this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2024
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Horses can plan ahead and think strategically, scientists find (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 11 months ago by BrikoX@lemmy.zip to c/interestingshare@lemmy.zip
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being ‘goal-directed’

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[–] No1@aussie.zone 15 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Everything is goal directed right up to the...

REEEEEEEEEE! HOLY FUCK WHAT WAS THAT LITTLE NOISE OR MOVEMENT? RUNAWAY! RUNAWAY! RUNAWAY!

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You fool! You absolute buffoon! That horse has been twelve steps ahead of you the entire time! The freakout was staged and part of its master plan!

[–] No1@aussie.zone 4 points 11 months ago

Goddamit!

Tricksy horsesses!

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

The master plan being to kick you in the balls

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 2 points 11 months ago

To be fair, that describes me having a panic attack when my plans fall apart.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If they are goal directed they are more sapient than I am.

[–] lolrightythen@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

I was just thinking something similar. Perhaps envy.

Stupid horses knowing what they want and working towards it.

[–] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

but, famously, they never proceed directly towards their goal. they always take one step to the side after two steps forward.

[–] therealjcdenton@lemmy.zip 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

How did you conduct this study? Play chess with a horse?

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Horse did a en passant and the researcher got mad

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It then farted while running away, kicking.

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Then, when it slowed down to a pace, it ate a chick

[–] atlas@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

Holy hell

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So a horse could plan and act out a murder?

[–] PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 11 months ago

No, but they could plan and act out a greater European conflict.

[–] whenthebigonefinallyhitsla@kbin.run 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

it looks like somebody in this story doesn't understand the difference between strategy and tactics, which definitely seems like quite an important distinction in this case

[–] tastysnacks@programming.dev 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Why is that important? If you want to separate the two, the strategy is obvious.

[–] whenthebigonefinallyhitsla@kbin.run 1 points 11 months ago

thinking tactically is short term, thinking strategically is long-term, especially with the "plan ahead" in the title

nothing about the test described in the article implies that horses are capable of doing that though