In the horse´s brain, the process starts in the same way, but the signal from the thalamus is sent directly to the motor center, which causes the horse to move without thinking about it first. In other words, in a horse the way from thought to action is very short. Redrup G. 25 fascinating facts about horses (that you will struggle to believe are true). https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/horse-facts-653825 Accessed 27 June 2019

The average human brain weighs between 2.6 and 3 pounds (1.2-1.4 kg), or around 2% of our body weight. On the other hand, the horse’s brain typically weighs 1.3 to 1.7 pounds (0.6-0.8 kg), or 0.15% of their body weight. Its size is comparable to that of a grapefruit or a child’s brain. ab: amygdaloid body, aci: internal carotid artery, Ans: ansate sulcus, cc: corpus callosum, cig: cingulate gyrus, cin: cingulum, cf: column of fornix, cfo: corpus of fornix, cn: caudate nucleus (tail), crc: cerebral crus, ec: external capsule, Ecs: ectosylvian sulcus, ex: extreme capsule, fmt: mammilo-thalamic fasciculus, fsc: subcallosal fasciculus, hs: hypothalamic sulcus, ic: internal capsule, inf: infundibular stalk, ita: interthalamic adhesion, lme: external medullary lamina, lv: lateral ventricle, Mar: marginal sulcus, max: maxillary nerve, nad: nucleus anterior dorsalis thalami, nrt: reticular nucleus of the thalamus, obl: oblique gyrus, ot: optic tract, pg: pituitary gland, put: putamen, rcc: radition of corpus callosum, Rfi: rhinal fissure, slu: gyrus semilunaris, smt: stria medullaris thalami, ssg: suprasylvian gyrus, Sss: suprasylvian sulcus, Syl: sylvian fissure, syl: sylvian gyrus, III: oculomotor nerve, 3: third ventricle. Since the clinic, I recognize when my horses are feeling stressed,” says Zancanella. “I use the techniques Peters shared that help me be the calm in the storm, like not clamping down on the lead rope and trying to restrain my horse when he’s worried.” It’s not that horses don’t think like we do,” she says. “It’s that they can’t think like we do. Without a well-developed frontal lobe, horses cannot hold grudges, plot revenge, try to win, plan a way to get out of working or take pleasure in making us mad—even though these are ideas that generations of horsemen have believed, especially during a frustrating experience with a horse.” So your horse might be more distressed than you know. Go easy on him during sensory deprivation—build up time in the indoor arena gradually, ask staff to minimize unpredictable outdoor noises, encourage relaxation, and praise calmness. Introduce scary places with a sniffing expedition on halter and lead, making the adventure as pleasant as possible. Add an experienced equine buddy, if necessary.The cerebral cortex(forebrain) is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for perception, information processing and voluntary control of movement. Consider sensory compensation when you’re training outdoors as well. Wind excites the horse’s powerful motion-detector cells, creating unusual sights. Some of them are not even visible to you. At the same time, the noise of wind reduces information from hearing, and its sweep carries scents away. With a triple whammy like this, your horse will appreciate some reassurance. But My Horse Isn’t Nervous! So there you have it, folks – a whirlwind tour of the horse brain. From their cognitive prowess to their emotional intelligence, horses are far more than just pasture ornaments. They're thinking, feeling beings with brains that are as intricate and fascinating as their gallops are majestic.

The human brain weighs about 3 pounds, or 1/50th of our total body mass, whereas an average adult horse brain weighs about 2.5 pounds—1/500th of their total body mass. This debunks the myth of the “walnut-sized” horse brain. Three recognized equine professionals—Stephen Peters, PsyD; Jim Masterson and Mark Rashid—joined together to show clinic attendees what goes on inside the horse’s brain to create a particular action or response. Photo by Crissi McDonald The structure of the brain does not contain any muscle and is made up of a large proportion of fat and water. The remainder consists of nerve cells, blood vessels, and other cells which help to maintain healthy brain tissue. How Many Brains Does a Horse Have? Like our brain the horse’s brain has a part in the brain that has an important function when it comes to survival. It’s the so called ‘r eptilian brain‘. This reptilian brain triggers the flight, fight and freeze responses of the horse, the responses needed for survival. When a horse is using that part of the brain, and is in a state of survival, the horse is not thinking and the horse can’t learn.Horses are prey, which is why they are born ready to move. All mammalian brains have the cerebellum; the section that controls coordination, perception, and motor movements. To understand how big a horse brain is, let's briefly look at the cerebellum.