Of Days Gone By (DiscoveryNews)

For many memorable years I had the great fortune of raising horses on our own property.  I will do that again, soon.

HORSES NEVER FORGET HUMAN FRIENDS

Horses not only remember people who have treated them well, they also understand words better than expected, research shows.

By Jennifer Viegas | Wed Mar 17, 2010 04:58 AM ET

Horses reacted positively to trainers they recognized as friendly, even after not seeing them for eight months.
Morguefile

THE GIST:

• Horses remain loyal to humans with which they have had past, positive encounters.
• The animals remember people even after long separation.
• Horses understand vocal commands better than expected.

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Human friends may come and go, but a horse could be one of your most loyal, long-term buddies if you treat it right, suggests a new study.

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.

The bond with humans likely is an extension of horse behavior in the wild, since horses value their own horse relatives and friends, and are also open to new, non-threatening acquaintances.

"Horses maintain long-term bonds with several members of their family group, but they also interact temporarily with members of other groups when forming herds," explained Carol Sankey, who led the research, and her team.

"Equid social relationships are long-lasting and, in some cases, lifelong," added the scientists, whose paper has been accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior.

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