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Horse Brain, Human Brain

The neuroscience of horsemanship.

Riding horses can be scary, and horses get scared too.
Fear
Never Punish Fear

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on April 1, 2024

Without thinking, we often punish fear in small ways—by scolding, humiliating, or trivializing. Instead, teach fear management gradually and methodically in people and animals.

Without thinking, we often punish fear in small ways—by scolding, humiliating, or trivializing. Instead, teach fear management gradually and methodically in people and animals.

Coaching
Coaching in Layers

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on February 1, 2024

Coaching an athlete, teaching a student, or raising a child? To ensure successful growth, we must consider the layers of skill, cognition, and emotion at a minimum.

Coaching an athlete, teaching a student, or raising a child? To ensure successful growth, we must consider the layers of skill, cognition, and emotion at a minimum.

A horse's head alone weighs about 100 pounds.
Therapy
Equine-Assisted Therapy: You Can't Push a Horse Around

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on November 29, 2023

Horses are so large that human strength is useless. We must rely on emotional intelligence and knowledge-based skills to handle them. Not a bad idea for handling people either.

Horses are so large that human strength is useless. We must rely on emotional intelligence and knowledge-based skills to handle them. Not a bad idea for handling people either.

Animal Behavior
How Horses and Humans See Color

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on October 13, 2023

Color vision differs strongly between horses and humans. Applying this knowledge yields better horse-human performance and fewer injuries.

Color vision differs strongly between horses and humans. Applying this knowledge yields better horse-human performance and fewer injuries.

Motivation
Racing for Human Motivation

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on June 9, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Horse racing must change to protect equine welfare, but it should be saved for its inspirational effects on human life.

A Personal Perspective: Horse racing must change to protect equine welfare, but it should be saved for its inspirational effects on human life.

An equine brain image, showing the lack of prefrontal cortex or frontal lobe.
Executive Function
Prefrontal Cortex in Horses and Humans

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on April 19, 2023

The prefrontal cortex is for planning, organizing, and strategizing in humans. Do horses have a prefrontal cortex? If not, how do they behave in intelligent ways?

The prefrontal cortex is for planning, organizing, and strategizing in humans. Do horses have a prefrontal cortex? If not, how do they behave in intelligent ways?

Horse and rider communication are important.
Neuroscience
The Neural Dance Between Horse and Rider

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on March 15, 2023

How do horses and riders communicate while performing difficult maneuvers? Body language, the horse's natural form of communication, comes to the rescue.

How do horses and riders communicate while performing difficult maneuvers? Body language, the horse's natural form of communication, comes to the rescue.

Life means leaving the safety of the couch.
Fear
Mastering Human Fear

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on January 11, 2023

Horseback riding requires overcoming significant fear. How do we teach riders to do that, and can our techniques be applied to other activities?

Horseback riding requires overcoming significant fear. How do we teach riders to do that, and can our techniques be applied to other activities?

Young horses showing their curiosity
Intelligence
Natural Curiosity in Horses

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on December 12, 2022

Do skittish prey brains experience natural curiosity? Absolutely. Curiosity forms the basis for most of equine learning and a lot of evolutionary survival.

Do skittish prey brains experience natural curiosity? Absolutely. Curiosity forms the basis for most of equine learning and a lot of evolutionary survival.

Is he attached to me? Or am I only attached to him?
Attachment
Is Equine Attachment Real?

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on November 2, 2022

Personal Perspective: When my horse's behavior suggests that he missed me while I was away, is that assumption correct on my part?

Personal Perspective: When my horse's behavior suggests that he missed me while I was away, is that assumption correct on my part?

A Thoroughbred racehorse at home
Friends
Why Do Some People Behave Violently Toward Animals?

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on May 9, 2022

Commentary: A rider punched the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in the face this weekend—making the case that automatic habits can lead to needless violence.

Commentary: A rider punched the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in the face this weekend—making the case that automatic habits can lead to needless violence.

We can make racing safer.
Ethics and Morality
How Horse Racing Must Change

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on April 14, 2022

The sport of horse racing needs to represent the tenets of ethics and morality, sport psychology, and quality care for the animals it uses.

The sport of horse racing needs to represent the tenets of ethics and morality, sport psychology, and quality care for the animals it uses.

Dopamine
New Ways of Using Food to Train Horses

Janet L. Jones Ph.D. on February 11, 2022

Food is the most popular reinforcer in standard positive reinforcement training. But brain science suggests it's not always the best.

Food is the most popular reinforcer in standard positive reinforcement training. But brain science suggests it's not always the best.