Tool Use and Intelligence

Horses have their own intelligence

Researchers have documented horses using tools. Using sticks to scrape hay into reach occurred most often, but tools were also used for social purposes, such as horses using brushes to groom others. The significance of this is that it shows problem-solving intelligence. While most of our horses don’t use tools, they are all capable of problem-solving – if given an opportunity. Conventional training programs, based on Negative Reinforcement and repetition, overtly discourage horses from using intelligence. Positive Reinforcement is gaining recognition, but few training programs aside from Horse Agility include the other two learning modes that encourage horses to use their intelligence: Investigative Behavior and Social Learning. In True Unity Tom Dorrance said, “The thing you are trying to help the horse do is to use his own mind. You are trying to present something and then let him figure out how to get there.” That is intelligence, not obedience thru conditioned response, but it requires giving the horse time and freedom to think. The relationship I call Protector Leadership has been consistently successful for centuries because it engages horses’ innate intelligence. My book What Horses Really Want describes how and why it works, including scientific references, and instructions for applying it yourself.

References:
Tool Use in Horses by Konstanze Krueger, Laureen Trager, Kate Farmer, and Richard Byrne
True Unity by Tom Dorrance