Horses Can Recognize Their Owners by Their Voices    [08-06-2012] Horses are amazing animals. They are beautiful, strong, and smart. They have been living closely with humans for a long time. In the past, they used to pull carriages for people. They did many other things for us. Some people believe that horses are smart enough to recognize their owners like pet dogs. Is it true? According to the scientists at the University of Sussex in England, horses can recognize their owners by their voices! They can even generate a mental picture of familiar humans. When they hear a familiar person’s voice from a hidden loudspeaker, horses look towards them. Horses also recognize members of their herd in this way. The researchers studied 32 horses in an experiment. When they heard their owner’s voice over a loudspeaker, they turned to look more quickly, for longer, and more often than when they heard a stranger’s voice. “The horses were able to match a familiar voice to a familiar person,” said animal psychologist Dr. Leanne Proops. When humans hear a familiar voice, they form a mental picture of who spoke by matching visual and the voice. Scientists previously believed that only humans could do this. However, the new study shows horses also single out humans in this way. Isn’t it amazing?     출처: 어린이 영자신문 키즈타임즈 (www.kidstimes.net)