Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience of Horsemanship

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As many trainers have found, this is why horses often need to be taught a new skill firstly on one side, and then on the other! They cannot transfer what they have learned directly from one side to the other, although they may learn much faster when it comes to learning on the second side. It may also explain why some horses perform far better on one side than the other. What Are the Parts of the Horses Brain?

Considering the level of intelligence and pride with which a horse conducts itself, people tend to wonder "how big is the brain of a horse is". It is natural to wonder how their brain development goes and how they function too. These traits are the result of Arabians having one less pair of ribs (17 instead of 18) and lumbar vertebrae (5 instead of 6), as well as fewer tail vertebrae. Hold your horses! We've got some brainy questions from our readers that deserve some spotlight. Let’s trot through these queries with the same gusto a horse shows when it hears the dinner bell. How Big Is a Horse's Brain? In contrast to signals of aggression within a herd, there are also signs of friendship. Mares and foals nudge and nuzzle each other during nursing or for comfort, and mutual grooming, when two horses nibble at each other, is often seen.It’s not that horses don’t think like we do,” she says. “It’s that they can’t think like we do. Without a well-developed frontal lobe, horses cannot hold grudges, plot revenge, try to win, plan a way to get out of working or take pleasure in making us mad—even though these are ideas that generations of horsemen have believed, especially during a frustrating experience with a horse.” Thirteen: This is where a hook appears which very similar to the one which appears when the horse was seven.

Take Cory for a ride, and he’ll show you whether the barn hose was wound to the left or the right last night. Seriously! Horses notice tiny alterations—and most will tell you about them if you’re listening. One reason for this is that horses don’t group similar items together the way we do. The tractor that grooms the arena might be fine, but the same tractor coming down a barn aisle is a fire-breathing dragon from Dante’s seventh circle of hell. Why? And what does this mental process mean for the horse’s performance and welfare? Radio stations mask some scary noises in an indoor arena. Novice horses often look for the origin of radio voices, becoming calmer when they identify the source. When horses see someone walk to the radio and adjust its volume, they are less frightened than when an equivalent volume change has no apparent agent. These observations refute the notion common among many scientists that animals like horses do not seek the agents of cause. Views to the outside are diminished in any indoor arena, but some are fully enclosed with no windows, creating an environment in which horses cannot see out at all. Poor lighting adds general dimness, which, as we have seen, the horse cannot overcome for 45 minutes or so (see p. 49). Under these conditions, we would expect hearing, smell, and touch to become sharper—and indeed they do.

The Emotional Horse Brain: More Than Just Neigh-sayers

Horses also have the ability to remember people and their past experiences. This means your horse probably remembers that time you accidentally gave them two treats instead of one (and they're probably hoping for a repeat). Their remarkable memory is a testament to their intelligence and adaptability. A memory like a horse, if you will. Connecting with Humans: More Than Just Horse Sense

The horse is a precocial species, meaning that the newborn foals are neurologically mature at birth. They are most vulnerable immediately after birth so they must be able to identify danger and flee if necessary. Airplane ears: the ears flop out laterally with openings facing down, usually meaning the horse is tired or depressed. aq: mesencephalic aqueduct, bcc: brachium of the caudal colliculus, ccc: commissure of the caudal colliculus, cdc: caudal colliculus, cgs: central grey substance, cl: central lobule, crt: rubro-cerebello-thalamic tract, cu: culmen, Ecs: ectosylvian sulcus, Ectm: ectomarginal sulcus, Enm: endomarginal sulcus, Espl: ectosplenial sulcus, flm: medial longitudinal fasciculus, ftp: transverse fibres of the pons, ipd: interpeduncular nucleus, lal: lateral lemniscus, mar: marginal gyrus, mcp: medial cerebellar peduncle, mgb: medial geniculate body, ml: medial lemniscus, nca: nucleus of the caudal colliculus, npo: nuclei of the pons, nll: Nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, nto: nucleus of trochlear nerve, rcp: rostral cerebellar peduncle, rf: reticular formation, Rfi: rhinal fissure, Spl: splenial sulcus, Sss: suprasylvian sulcus, stse: stratum sagittale externum, stsi: stratum sagittale internum, tmnt: mesencephalic tract of the trigeminal nerve, V: trigeminal nerve. Consequences of damage to the head and brain can be very serious, resulting in anything from mild disorientation to seizures or coma. It’s vital to call your vet immediately if you think your horse may have suffered head trauma.

Horses with sensory disabilities like blindness or deafness usually perform well, especially if they have learned their disciplines prior to losing the use of an eye or ear. Eye ulcers require an infected eye to be removed after gradual deterioration of sight. That’s what happened to Addy and Patch. The average human brain weighs between 2.6 and 3 pounds (1.2-1.4 kg), or around 2% of our body weight. On the other hand, the horse’s brain typically weighs 1.3 to 1.7 pounds (0.6-0.8 kg), or 0.15% of their body weight. Its size is comparable to that of a grapefruit or a child’s brain. Their goal was to explain why horses do what they do from a neurological standpoint and to use this to work with horses in ways that align with the true nature of the horse rather than against it. Basic Design Understanding this connection can significantly improve training, care, and bonding. It's a two-way street of mutual respect and understanding. And speaking of care, don't forget to pamper your equine friend with something from the Horse Treats And Gifts collection. After all, a happy horse means a happy life! Conclusion: The Marvelous Equine Brain Photo of a horse skull showing the relative sizes of the cerebellum and a large walnutSecond, the brain cavity of a horse is filled with a lot more than what we usually think of as the "brain." Although the space would, in fact, hold a small grapefruit, the cerebral hemisphere -- or "thinking" portion of the brain cavity is a lot smaller. Medical folks actually talk about the horse brain as having three sections:

One of the brain's star players is the hippocampus, known for its role in learning and memory. Horses have a well-developed hippocampus, allowing them to remember not just specific experiences but also general concepts. This means they're not just remembering the carrot you gave them yesterday; they're contemplating the philosophical implications of carrot-giving as a whole. ab: amygdaloid body, acn: accumbens nucleus, cca: caudal cerebral artery, cf: column of fornix, cgs: central grey substance, crc: cerebral crus, crt: rubro-cerebello-thalamic tract, dbb: diagonal band of broca, flm: medial longitudinal fasciculus, fmt: mammilo-thalamical fasciculus, gg: Gasserian ganglion, hyp: hypothalamus, ic: internal capsule, IaI: lateral lemniscus, lot: lateral olfactory tract, mca: medial cerebral artery, mcp: medial cerebellar peduncle, ml: medial lemniscus, ntsn: nucleus of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve, ob: olfactory bulb, ot: optic tract, otb: olfactory tubercle, pfs: perforated substance, pir: piriform lobe, poa: preoptic area, prr: prorean gyrus, Prr: prorean sulcus, rf: reticular formation, scg: subcallosal gyrus, snr: substantia nigra, tsnt: spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve, vtd: ventral tegmental decussation, VII: facial nerve, 3: third ventricle.Horses categorize most experiences in one of two ways: a) something not to fear, so ignore or explore it, and b) something to fear, so flee. Therefore, when presenting anything new, the horse needs to be shown that ‘a’ is the case. Again, it is important to make all training experiences positive. While male horses have a higher chance of developing wolf teeth, females can also have them occasionally. Just knowing how big is a horse brain is not enough; understand how it influences an animal's behavior. Horses present particular challenges when it comes to handling, but when you understand their thought process, you can adjust your approaches.