Multiple recent studies have shown that horses can distinguish between the human emotions of anger and joy, but few have focused on whether horses can discern between happiness and sadness. The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in France, the University of Tours in France and the University of Turku in Finland, worked together to create a study to determine whether horses could also distinguish between these human emotions.
The researchers were particularly interested in learning whether horses could react to sadness, which is a low-arousal emotion; horses most often react to higher-arousal emotions like joy or anger. Lead researcher Dr. Plotine Jardat, of the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, also wanted to determine if the horses could associate vocal and facial cues of human sadness.
The team used 28 horses for the study, each wearing heart rate monitors as their actions were recorded. The horse faced two screens playing two different videos: one shows a happy person and the other a sad person. A voice was played at the same time, sounding happy or sad. The horses spent longer looking at the sad photo that was paired with a happy voice. The research team reported that this indicates that horses can link human faces and vocal inflections showing the same emotion of either happiness or sadness. They studied the mismatched photo for longer as it was confusing for them.
The horses were more attentive to the happy video, looking at it for longer, more often, or more rapidly than at the sad-person video. The horse's heart rates increased when they heard a happy voice and decreased when they heard a sad voice, as well.
Study results show that horses are able to discriminate between visual and auditory cues of human happiness or sadness. They are more attracted to happy faces.
The scientists suggest that more research is needed to understand how horses perceive a range of human emotions, including sadness. They would specifically like to determine whether horses can differentiate between sadness and other negative emotions and if sad human expressions can influence equine behavior.
Read more at Equine Science Update.
The post If You’re Happy And You Know It … Your Horse Does, Too appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Connections of the Paddy Twomey-trained King Cuan (GB) have said that they are optimistic about landing the €100,000 Goffs Sportsman's Challenge at Naas on Thursday afternoon and that the What's App group has been on fire since the colt won at Cork last week.
Owned by the Red Lily Racing Syndicate, which is headed by Naas native Alan Hennessy, King Cuan will come into the lucrative sales race off the back of that extremely impressive Cork display and confidence in the camp couldn't be higher.
— !
TASLEET's King Cuan wins with ease in the Irish EBF Auction Series Race at Cork for @paddytwomey and @wjlee24786
Congratulations to all connections including his breeders R F And S D Knipe
— Shadwell Stud (@ShadwellStud) September 6, 2023
That win came after a 103-day absence, after which his trainer Twomey described the €21,000 Goffs Sportsman's buy as “a quick horse,” and connections are hopeful that the son of Tasleet (GB) will prove just that at their local track on Thursday.
“It has been a brilliant experience so far and we are really looking forward to Naas on Thursday,” Hennessy said.
“It all started last summer when I was approached to see if I'd be interested in a share in a horse and then King Cuan was bought at Goffs this time last year and it has just gone on from there.
“To be going to my local track for a €100,000 race is a dream come true and the WhatsApp group for the owners has been buzzing since the horse won at Cork last week.”
He added, “There are people like myself who got involved for the first time in a horse and there's others who have been involved in horses for many years so it is a great mix and great banter among the syndicate.
“We have people in from all over Ireland so it has been the perfect syndicate experience and it gives you a real taste for ownership. Last week at Cork was brilliant but Thursday looks a tough race so we'll cross our fingers and hope he runs well. Paddy has said he come out of the race in Cork in good form. The joke at the moment is that we might need the top hat and tails for Royal Ascot next year! It's only a joke at the moment but you never know!”
Champion jockey Colin Keane has been booked for the Clive Cox-trained James's Delight (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}) with Gavin Ryan partnering the other British-trained runner Beechwood Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) for Richard Fahey.
The first on a seven-race card on Thursday is due off at 1:55 p.m. with the Goffs Sportsman's Challenge at 3:05 p.m.
The post Local Owner Dreaming Of Goffs Sportsman’s Riches At Naas With King Cuan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Andre Fabre has outlined plans for star fillies Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) that could see the former line out in the Arc and the latter run at the Breeders' Cup.
Last year's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Place Du Carrousel beat the boys in the G2 Prix Foy last weekend and is now bound for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She could also be on the plane to America, according to Fabre, who revealed an audacious tilt at the Breeders' Cup and then Hong Kong could be in store.
Fabre said of Place Du Carrousel, who passed up an option against her own sex in the G1 Prix Vermeille most recently, “I wanted to run her against the colts to see how she did because that is what she is going to be running against in the Arc. I was quite happy.
“She proved she stayed 12 furlongs well. I need to discuss things with the owner, but if she remains in good shape she's quite fresh because she hasn't run much this year, we could look at big races in the States or in Hong Kong. She's proving that she can handle any sort of ground, but the Arc will be tough. She's going to run well.”
Mqse De Sevigne has won Group 1 races over a mile and 10 furlongs in her last two races and is likely heading to Newmarket next for the G1 Sun Chariot S. before she runs in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
Fabre explained, “She's a very nice filly. She will go to Newmarket next back over a mile. Her plan is the Breeders' Cup Mile so running her at Newmarket will sharpen her up a little bit–a mile race will be perfect.
“She has really improved this season, she's got stronger, but we always liked her. Ground doesn't matter to her, the ground is always nice at Newmarket. Alexis [Pouchin] has a good relationship with her and he will probably be on at Newmarket.”
The post Fabre Outlines Plans For Star Fillies Place Du Carrousel And Mqse De Sevigne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
