Four or five years ago, I read an article in a magazing (don't remember which one it was...) that said that horses weren't capable of loving...whether it be their humans or other horses.  A month later, I read a response (don't remember who wrote it...) saying that whether it be love or not, horses are definately capable of some kind of emotion connecting them with their humans and other horses.  As they put it, "I don't know what it is, but I'll take it."

This came to mind last night when I went down to the barn to feed.  I was pretty upset about a few different things and as soon as my good ol' Appy (whom I've had for 10 years) saw me, he started nickering and kicking his stall until I went over to see him.  He stood there, just leaning his head on my chest and letting me rest my head on his poll.  This is totally not like him to do, especially with food in his stall.  But he never moved a muscle.  He just stood there and let me cry on him.  When I finally pulled myself together, he started licking my face until I was laughing and then went back to eat.  I have never felt so loved in my life.

So what do you think?  Can horses love?  Have you had an experience to make you feel one way or another?  We'd love to hear about them!

I don't know whether it's love or not, but they definately form an attachment.  I know I get the "cold shoulder" from Boy if I pay too much attention to another horse or if I can't get to the barn in a few days.  Like you said...I don't know if it's "love" but I'll take it. 

I definitely think horses can love (or at least form attachments) between humans and other horses. I do, however, think that some people mistake a horse wanting treats or whatever for love sometimes, but in a situation like yours it clearly shows that there's more motivation than food. What I find funny is how hard of a time experts have defining love between humans, and how quick they are to write off emotion in animals. I've read articles saying that horses act lovingly towards humans because they feel secure, so naturally it's instinctive and not love. But why does a child love their parent? Because they admire their personality?! No, because they instinctively feel safer and happier with their parents. So why can this not be love in horses? I've seen mares that lost foals literally become depressed for a year or more, and pasture mates that have been apart from each other for years reunite and recognize each other.

It's hard to understand this, though, if you're on the outside looking in. There are so many people who believe love is the be-all, end-all... like the backyard breeder who insists their colt loves them and uses that as an excuse not to geld them or give them proper training, and then is charged or kicked or whatever. But I absolutely belive that horses have a wider emotional capacity than scientists give them credit for. They're incredibly smart animals and anyone who's been around them for any period of time can see that.

IMHO, yes!

Getting philosophical... define love.  It's a feeling, an emotion, and has many different faces and methods of expression.  For humans to state categorically that we have cornered the market on something so ephemeral is not just arrogant, but stupid and ignorant, and basically shows that the larger brain gets in the way much too often.

Now ask me what I REALLY think! LOL

One of the horses I have now, Casey, is an OTTB who is very needy of... love.  His friends (horses I have rescued) have been finding good homes and he is the only one of those horses left.  He absolutely loved the gray mare (and she loved him) that he was with for 1 1/2 years.  They would stand for hours together, grazing, heads over backs, touching, never letting the other out of sight.   When she left, he walked the fence for days, calling.  Just recently I sent the last, Bandit, to New Vocations to find a home with someone experienced enough to ride him.  He has been with Casey for 3 years.  The 2 horses at the new barn are new to him and want nothing to do with him; he is depressed (yeah, all you scoffers, he really is)  and comes to me whenever I am there for comfort and attention.  He will lay his head on my shoulder and give this huge heartbreaking sigh.  Does he want to get married and have children...? no that's just hormones and the drive to procreate that all living things have.  Is his feeling the same as a human?  Probably not.  Does he want, like most higher mammals, to have another horse or horses, or people, care for him and be with him, to protect, to take care of, and to be taken care of?  Does he have emotions?  Well, duh!  Yeah!

I won't bore you with all the other examples I could give.  I'll just say that people who think that horses (and many other animals) don't feel some form of the same emotions we do is living in denial.  And on this subject, people can take anthropomorphism and put it where it really belongs... 

As a biologist, it is very important to me that animals are not anthropomorphized and are instead, loved for the unique and beautiful creatures that they are.  That said, I have witnessed personally many amazing responses from animals that leaves me KNOWING that they grieve, they play, they bond, they love, they get depressed, they have mood swings, yes, they even dance.  The danger lies in making it a cause-and-effect things and telling ourselves our animals will respond and think like humans do.  "My horse will do this for me because he loves me."  He may do something because you have trained him to, because HE wants to, because he needs to.  But he will not reason through an argument in his head and decide to do something because he loves you. 

I won't argue with what you say, Solaris.  Well maybe it's more like discussing...

The point I would make is that love, anger, grief, and other emotions are not something that we, even as humans, experience through reason... what we do about them is where reasoning comes in... choosing to act on, or ignore, or suppress, or express those feelings.  They are not something that can be quantified or identified scientifically... that  my child loves me X units and because of reasons a,b, and c.

