In 2013, a study published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation detailed how humans use anthropomorphism to better understand interactions with animals. That is – we tend to attribute human behaviors and characteristics to animals in order to feel more connected to them.
This explains why when a horse curls back its lips and displays its not-so-pearly whites, people tend to point and say “look at it laugh!” But can horses laugh? While it definitely looks that way, science offers more plausible reasons for the funny behavior.
Do Horses Laugh?
No, horses do not laugh.
Movies like Babe reinforce the idea that animals act and think like humans in more ways than one. So when presented with the idea that horses laugh, it’s not too tall of a tale to believe. That’s especially true for people who have seen horses peel back their lips and bare their teeth in a seemingly wide smile.
No one wants to be the party pooper, but the truth must prevail. So although it might be fun to think that horses laugh, that goofy grin is anything but a show of amusement. That smile-like gesture is actually called the Flehmen Response.
What is the Flehmen Response?
The Flehmen Response is a distinct behavior that’s characterized by a horse extending its neck, turning its nose up, rolling back its lips to expose the teeth, and then breathing in. To the uninitiated, a horse Flehmening can definitely look like it’s laughing.
But the behavior isn’t comical in the least. According to Dr. Sharon Crowell-Davis, a professor of veterinary behavior at the Auburn University, horses perform the Flehmen Response in order to facilitate the transfer of scent molecules into a specialized organ called the vomeronasal or Jacobson’s organ.
Once entered into the vomeronasal organ, scent molecules (typically pheromones) get sent to the accessory olfactory bulb where the horse’s brain interprets the stimulation. This can then elicit a number of physiological or behavioral responses, depending on what the horse picks up on.
According to Dr. Crowell-Davis, the behavior is most commonly exhibited by males of mature reproductive age when in the presence of a mare in estrus. Thus horses may use the Flehmen Response to identify the readiness of a mate for reproductive activity.
But it’s not simply limited to that. Some horses will perform the Flehmen response just to pick up on a strange scent that they’re not used to encountering.
Is the Flehmen Response Seen Only in Horses?
Discussions about the Flehmen Response often have horses at the helm because they give off the funniest Flehmen. But just because their scent-sleuthing face gets the most recognition, doesn’t mean horses are the only ones who make use of the behavior.
Lots of other animals use the Flehmen Response for the same purpose that horses do. These include dogs, cats, goats, sheep, zebras, American bison, tapirs, tigers, giraffes, llamas, rhinoceros, pandas, antelope, hippos, hedgehogs, and kobs.
Horse Laughter is a Myth – What Else Isn’t True?
Bummed to learn that horses don’t actually laugh? That’s not the only sad news you’ll hear about horse behavior today. There are tons of myths surrounding the way that horses act, and a lot of the things we believe about them aren’t actually true.
Horses Only Sleep Standing Up
Horses can sleep standing up, but they can sleep lying down too. Built into their muscles is a unique stay mechanism that lets them relax entirely – to the point of sleep – without collapsing like humans would.
But in order to enter REM sleep (a deep form of sleep required for healthy brain and body function), horses need to lie down. At the very least, they’ll lie down to sleep once every four to five days. If they feel particularly safe in your care or with their herd, they’ll do it more often.
Horses Can Grow New Teeth
Horses are kind of like humans in that they develop two sets of teeth. When they’re born, they have a few milk teeth at the ready. By eight months of age, they should have a complete set of milk teeth. At around two and a half years, these teeth start getting replaced by adult teeth.
Most people think that if a horse loses an adult tooth, it can grow a new one. But what actually happens is that the horse’s tooth simply continues to erupt from the gums. This is because horses naturally wear down their teeth by chewing constantly on wood or roughage. So they don’t technically grow new teeth. Old teeth just keep growing.
Black Hooves are Stronger
They definitely look stronger, but there’s no evidence to suggest that black hooves are less predisposed to damage. In fact, researchers determined that the color of the hooves is all the result of the presence of a pigment.
Structurally, there is no difference between white and black hooves. However because it’s easier to see breakage and dirt on white hooves, people tend to think they’re more easily damaged.
Horses are Colorblind
It’s long been accepted that horses see in a sort of grayscale color vision. But studies reveal that horses can actually see color, albeit at a slightly less vibrant level than humans. According to one study, some specimens can see the entire spectrum of colors. This leads researchers to believe that color vision may depend on breed.
Mostly however, horses respond best to greens, blues, and yellows. And although their color vision might be slightly less detailed than ours, they beat us in nighttime vision thanks to their tapetum lucidum that allows them to perceive light better even in dark conditions.
The More You Know
So maybe your horse wasn’t actually laughing at your jokes when it gave you that giant grin. But there’s no denying that the Flehmen Response just makes these majestic animals all the more interesting.
Loads of myths surround the wonderful world of horses and questions on ‘can horses laugh’. So before you start spreading those fun new factoids you just heard, make sure you set the record straight by reading up on the whole truth.
