Albright, J., Sun, X., & Houpt, K. Does cribbing behavior in horses vary with dietary taste or direct gastric stimuli? Appl Anim Behav Sci, .
Abstract: Abstract Concentrated feed diets have been shown to drastically increase the rate of the cribbing, an oral stereotypy in horses, but the specific component causing the rise has not been identified. Furthermore, the mechanism through which feed affects cribbing has not been explored. In the first experiment of this study, we quantified the latency to crib and number of cribs in 15 min after the horses tasted various grain, sugar, and artificial sweetener solutions. Undiluted grain stimulated the most cribs (P < 0.01) compared with all other solutions, and shortest latency to crib, although this was significantly higher only when compared with diluted grain (P = 0.03). In Experiment 2, latency to crib and number of cribs in 15 min after the grain and sugar solutions were administered via nasograstric tube were also evaluated. There were no statistical differences among cribbing responses to grain, fructose, and water administered directly to the stomach although grain stimulated cribbing behavior more quickly than 10% fructose (P = 0.03) and 100% tap water (P = 0.04). These results confirm that highly palatable diets, possibly mediated through the opioid and dopaminergic systems, are one of the most potent inducers of cribbing behavior. The highly palatable taste remains the probable “cribogenic” factor of concentrated diet, although gastric and post-gastric effects cannot be excluded.
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Theodoropoulou, P., & Youlatos, D. (2012). Prevalence of stereotypies amongst Thoroughbred race horses (Equus caballus) in Greece. In K. Krueger (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2. International Equine Science Meeting (Vol. in press). Wald: Xenophon Publishing.
Abstract: Thoroughbred horses are keen to develop stereotypies in higher rates compared to other breeds. In Greece, race horses are exclusively thoroughbreds, which are intensively kept under strict environments. Our study, the first of its kind in Greece, explores the prevalence of stereotypic behaviour in these horses and its interrelation to intrinsic and management factors. For these purposes, we recorded intrinsic (age, gender, indoors and outdoors temperament, playfulness, etc.) and management parameters (time spent out, number of horses per groom, etc.) in association with established stereotypic behaviours (box walking, weaving, head nodding, wind sucking, bed eating) in 209 horses in the Markopoulo Race Track, Attica, Greece. Our analysis showed an overall prevalence of 46.6 %, which is way too high compared to those reported for other race horses worldwide. Furthermore, box walking was strongly associated with indoors temperament (p=0.012), playfulness (p=0.03), and horses per groom (p<0.001). Bed eating with gender (p=0.009), outdoors temperament (p=0.018) and playfulness (p=0.004), while head nodding with indoors and outdoors temperament (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). These results corroborate with previous investigations in other race horses, and indicate the importance of intrinsic factors in developing stereotypies in Thoroughbreds.
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Hothersall, B., & Nicol, C. (2009). Role of Diet and Feeding in Normal and Stereotypic Behaviors in Horses. Clinical Nutrition, 25(1), 167–181.
Abstract: This article reviews the effects of diet on equine feeding behavior and feeding patterns, before considering the evidence that diet affects reactivity in horses. A growing body of work suggests that fat- and fiber-based diets may result in calmer patterns of behavior, and possible mechanisms that may underpin these effects are discussed. In contrast, there is little evidence that herbal- or tryptophan-containing supplements influence equine behavior in any measurable way. The role of diet in the development of abnormal oral behaviors, particularly the oral stereotypy crib-biting, is also reviewed, and suggestions for future work are presented.
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Parker, M., Redhead, E. S., Goodwin, D., & McBride, S. D. (2008). Impaired instrumental choice in crib-biting horses (Equus caballus). Behav. Brain. Res., 191(1), 137–140.
Abstract: Horses displaying an oral stereotypy were tested on an instrumental choice paradigm to examine differences in learning from non-stereotypic counterparts. Stereotypic horses are known to have dysfunction of the dorsomedial striatum, and lesion studies have shown that this region may mediate response-outcome learning. The paradigm was specifically applied in order to examine learning that requires maintenance of response-outcome judgements. The non-stereotypic horses learned, over three sessions, to choose a more immediate reinforcer, whereas the stereotypic horses failed to do so. This suggests an initial behavioural correlate for dorsomedial striatum dysregulation in the stereotypy phenotype.
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Clegg, H. A., Buckley, P., Friend, M. A., & McGreevy, P. D. (2008). The ethological and physiological characteristics of cribbing and weaving horses. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 109(1), 68–76.
Abstract: Data were gathered on the behavioural and physiological characteristics of five cribbers, six weavers and six non-stereotypic (control) mature Thoroughbred geldings for a period of 16 weeks. The horses were hired from their owners and stabled individually throughout the trial. Cribbers and weavers had been known to stereotype for at least 12 months prior to commencement of the study. Behavioural data were collected using video surveillance. Cribbers stereotyped most frequently (PÂ <Â 0.001) in the period 2-8Â h following delivery of concentrated food, reinforcing the suggestion that diet is implicated in cribbing behaviour. Weavers stereotyped most frequently (PÂ <Â 0.001) during periods of high environmental activity such as during routine pre-feeding activities and in the hour prior to daily turnout, presumably when anticipation and stimulation were at their highest levels. Cribbers and weavers took longer than control horses to fully consume their ration, suggesting possible differences in motivation to feed, distress levels, satiety mechanisms or abdominal discomfort. Physiological data were collected throughout the trial and there were no differences in oro-caecal transit time, digestibility, plasma cortisol concentration or heart rate among the three behavioural groups.
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