Research Horses Try to Communicate with Us

Researchers in Austria and Italy have shown that horses try to initiate contact with humans to get what they want.  Horses are one of the few species able to communicate across species. 

“Having this ability means that horses do not just ‘behave’ without considering the consequence of their actions,” she said. “Rather, they are able to create a mental plan (for example, to reach a goal with the help of others around them), to evaluate the attentional state of that audience, and to modify their communicative strategy accordingly. Horses seem therefore able of iterative problem solving strategy.”

While all horses probably have the ability to intentionally communicate with us, many handlers don’t see it, Malavasi said. And some horses might have “given up” on trying to communicate with us, she said, especially if they have experienced learned helplessness through constant isolation and/or abuse."

For more details, check out this link:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/37681/study-confirms-horses-talk-to-human-handlers