The Sense of Taste

The sense of taste is very closely linked neurologically to that of smell. Horses experience taste by means of groups of very small, sensitive papillae or projections, mainly on their tongue but also elsewhere in the mouth (7). Substances that are soluble dissolve into the moistness of the mouth; chewing and mixing with saliva help this process. Receptor cells in the papillae detect the various substances or flavours by means of cilia protruding slightly through the pores in the mucous membrane covering the tongue. Sensory nerve fibres then transmit this information to the gustatory or taste centre in the brain, which, in turn, tells the horse which category of taste the substance falls into. Horses can distinguish between sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes, and these basic tastes make up in combination all the other tastes. The specialized taste buds able to detect each one are sited on different parts of the tongue.