Horses’ perception of human emotions
It is interesting to understand how domestic animals perceive and comprehend human emotions. Some recent studies on this topic, describe adult horses’ spontaneous reactions, in domestic conditions, when shown photos or videos of unfamiliar humans, or human sounds, without any previous learning process. This fact sheet is based in part on Milena Trösch’s thesis (IFCE-INRAE, directed by Léa Lansade) and ensuing articles.
- Horses can distinguish between facial expressions of happiness, or anger in humans.
- Horses distinguish between human laughter and grunting.
- Horses recognise human happiness and anger, by cross referencing visual and auditory information
- Horses adapt their behaviour when facing a person who has previously expressed either a feeling of anger or happiness.
- Horses also recognise an expression of disgust in humans.
- Conclusion
Horses can distinguish between facial expressions of happiness, or anger in humans.
- Either happiness (smile, open mouth)
- Or anger, with very clear signs (contraction of the eyebrows and nose, mouth open to show clenched, visible teeth)
Protocol
The horses were tested alone, held on a loose lead rope, presented with one photograph, then retested two months later presented with the second photograph, with a different facial expression.
Résults
They did not show any difference in their approach behaviour to the photographs of different facial expressions.
Horses distinguish between human laughter and grunting.
Protocol
In a study conduced by the same group, horses were subjected to very short recordings (1 to 2 seconds) of non vocal noises (without distinct words) made by women and men who were either laughing or grunting.
Résults
There was no difference between men’s and women’s voices.
Horses recognise human happiness and anger, by cross referencing visual and auditory information
Study 1
In a Japanese study, the horses looked towards the source of sound more quickly or for longer (sign of potential surprise) when the visual human emotional signals presented (photograph on a screen) followed by vocal signals were incoherent, especially when these signals were emitted by their carer, rather than an unfamiliar person (for example a facial expression depicting anger, followed by their name said with endearment).
Study 2
Protocol
Résults
Moreover they demonstrated more alertness postures, and a higher heart rate when the the sound was one of anger, and were more relaxed when the sound expressed happiness.
Horses adapt their behaviour when facing a person who has previously expressed either a feeling of anger or happiness.
How does the horse make a decision based on his perception of human emotions ? A British study looked at whether horses adapt their behaviour when with an unknown person, based on an emotion expressed by this person earlier on. .
Protocol
The horses first see a photograph of the face of an unknown person either expressing anger or smiling. They see the photograph for two minutes, and the meet the person on the photo two to six hours later.
Résults
Horses also recognise an expression of disgust in humans.
Protocol
- Happiness (with the acute sound « Wow ! »)
- Neutral (no sound)
- Disgust (with a deep sound « Eww ! »)
Résults
Conclusion
Know more about our authors
- Translated from french by : Karen DUFFY Translator
- Marianne VIDAMENT Veterinarian - development engineer IFCE
Bibliography
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- CALVO M.G., FERNÁNDEZ-MARTÍN A., RECIO G. and LUNDQVIST D. (2018). Human observers and automated assessment of dynamic emotional facial expressions : KDEF-dyn database validation. Frontiers in psychology, 9, page 2052.
- NAKAMURA K., TAKIMOTO-INOSE A. and HASEGAWA T. (2018). Cross-modal perception of human emotion in domestic horses (Equus caballus). Scientific Reports, 8(1), pages 1-9.
- PROOPS L., GROUNDS K., SMITH A.V. and McCOMB K. (2018). Animals remember previous facial expressions that specific humans have exhibited. Current Biology, 28(9), pages 1428-1432.
- SMITH A.V., PROOPS L., GROUNDS K., WATHAN J., SCOTT S.K. and McCOMB K. (2018). Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negative and positive human nonverbal vocalisations. Scientific Reports, 8(1), pages 1-8.
- SMITH A.V., PROOPS L., GROUNDS K., WATHAN J. and McCOMB K. (2016). Functionally relevant responses to human facial expressions of emotion in the domestic horse (Equus caballus). Biology letters, 12(2), page 20150907.
- TRÖSCH M., CUZOL F., PARIAS C., CALANDREAU L., NOWAK R. and LANSADE L. (2019). Horses categorize human emotions cross-modally based on facial expression and non-verbal vocalizations. Animals, 9(11), page 862.
- TRÖSCH M. and LANSADE L. (2020). La compréhension du comportement humain par le cheval. Journées Sciences et Innovations Équines, Le Pin au Haras, IFCE.
- TRÖSCH M. (2020). Cognition sociale interspécifique du cheval à l'égard de l'être humain. Thèse de doctorat de l’Université de Tours, Sciences de la vie, 231 pages.
