Today, the scientific community continues to share stories about an incredibly intelligent horse with extraordinary abilities. It became an “phenomenon” not only in Germany but across Europe a century ago.
Clever Hans was a horse from Germany, owned by Wilhelm II. Hans belonged to the Orlov Trotter breed (also known as Orlov) from Russia.
This horse became known worldwide for its inexplicable abilities. In 1891, the performance by William von Osten with this remarkable horse attracted an unprecedented number of spectators.
Hans could not only count but also tell time, read, and spell (of course, only in German).
Since it could not speak, it primarily expressed itself by stomping its hoof on the ground. If asked what 5 plus 2 is, Hans would stomp seven times; if asked what comes after Monday, Hans would tap once to indicate Tuesday, twice for Wednesday, and so on.
Clever Hans’s performance attracted an unprecedented number of spectators.
What is the secret here? Was it a trick, or did this horse truly possess special abilities? To unravel this mystery, a team of researchers led by philosopher Professor Carl Stumpf conducted tests with Clever Hans.
In 1904, the team of experts announced that they found no evidence of trickery. However, Professor Stumpf and a team member, Oskar Pfungst, eventually pinpointed the crux of the problem. They discovered that Hans rarely answered questions that von Osten did not know the answer to. This indicated that there was certainly some connection between them.
Through careful experiments and observations, they realized that Hans reacted to unconscious cues from his trainer. For example, when asked to add 2 and 3, von Osten (standing directly in front of Hans and continuously looking at him) would lean slightly forward after Hans stomped the fifth time and before it stomped the sixth.
For questions about the days of the week, the meaning of a word, or math problems, the trainer would perform subtle, often imperceptible movements (sometimes just a change in facial expression), and at that moment, Hans would stop.
However, it cannot be denied that Clever Hans was an exceptionally intelligent horse. Its story remains a topic of discussion among psychologists and animal communication researchers.
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The Orlov Trotter is a breed of horse capable of rapid trotting, recognized for its speed and endurance. This is the most famous horse breed in Russia. The Orlov Trotter was developed in Russia in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov at his Khrenovskoy stud farm near the town of Bobrov (Voronezh Guberniya). This unique breed resulted from the crossing of several European horse breeds (mainly British, Dutch, Mecklenburg, and Danish horses) with Arabian horses. The Russian nobility often used this breed for riding and racing. They are highly regarded for their beauty and elegance combined with a strong work ethic. |
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