Equine Emotions in “War Horse”

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/12/28/equine-emotions-in-war-horse/

The plot of the new movie War Horse is driven by the deep, powerful bond between a boy named Albert and his horse, Joey, who both end up serving in World War I. Watching it made us wonder: What do we really know about horses’ emotions? To learn more, NGM intern Erin Durkin turned to Carissa Wickens, an assistant professor in equine science at the University of Delaware.

In the movie, Albert and Joey are separated during the war. When they meet again, Joey shows that he recognizes his former owner by responding to his call. Could a horse truly remember a human after several years of separation?

Scientists are trying to gain a better understanding of the human-horse relationship, andthis 2009 study provides some evidence that adult horses are capable of forming memories of humans. Anecdotes also suggest this; I’ve heard stories about horses reacting quite negatively toward a human with whom they have had a bad experience, even after a long period of separation. However, horses also appear capable of forming positive memories of humans. In March 2010, we acquired two additional horses in our teaching herd through a donation to the university. A few weeks ago, the two horses were reunited with their original owners. A very positive and affectionate interaction took place between the family and their older gelding in particular. This horse definitely seemed to exhibit a strong degree of recognition and familiarity, despite the fact that he had not been in contact with his previous handlers for nearly two years.  (see rest of article and trailer at link above)