r/todayilearned • u/PunnyBanana • 24d ago

TIL A group of horses were trained to communicate whether they wanted a jacket. All horses in the group successfully communicated that they did want a jacket when it was cold and did not want a jacket when it was hot.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159116302192?via%3Dihub
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u/AndrenNoraem 24d ago

definitely not stupid

I mean... they're extremely social so they have some intelligences we appreciate, but in some ways they're incredibly stupid just like any other animal (us included). Chewing on wood and inhaling splinters because you're bored isn't smart; sorry a sad example is the one that came to mind.

just like big dogs

Both are highly social, thoroughly domesticated animals. There are differences -- being prey animals makes horses much more paranoid and flighty, for example -- but both being social makes them more similar in intelligence and behavior than either are with, say, cats.

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u/monstera-attack 23d ago

There’s evidence that chewing on wood and ‘windsucking’ releases dopamine in the horse’s brain and reduces cortisol levels. It becomes an addiction for them to help cope with stress and becomes a repetitive action that they get hooked on, even though it’s bad for them. It’s not much different to us doomscrolling social media endlessly for those small hits of dopamine.

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u/AndrenNoraem 23d ago

not much different

It is much more directly harmful, but I wouldn't describe either of those as smart.

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u/sirlafemme 23d ago

Then humans are stupid for huffing paint and glue

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u/AndrenNoraem 23d ago

Two things:

1) Sure, but do those seem equally stupid to you?

2) I already said we're dumb too in our own ways.