Frequently, today, such characteristics are considered to be vices or undesirable habits. Before considering the above characteristics as related to the handling and riding of horses it would perhaps be worthwhile to first consider the equine mind. Horses have been considered to be animals of low intelligence. However, there are different kinds of intelligence and no general measurement. Research has demonstrated that animals have different abilities or aptitudes for different kinds of work.
Intelligence includes the ability to reason.
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.