Equine Cognition and Behavior in Human–Horse Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Animals on “Equine Cognition and Behavior in Horse–Human Interactions.” Horses live and work in close partnership with people across sport, leisure, equine-assisted services (EASs), and management settings, yet many common practices are still guided more by tradition than by evidence and research. Advances in cognitive and behavioral science, paired with assessments in well-being and welfare, offer critical tools for understanding how horses perceive, learn, communicate, and experience their environments, and how human interactions, including handling and training, shape outcomes for both horse and human.

The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase current research that improves our scientific understanding of horse–human dynamics while aligning with the journal’s scope in animal behavior, cognition, and welfare. We welcome submissions that address topics such as equine learning and memory, intra- and interspecies communication, affective state, stress physiology, welfare and well-being indicators, cognitive bias, and the impacts of training and handling practices. Original research articles, systematic or narrative reviews, and method-focused papers (e.g., ethograms, observational approaches, or applied assessment tools) are all encouraged.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Emily Kieson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.