Equine training and behavior class

Horse vs Human-Sound &Ears

Name two features of horse ears that help them localize sound. Any two

• Ears are cupped

• Ears are large

• Ears can move independently

• About 16 muscles in each ear

• Wide movement: about 180° front/back and 90° up/down

How accurately can humans localize sound (from the seminar)?

To within less than 1 degree.

How accurately can horses localize sound?

About 22–30 degrees.

Up to how far away can humans hear (mentioned in class)?

Up to about 2.7 miles.

About how far away can horses hear (from the seminar)?

Around half a mile.

What is the term for perceiving through multiple sensory organs that you were quizzed on at the end?

Cross-modal perception.

True or False: Loud sounds can sometimes make food taste worse.

True.

True or False: Horses only use hearing, not vision, to recognize people.

False – they can combine hearing and vision.

True or False: The research on cross-modal perception in animals mentioned here started with dogs.

True.