Do you speak in “baby talk” to your horse? You know what we mean: that high-pitched voice coupled with repetitive words like, “Who’s a good boy? Are you a good boy? What a good boy!” … all the while smiling and perhaps petting the horse, too?
If your trainer or riding friends think you’re crazy, tell them that a new study proves that this “baby talk” ‒ or to use the clinical phrase “pet-directed speech” or PDS ‒ works on primates, dogs and according to the first research effort of its kind, on horses as well.
For one thing, this particular change in the human voice has been shown to “catch and hold” the attention of primates and dogs. And there have been loads of studies examining how horses are sensitive to human emotion, so it makes sense, doesn’t it?