How Horses Think: Understanding Equine Reasoning & Welfare at SMR Wellness Center

At SMR Wellness Center, our mission is to create healing partnerships between humans and animals, especially our beloved Paso Fino horses. But for these partnerships to truly thrive, it’s essential to understand not just what horses do, but how they think.

Recent research in equine cognition gives us incredible insight into how horses interpret the world around them. Understanding their reasoning processes helps us provide safer handling, clearer communication, and better emotional support. Below is what the science tells us, and why it matters for the wellbeing of every horse in our care.

Horses Use Reasoning Every Day

Reasoning isn’t just a “human” skill. Horses constantly use reasoning to make decisions based on what they see, hear, and remember. Cognitive scientists like Udell and Wynne describe reasoning as the integration of perception, learning, memory, and cues from the environment, something horses demonstrate in powerful ways (Martin, T Podcast 2025).

1. Associative Reasoning: Learning from Experience

A study by Sankey et al. (2010) showed that horses learn quickly through positive reinforcement. More importantly, they can generalize what they’ve learned, applying it to new situations. This kind of reasoning allows horses to solve problems, understand expectations, and feel confident when cues are consistent.

2. Social & Emotional Reasoning: Understanding Human

Behavior

Horses don’t just learn from objects or tasks. They learn from us. A groundbreaking study by Proops and colleagues (2018) found that horses recognize human facial expressions, happy or angry, and remember them hours later. They change their behavior depending on the emotional memory they stored.

This means horses respond not only to our training cues but also to our attitudes, emotions, and energy.

What This Means for Horse Welfare

At SMR Wellness Center, we follow the Five Domains Model of animal welfare, which considers:

• Nutrition

• Environment

• Health

• Behavior

• Mental State

Reasoning directly affects that fifth domain. When a horse understands what is being asked, when cues are consistent, routines feel safe, and the environment is calm, their cognitive state remains relaxed and curious.

But when signals are confusing or overwhelming, horses may feel stressed, frustrated, or fearful, not because they are “misbehaving,” but because their reasoning cannot find a clear answer.

Research highlighted in the podcast shows that horses thrive when we:

• Use consistent cues that make sense based on past experiences.

• Follow predictable routines that support their need for stability.

• Offer positive reinforcement to strengthen memory and trust.

• Stay aware of our own body language and facial expressions, which horses read more carefully than we realize.

  
  

When we honor how horses think, we create an environment where learning and healing can flourish, both for the horses and the humans who connect with them (Martin, T Podcast 2025).

Why This Matters for Equine-Assisted Therapy

Every participant who comes to SMR Wellness Center, children, adults, Veterans, families, benefits from the unique relationship horses offer. But those benefits exist because the horses feel emotionally safe, mentally engaged, and supported.

Equine reasoning research gives us the knowledge needed

to ensure:

• Horses remain emotionally regulated during sessions

• Interactions are safe and predictable

• Training aligns with each horse’s cognitive strengths

• Our therapy herd remains healthy, confident, and willing partners

  
  

Simply put, understanding equine cognition helps us protect the wellbeing of the horses who protect ours.

Our Commitment at SMR Wellness Center

We believe that healing begins with connection, and connection begins with understanding. By aligning our training and care practices with the latest research in equine cognition, we ensure that our therapy horses:

• Feel secure

• Experience positive interactions

• Form lasting, trusting relationships with humans

• Continue to thrive as partners in growth, learning, and emotional wellness

  
  

Our herd gives so much to the community. It is our responsibility and honor to support their minds, hearts, and wellbeing every single day.

References

(Adapted from podcast transcript) Martin, T Podcast, (2025)

Mellor, D. J., et al. (2020). The 2020 Five Domains Model: Including human-animal interactions in assessments of animal welfare.

Proops, L., et al. (2018). Horses use human facial expressions to cross-modally recognize emotional states.

Sankey, C., et al. (2010). Positive interactions lead to lasting positive memories in horses.