Inside the Horse Brain: How Equine Minds Think, Feel, and React
From Conversations in Equine Science by Nancy McLean
March 20, 2026 · 22 min · Season 7 · Episode 4
About this episode
Nancy McLean explores the anatomy and function of the horse brain and its implications for behavior and training.
In this episode Nancy McLean explores Dr. Stephen Peters' book Horse Brain Science, comparing human and equine brain anatomy and function. She explains brain size and cortical folding, then walks through the four main lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital), the amygdala and hippocampus, and the brainstem. The episode connects these brain differences to horse behavior and training—why punishment fails, how pressure and removal or positive rewards work, and how understanding sensory processing, memory, and fear responses can improve ethical horsemanship.
People in this episode
Host: Nancy McLean
Topics covered
- equine science
- horse behavior
- brain anatomy
- ethical horsemanship
- sensory processing
- memory
- fear responses
Keywords
- horse brain
- equine minds
- brain anatomy
- training
- behavior
- punishment
- positive rewards
- sensory processing
- memory
- fear responses
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Horse Brain Science
More episodes of Conversations in Equine Science
- Get Back On: The Neuroscience of Remounting After a Fall · May 18, 2026 · 19 min
- The Equine Limbic System · April 21, 2026 · 30 min
- Horse Brain Science - Part 3 · April 8, 2026 · 29 min
- Horse Brain Science: Rethinking Training with Neuroscience · March 7, 2026 · 16 min
- Equine Hoof Trim Research · January 20, 2026 · 19 min
- Trust the Horse: Study Shows Horses Decide When to Wear Blankets · January 7, 2026 · 29 min
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