Not only do horses remember each other, but they also show affection to the horses they have close bonds with. Some of these are similar to the way horses show affection towards their owners. As with humans, horses often spend time with the horses that they get along with.
Horses also understand words better than expected, according to the research, and possess "excellent memories," allowing horses to not only recall their human friends after periods of separation, but also to remember complex, problem-solving strategies for ten years or more.
A horse uses multiple senses to create a memory of another horse, including hearing, sight, and smell. They can recognize postures and physical cues as easily as the sound of another horse's whinny. Being able to recognize familiar horses is often why the new horse in a herd is left out or picked on.
Living as part of a herd has many advantages for horses such as 'safety in numbers'. A horse living alone in the wild would be much more likely to be caught by a predator therefore horses feel safer when they have other horses around them. Horses take it in turns to watch over each other while they sleep.
Horses are known to have sophisticated social cognition, recognizing and remembering the relationship, relative status, and varying degree of social affiliation for each and every member of their group.
Horses aren't just for humans to show one another affection. Did you know that horses hug too? Just make sure that you're on the horse's good side before hugging them, and remember that if they start licking you or breathing on you it is often because they appreciate your company.
A horse may also be very happy to see you if they trot over to you from the pasture when they see you coming. These are two common ways that horses show they are excited and eager to see you. Horses will become very relaxed when they are in the company of someone they love and trust.
Horses are known to be social creatures – herd animals by nature that thrive on a group dynamic. While there are varying degrees of friendship needs, from a large field with several herd members to a trio or even just a pair, horses that are on their own, by contrast, can get lonely.
The researchers conclude that, assuming a similar riding ability between riders, there is no fundamental difference in a horse's stress responses elicited by male and female riders.
Plenty of horses seem to enjoy being ridden and are fond of the attention they get from their riders. However, there are definitely horses out there who do not like it. They'll be more stubborn while you're on and maybe agitated while being tacked up. Though, riding does benefit the horse.
It is important to keep in mind that a horse can also grieve when one of his buddies is sold or otherwise moved, or if he is changing owners. Loneliness magnifies grief, and good company recovers the spirit, in humans and horses alike.
Why do horses nudge you? Have you ever been nudged by a horse? Horses use body language to communicate with humans (and other horses), and one of the ways they do this is through touch. Nudging is a way for a horse to get your attention, which can signify affection or impatience.
Horses may stare at you when they want your attention. If you are distracted or out of reach, your horse may stare at you to get you to focus on them. If there's a barrier such as a fence between you and your horse, they may stare at you since they can't reach you to nudge you.
Horses in the herd, either domesticated or feral, can be possessive of some horses and jealous of other horses. Sometimes domesticated horses may become possessive over their humans and are jealous or combative if another horse approaches or gets attention from its human.
Not only is the research robust that horses will remember us, it is also the case that they probably like us and possibly miss us when we are not there. Horses, as herd animals, are evolutionarily designed to be social, to form bonds with herdmates, and to form particular attachments to specific others.
Horses that are ride-and-die friends will be all up in each other's business. This can also look like a horse putting their head over another horse's back, or two horses sharing the same water tub together without getting angry at each other.
“It's interesting that horses can tell the difference,” Fenner said. “And not only do they tell the difference, but they pay attention to that difference and link it with experiences they've already had with male or female handlers.
Horses see the world in a similar way to us, says research
“Chemical messages are the clearest sign to the horse of our gender, although the impact of the odour of oestrogen on the behaviour of gelded males is undoubtedly reduced,” she says.
Many girls fantasize about horses, dolphins and unicorns. One theory about why is that it helps them express their power. Others say the animals — real and mythical — symbolize dreaming and achieving. Still for many, it's a way to run away with their imaginations.
They do have emotions, and they certainly can interact with their environment and feel things. When horses die, other horses close to them exhibit grief-like behavior, which can become excessive at times.
The top five equine companions are dogs, cats, goats and other small ruminants, poultry and small equines.
The UK research showed that horses that lived in groups, even as small as two individuals, remained happier and healthier than horses that lived in isolation.
Affection in Horse Terms
Kissing and hugging are human ideas of affection. Horses do “spar” (play fight) and bite at the lips, but that's even more of a reason not to kiss them there. Keep your horse's lips away from your lips. You don't want him to think you're playing and be bitten.
Contrary to popular opinion, most horses do not like having their face touched, particularly by someone they don't know. Standing to the side (remember, directly in front of them is a blind spot) and stroking a horse's neck is the best place to start patting. You can also try scratching the horse.