Horses learn to communicate whether they want blankets

[quinta]

Great study using reward-based operant conditioning to train horses to communicate whether they want to wear a blanket. All 23 horses in the study learned within two weeks to tag a symbol indicating their blanket choice, and their choices were related to weather (cold? blanket on. warm? blanket off). Cool stuff.

http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591%2816%2930219-2/fulltext

[Quelah]

Freeway used to tell me. When it was the in-between season, I would turn him out for the night naked. After the sun dropped behind the hills in the West, if he wanted his blanket on for the night, he would leave Phantom and come back and stand at the pasture gate. I would go and put his mid weight on, and he would trundle off for the night, snug in his rug

[Flight]

That was really interesting to read. And to think about!

[Suzon]

I had a horse who, if he wanted to let me know his blanket was too warm, would undo the front buckles, let it roll around to his belly and then pee in it like a giant diaper.

[AirsAboveNC]

I had a horse who, if he wanted to let me know his blanket was too warm, would undo the front buckles, let it roll around to his belly and then pee in it like a giant diaper.

And people say they're dumb and can't communicate.

[Saddlebum]

Oh ho ho ho AirsAboveNc!! Too funny! Thank You.