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New Research Reveals Horses Can Detect Human Fear Through Scent

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A recent study published in PLOS One has demonstrated that horses can sense human fear through smell. Researchers collected odor samples from participants while they watched different types of videos and tested how 43 horses reacted to these scents. The findings revealed that horses exposed to the scent of fearful humans were more likely to startle and less inclined to approach people or new objects. This research highlights the importance of a handler's emotional state during human-horse interactions and suggests that riders should remain calm to avoid transmitting fear. Future studies will explore whether horses can communicate emotions back to humans through scent.

Key Details: • Study published in PLOS One on human-horse emotional communication. • Horses reacted more negatively to scents from fearful humans. • Riders are advised to maintain a calm demeanor to avoid transmitting fear. • Future research will investigate other emotions beyond fear.

research veterinary animal-behavior horses emotions

People & Organizations

Plotine JardatLéa LansadeGemma PearsonFrench Institute for Horse and RidingFrench National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentRoyal College of Veterinary Surgeons

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