Clever Hans – The Horse That Could Count?
The most fam
ous story of a horse supposedly doing maths dates back to the early 20th century with a horse named Clever Hans (1). Hans was renowned for his ability to answer mathematical questions by tapping his hoof to indicate the correct number. His abilities astounded people, leading them to believe that he could genuinely understand and solve mathematical problems.
However, it was later discovered that Hans wasn’t really doing maths. Instead, he was picking up on subtle, involuntary cues from his handler. When the handler knew the answer to the question, he would inadvertently signal to Hans when to stop tapping. So, while Hans wasn’t a mathematical genius, he was incredibly perceptive to human body language.
What Does Modern Research Say?
Fast forward to more recent studies, and researchers have been investigating whether horses have some inherent numerical abilities. A study conducted in 2009 (2) explored whether horses could discriminate between different quantities. In this study, horses were presented with two buckets, each containing a different number of apples. The horses consistently chose the bucket with the larger quantity, suggesting that they could differentiate between the two.
A study from the University of Gottingen in Germany (3) revealed that horses may possess greater numerical abilities than previously thought. Researchers trained three Shetland ponies to match visual prompts with remarkable accuracy, achieving up to 80% success in distinguishing between images with varying quantities of elements. This skill, known as “subitizing,” allows the ponies to quickly and spontaneously recognise small numbers of objects without counting. While not the same as human counting, this ability highlights the impressive cognitive capacity of horses, suggesting that a better understanding of their learning abilities could lead to more effective training and improved welfare.
What Does This Mean?
So, can horses really do maths? While they’re not going to be solving algebraic equations anytime soon, it seems that horses do have a basic sense of numbers and can perform simple arithmetic tasks. This ability likely stems from their need to make quick decisions in the wild, such as determining the size of a group of predators or assessing the best grazing spots.
Horses’ numerical abilities are just one example of the remarkable cognitive skills that many animals possess, often surprising us with their intelligence. Whether it’s choosing the bucket with more apples or recognising patterns, horses show us that they are not just majestic creatures but also quite clever in their own right.
Have you ever noticed your horse doing something that seems particularly smart? Let us know in the comments!
References
- Samhita and Gross, 2013, “The “Clever Hans Phenomenon” revisited”, DOI: 10.4161/cib.27122
- Uller and Lewis, 2009, “Horses (Equus caballus) select the greater of two quantities in small numerical contrasts”, DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0225-0
- Gabor and Gerken, 2018, “Study into long-term memory of a complex learning task in Shetland ponies (Equus caballus)”, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.010
