Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Scientists Discover That Horses Can Use Symbols To Talk To Us (sciencemag.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the horsing-around dept.

sciencehabit writes from a report via Science Magazine: Scientists have discovered that horses can learn to use another human tool for communicating: pointing to symbols. They join a short list of other species, including some primates, dolphins, and pigeons, with this talent. Scientists taught 23 riding horses of various breeds to look at a display board with three icons, representing wearing or not wearing a blanket. Horses could choose between a "no change" symbol or symbols for "blanket on" or "blanket off." The horses did not touch the symbols randomly, but made their choices based on the weather. If it was wet, cold, and windy, they touched the blanket-on icon; horses that were already wearing a blanket nosed the "no change" image. But when the weather was sunny, the animals touched the blanket-off symbol; those that weren't blanketed pressed the "no change" icon. The study's strong results show that the horses understood the consequences of their choices, say the scientists, who hope that other researchers will use their method to ask horses more questions. The report has been published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

8 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Finally! by JockTroll · · Score: 5, Funny

    We can ask them "why the long face?"

    --
    Geeks are so full of shit that "beating the crap out of them" takes a whole new meaning.
    1. Re: Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      It's not all bad... I mean, at least horses from Mexico get regular blowjobs.

    2. Re:Finally! by Rei · · Score: 5, Funny

      How elaborate can this Q&A get?

      Q: "Hey horse - how come Christians are allowed to draw pictures of their prophets and Muslims aren't?"

      A: "I don't know. I am a horse, and, as such, have no knowledge of the intricacies of Islamic theology. I assume you're asking me because I am a brown horse? In which case, go to hell."

      --
      "You abandoned me! You abandoned my hatred!" "I... I have cuttlefish..."
    3. Re:Finally! by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

      These two racehorses were standing in their stable. The first one said, "I've been in 18 races and won 16." The second one said, "That's nothing. I've been in 28 races and won 25." At this point, a greyhound dog walks by, and overhearing the horses, says "I've been in 48 races and won every one of them!"

      One horse looks at the other and says, "That's amazing! A talking dog!"

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    4. Re: Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      if you havent studied horse anatomy yet, I must remind you that feeding a horse by hand must needs the palm flat open with presentation of food or the horse will nip off a finger or fold of skin. Anyone that would let alone hire a mexican work horse to operate a leif blower is just asking for scratches on their automobile!

  2. Re:Can't say I'm surprised by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Robert Redford used whispering.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  3. Science always helping by Sobakus · · Score: 5, Funny

    At long last Sarah Jessica Parker wont freeze during winter ever again!!!

  4. Re:Can't say I'm surprised by clickety6 · · Score: 4, Funny

    But he did it too much...that's why he was known as the hoarse whisperer.

    --
    ----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------