Horses can recognise individual neighs

[Owlscrying]

Horses are able to recognise each other's individual neighs and match them to faces, a new study has shown.

The findings suggest that the animals are capable of complex skills related to recognition previously thought to be unique to humans.

Researchers studied a group of 24 horses with the animals shown one of two familiar members of their herd who was led past them and out of sight behind a barrier.

After a 10 second delay, the horses were played a recorded whinny either from the herd-mate they had seen, or from the other animal.

When the sound did not match the herd-member seen walking behind the barrier, the horses seemed startled. They responded more quickly and looked in the direction of the call for longer.

The research suggests that hearing the sound of a whinny conjures up visual memories of a horse's appearance.

Whinnies are made by both adult and young horses when they become separated from the group.

This kind of "cross-modal" recognition was once thought to be a purely human trait.

Previous studies have demonstrated individual animals can discriminate between others with non-visual clues.

This is the first study to show however than an animal can identify an individual by its call.

Source

[She-ra]

That is so cool. I love horses

[Cloudshill]

"Neigh"............<looks around.........

[louis_last]

Horses truly are amazing animals, imagine how different the course of history might have been if it hadn't been for horses, everybody who likes horses please write to your local philipino embassy and demand that they stop horse fighting in their country and tell them that you won't buy anything they produce or visit until they do so. please also tell all your friends about what those sick ****s are doing over there and get them to write too.

please also sign this petition

and see this page to see what i'm talking about here.