Some have said the horse is not able to reason. However, some studies demonstrate the horse has some ability to reason. Keep in mind that the horse does not need a high level of reasoning ability for survival. It is also important to understand that the horse learns readily. New tasks are not difficult to learn if the cues given influence the stronger senses such as touch, sight, and hearing.
Horses have very good memories.
All experiences are recorded at the same level of consciousness and are not easily forgotten. Successful horse trainers are aware of the limited reasoning ability of the horse and focus training on the positive characteristics of the horse. The eyes, cars, and nose are specialized sensory organs of the horse. These structures provided for the survival of the horse throughout time as they increased the horse's awareness to its surroundings and enabled it to respond to danger. The nature of the horse is to run from danger rather than to fight its enemies.