Cross-Species Communication in Olympic Dressage
What are you seeing when horses and riders compete in the Olympics? Some very impressive communication between the brain of a prey animal and the brain of a predator.
View ArticleSumo Wrestler Walks Into a Bar—er, Horse Show?
Everybody's been talking about the Olympic show jumping course, starring a statue that scared the horses. How do equine brains process experiences like this?
View ArticleTrouble in Pentathlon Show Jumping
Last week, a horse named Saint Boy refused to jump for an unfamiliar rider and an abusive trainer. Now PETA wants to ban all Olympic horse sports.
View ArticleHorses: By Nature or Instruction?
When watching horses perform in an event, most people assume that their behavior is largely natural. It's easy to underestimate just how much a horse has to learn.
View ArticleSmart Toys Now Include Audio and Video Calls Between Species
Curious how often your animal thinks of you when you're away? Get her a phone and find out.
View ArticlePositive Reinforcement: A New Look at an Old Concept
Ready for a little technical chat about positive reinforcement training? Increase your power by using more than just reward!
View ArticleNew Ways of Using Food to Train Horses
Food is the most popular reinforcer in standard positive reinforcement training. But brain science suggests it's not always the best.
View ArticleWhat Can Be Done to Protect Racehorses?
Why is racing so dangerous for horses? Before we can consider viable solutions, we must first understand the problems.
View ArticleHow Horse Racing Must Change
The sport of horse racing needs to represent the tenets of ethics and morality, sport psychology, and quality care for the animals it uses.
View ArticleWhy Do Some People Behave Violently Toward Animals?
Commentary: A rider punched the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in the face this weekend—making the case that automatic habits can lead to needless violence.
View ArticleAn Equine Model for Human Anxiety
Wondering how to control anxiety? Learn more about it from a horse.
View ArticleIs Equine Attachment Real?
Personal Perspective: When my horse's behavior suggests that he missed me while I was away, is that assumption correct on my part?
View ArticleNatural Curiosity in Horses
Do skittish prey brains experience natural curiosity? Absolutely. Curiosity forms the basis for most of equine learning and a lot of evolutionary survival.
View ArticleMastering Human Fear
Horseback riding requires overcoming significant fear. How do we teach riders to do that, and can our techniques be applied to other activities?
View ArticleLearning About Trust by Observing Horses
By observing horses and applying their prey behavior to victimized humans, we can come to a deeper understanding of trust.
View ArticleThe Neural Dance Between Horse and Rider
How do horses and riders communicate while performing difficult maneuvers? Body language, the horse's natural form of communication, comes to the rescue.
View ArticlePrefrontal Cortex in Horses and Humans
The prefrontal cortex is for planning, organizing, and strategizing in humans. Do horses have a prefrontal cortex? If not, how do they behave in intelligent ways?
View ArticleRacing for Human Motivation
A Personal Perspective: Horse racing must change to protect equine welfare, but it should be saved for its inspirational effects on human life.
View ArticleHow Horses See the World
Working in horse-and-human teams, people often assume horses see the world as we do. But they don't.
View ArticleHow Horses and Humans See Color
Color vision differs strongly between horses and humans. Applying this knowledge yields better horse-human performance and fewer injuries.
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