A. Hearing

Horses have very acute hearing.

B. Eyesight

1. Horses have excellent eyesight. Their eyes are set far back in the skull to the side of the head. This allows considerable lateral vision. They have binocular vision (depth perception) in front.
   
   
2. Horses probably see color. Although their vision during the day exceeds their night vision, they see as well as dogs and owls at night.

 

C. Tactile

1. Horses explore objects on the ground by touching them with a hoof. They will frequently touch objects with their nose when smelling them.
   
   
2. A horse is primarily dependent on its muzzle for purposes of feeling. The bristles on the muzzle aid a horse in selecting and gathering food.

D. Taste

The horse’s sense of taste is well developed. Horses acquire tastes for certain vegetables and fruits such as apples and carrots. The Clydesdales are able to distinguish salts from sweets.

E. Smell

1. A Clydesdale’s sense of smell is well developed. Mares (female horses) identify their foals by scent.
   
   
2. Wild horses use smell to keep track of their neighbors. To horses, urine and feces have social smells.