That is why it is my opinion that other creatures, like horses, probably exhibit the purist, truest forms of emotions - because they DON'T use reason the way we do, they just feel.  The horse gives and asks for love from the need to do so, without considering consequences, responses, reasons.  He WANTS to give love so he does, he NEEDS to grieve so he does, without questioning WHY or whether it is appropriate or necessary.  It is not like anything we experience within ourselves.  It is not anthropomorphism to say that the feelings and the intelligence are there, but they are different than ours.  You are absolutely correct when you say that they do not respond and think like humans (many blessings that they don't)... but for reasons of their own, they WILL do things "because he loves me".

I definitely agree that the critters have a far purer form of feeling and living than us.  I mean, I'm a person who immerses herself in animals at home and work and wishes the human species would go extinct, so no argument there! 

Yeah, I tend to think of us as a "blight upon the earth", which is sad.  If we would just acknowledge our basic animal roots and instincts and use the big brain to learn to accept and live with them, and incorporate them into our lives and philosophies I think we would be better for it.  Oh well !!!  Pigs may someday learn to fly.

 

I just love evolutionary biology.  I also agree with Solaris that we should do our best not to anthropomorphize.  I also have ethical problems with animal research, but that is entirely a different matter.  Here's what I think; it is in a herd animal's best interest to develop the kind of emotions or responses that humans have developed (after all, we're societal too).  Also, what makes us so special that we could possibly be the only animals on the planet to experience the gamut of emotions that we have?  I realize that humans have a very developed frontal lobe, but other herd animals have the need to be accepted by their herd just as humans do.  Therefore, by my line of reasoning, it seems quite possible that horses can and do experience emotions and empathize with their herd mates.  If Frans de Waal or Richard Dawkins happens to read this post, I would LOVE to hear what they have to say!  So, bottom line, yes.  I think any herd or pack animal can experience emotions similar to what humans experience.  I also think those animals have the ability to empathize with others that they recognize as members of their society.  My dog lets me cry on his shoulder, and my horse comes and gives me love when I really need a mane to wipe my tears in. 

Having grown up as the teachers' brat of 2 (lucky me!) biological sciences high school and college teachers, I think that we are all saying the same thing in different ways.  And perhaps it is the empathic approach that would be most important, once we agree that other animals than us do have emotions/feelings.  To live in a society, herd, pack, whatever, there must be a means for all animals to detect and respond to emotions that would nurture, threaten, encroach, etc upon their existence.  This is what we feel and what is felt... and the miracle of the "lower" animals is that they accept and reflect these feelings without rational judgement.

Of course, as I found out once upon a time, it is best not to try to ride when you are irrationally angry at something that went wrong with your day and you weren't able to leave it at the barn door.

Strictly speaking, no, horses do not love.  They are animals who react to their circumstances.  That said, I think they are keenly in tune to the moods of those around them . . . just like they would be in a herd situation.  I have also had the experience of my horse allowing me to cry into his mane for an extended period without moving.  I definitely 'felt' loved . . . but we have to understand that to say that horses love is to imbue them with human traits, which don't belong there. 

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one Roman.  "Love", "hate," anger", "grief", "depression", "excitement", are simply words that we, as humans, have given to complex feelings and emotions... it doesn't make those feelings and emotions exclusive to humans - it just means we've named them.  Since humans are animals too, I think it's arrogant to think that we are the only animal that feels and is capable of expressing those fellings.  That doesn't mean that other animals' versions of these feelings are the same as humans, just that they have them . JMO

I do believe that horses can love. If they can love food, why not us? I used to wonder whether or not Sas liked me 'cause I'd give her treats every now and again, or if she really did love me? But now that I think about it, she's shown me her love in her own insensitive way. She gets SO jealous when I ride another horse, she just stands there and glares at me, then walks off in a huff. Once she came over near to me and this pony I'd been riding and tried to kick him; possible 'cause of jealousy? Also, right now we've had to move her around to different boarding places a lot, so I think she's come to rely on me more. She gets so excited when I come to see her, and I've had to lunge her lately to give her a good workout due to the lack of a saddle, and when I stop her, she'll "join up" with me everytime. Sas is quite an unsentimental horse, and I think it's taken a long while to finally earn her true love, not liking me for treats, but just because of the change that's happened in her the past few months has helped me to actually see and feel Sas loving me.

Mae

I think they love. I know that they can sense alot. After a few months with mine I was doubting she saw me as anythign mroe than a treat machine. and one day as I came back to where she was tied with her saddle, she stepped as far as she could toward me and nickered softly. The look in her eyes told me i'd earned her trust and love. It was so special cause I really wasn't sure she loved and trusted me but that look in her eyes was everything.

yea there is an agrment to the fact that animals dont' have feelings but you love them. and you talk to them. I read a book once where the author claimed horses dont' know if they've one a race. If you look at horse racign you'll see horses know. Some more than others but it's clear they know.

I say call it love. The connection between horses and humans is soo special. I don't see how it could be anything else. I guess for me it doesn't have to be scientific. not on this.