Clever Hans — The Horse That Could Count
Many pet owners claim their loved animal is brilliant. Their skills vary from the mundane to the extrasensory.
Now, what if I told you that there was a historical case of a horse that could count and do various forms of arithmetic? The horse could also spell out answers, identify dates on a calendar, and recognize musical pieces.
You’d probably claim it was a bunch of horse……..stuff. The television show Mr. Ed wasn’t a documentary.
However, there is a famous case of a horse that could count and do all the things I mentioned above.
The owner of the animal would have large exhibitions where the horse would answer verbal and written questions. The vast amount of times the horse’s answers were correct.
Attempts to prove that the abilities of the horse were a hoax, appeared to be easily foiled as well.
In 1904 the equine genius was even brought in front of the German Board Of Education, who studied him for a year and half and concluded there was no hoax.
But, could it possibly be true? Could a horse actually count and do math problems? How could a horse possibly recognize who…
