Anthony Douglas Williams once stated, “When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” Well, according to new research, there is, even more, to be seen, at least in the eyes of horses. A study by the University of Sussex and the University of Portsmouth shows that horses can not only recognize human faces but actually remember their previous moods. |
Researchers confirm that horses recognize threats using their left eye because it is connected to the right side of the brain which is the side that perceives threats. Sure enough, the people that looked angry in the photos were most commonly looked at by the left eye of the horses.
“We know that horses are socially intelligent animals, but this is the first time any mammal has been shown to have this particular ability,” co-lead author of the study, Dr. Leanne Proops of the University of Portsmouth, said. While scientists were previously aware that horses recognize human facial expressions, this was the first study showing that they could actually remember them and link them to the subject. Seems to us, elephants aren’t the only ones that never forget!