Can a horse learn cognitive skills?

Clever Hans was a Russian breed horse, who could perform simple arithmetic and other intellectual tasks. The trainer had taught his horse, who would tap the answer with hoof.

Hans was said to have been taught to add, subtract, multiply, divide, work with fractions, tell time, keep track of the calendar and differentiate musical tones. Hans could read, spell and also understand German.

The owner, Von Osten would ask Hans

"If the eighth day of the month comes on a Tuesday, what is the date of the following Friday?”

Hans would answer by tapping his hoof.

How could Hans learn to answer these not so simple questions?

Photo Adaptation/Pixabay/wenphotos-1798295/

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Vivek

Thu, Sep 17th 2015 at 11:00 AM

Horse can't understand the arithmatic logics while Hans study the Von Osten body signs only. To tell the 11 with hoof, he has tap the legs only 2 times as per the instruction given by Von Osten which can be through multiple ways. Interesting piece is that Hans only understand his owner Von's signs only which clarify this logic

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Do you enjoy solving complex problems? Are you a critical thinker? Can you think differently about a situation and develop new ways of understanding. Do you enjoy experimenting and creating something new? Do you challenge the status quo?

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Can a horse learn cognitive skills?

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