Valentine’s Day falls in the month of February, and has come to represent either a day to commemorate love and romance for those who have an intimate partner to celebrate with, or to mourn not having this, or more recently, an occasion to honor friendships in the spirit of “Galentine’s.” Regardless of what this holiday represents to you personally, the origins of St. Valentine’s Day are rooted in both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. In one legend, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those distracted by wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Clergyman Valentine, recognizing the injustice of this decree, persisted in performing marriages for young lovers in secret, for which he was beheaded by the outraged Emperor.
Another popular legend holds that a Bishop also named Valentine attempted to help Christians escape the Roman prisons where they were held and tortured for not converting to Catholicism. Valentine allegedly fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, sending her letters signed “from your Valentine,” a sentiment Hallmark has certainly capitalized on.
Regardless of your beliefs or feelings about Valentine’s Day, it is in the nature of humans to seek out connection with others, which raises the question, do animals similarly “fall in love” the way humans do? Or more specifically, do horses?
Whether you believe animals experience “love” largely depends on your definition of love, which the Oxford dictionary defines as “an intense feeling of deep affection.” Animals do clearly demonstrate these kinds of bonds with each other, both within and even between species. Elephants will mourn and even have elaborate grieving rituals when a herd member dies, demonstrating deep connection with the deceased, as described in Masson and McCarthy’s When Elephants Weep.
A desire to cuddle and be close has been found between domesticated animals like cats and dogs, and wild animals like foxes and lions, and even with other species, as noted by the documentary series “Unlikely Animal Friends,” which chronicles the friendships between a rhino and a warthog, a badger and a fox, and an orangutan and a stray kitten, among others. Brant geese and swans mate for life, and protect their mates.
Animals both domestic and wild have demonstrated bonding behaviors with their human companions as well, according to Berit Brogaard, Professor and Director of the Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research at the University of Miami. She sees attachment as a form of love, and believes animals, including horses, are capable of loving their caregivers.
Research suggests that animals experience emotions like love in a similar way to humans, as they share many similar brain systems and chemicals, such as dopamine and oxytocin, that accompany feelings of love.
A 2020 study in France by Lea Lansade showed that horses were able to recognize photos of their keepers six months after they had last seen them. Many of us have enjoyed the thrill of our horse appearing pleased to see us after an absence, perhaps greeting us with a whicker or approaching us with a curious, open demeanor. Horses similarly greet one another by touching noses, vocalizing, or becoming playful together. They may call to each other or anxiously pace when a herd mate is removed from their shared space and wait by the gate for their friend to return. They show clear preferences for certain animal and human companions over others, just as people do.
People disagree about the nature of emotions in animals, but current research provides compelling evidence that animals experience the same range of emotions as humans, including love.
I, for one, am going to continue to believe that my horses love me as much as I love them!
However you choose to celebrate or disregard Valentine’s Day this year, I hope you give and receive some equine affection.
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