieter
  • Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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