College of Arts and Sciences

Horse Smarts: Can Horses Learn by Watching?

Tuesday, 01 September 2026

Can horses learn by watching one another solve puzzles? That is the fascinating question Dr. Cassandra Nuñez, a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Memphis, set out to explore during her recent Professional Development Award. Focusing on equine cognition and animal behavior, Dr. Nuñez is investigating how different horse breeds observe, process, and replicate problem-solving tasks.

At the heart of the project is a custom-designed horse puzzle box engineered specifically for equine sight and behavior. Because horses see best at ground level and distinguish blue and yellow colors most clearly, the apparatus features a sturdy, colorful rope connected to a spring-loaded drawer. When a horse bites and pulls the rope on one side of the box, the spring releases and pushes open the drawer on the opposite side, revealing hidden food rewards.

Dr. Nuñez's research tests social learning by pairing a trained demonstrator horse with an untrained observer horse. After watching the demonstrator successfully solve the puzzle and retrieve the food, the observer gets a chance to try the device on its own. By tracking how quickly observers learn the trick compared to trial-and-error problem solving, Dr. Nuñez aims to understand the depth of social transmission and cognitive flexibility in horses.

Bringing the project from concept to reality involved plenty of hands-on creativity and collaboration. Dr. Nuñez and her team designed and built the specialized apparatus, even testing early prototypes on a friend's horse and capturing video demonstrations of the puzzle box in action. Her ongoing work promises to offer exciting new insights into animal intelligence, social dynamics, and equine behavioral science.