Posted by BeauHD from the animal-intelligence dept.
Researchers from Nottingham Trent University found that horses are more intelligent than previously believed, as they quickly adapted to a treat-based game with changing rules, demonstrating strategic behavior when a penalty was introduced. The BBC reports: The study involved 20 horses, who first were rewarded with a treat for touching a piece of card with their nose. In the second stage, a “stop light” was introduced, and the rule was changed so that the reward was only given if they touched the card while the light was off. This did not alter the behaviour of the horses, as they were observed touching the card regardless of the status of the light. That is, until the rules changed for a third time.
In the final stage, researchers introduced a penalty of a 10-second timeout for touching the card while the stop light was on. The team observed a rapid adjustment to the horses’ behaviour now there was a cost to getting it wrong, all of them quickly learning to play by the rules to avoid the timeout, researchers said. The researchers believe the fact the horses adapted so quickly indicates they understood the rule of the stop light the entire time, but had no reason to follow the rule when there was no consequence for getting it wrong.
The study has been published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.
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