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Author VanDierendonck, M.C.; de Vries, H.; Schilder, M.B.H.; Colenbrander, B.; Þorhallsdóttir, A.G. and Sigurjónsdóttir, H.
Title Interventions in social behaviour in a herd of mares and geldings Type Journal Article
Year 2009 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 116 Issue 1 Pages 67-73
Keywords Horses; Social relationships; Interventions; Mares; Geldings; Play; Allogrooming; Social network
Abstract Social dynamics and maintenance of social cohesion were studied by analysing social interventions in two groups of horses consisting of adult mares, their offspring, adult geldings and sub-adults. The animals were observed for a total of 1316 h. All relevant dyadic and triadic social interactions, including initial behaviour, possible intervention and outcome, were recorded. The main question was: do horses use interventions in affiliative interactions to safeguard their social network? Horses were significantly more likely to intervene in allogrooming or play interactions that involved a preferred partner. The stronger the preferred association in allogrooming, the higher the likelihood the intervener took over allogrooming with an initial dyad member. Interveners originating from two newly introduced groups (n = 3 and 5), intervened significantly more often when a member of their own group allogroomed with an unfamiliar horse. In play, no correlation with unfamiliarity was found. Overall, the intervening horses stopped more than half of the initial allogrooming interactions, and a third of all interactions. Therefore, social facilitation cannot sufficiently explain interference behaviour. This study shows that maintaining relationships with preferred partners is important to horses and has implications for equine husbandry and management.
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Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4766
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Author Anderson, M.K.; Friend, T.H.; Evans, J.W.; Bushong, D.M.
Title Behavioral assessment of horses in therapeutic riding programs Type Journal Article
Year 1999 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 63 Issue 1 Pages 11-24
Keywords Horses; Therapeutic riding; Temperament; Cortisol; Catecholamines
Abstract A behavioral assessment of horses who were being used and not used in therapeutic riding programs was conducted to help determine useful methods of selecting horses for use in therapeutic riding programs. A total of 103 horses (76 horses from five therapeutic riding centers and 27 non-therapeutic riding horses from four sites) were used. Temperament survey for each horse were completed by three riding instructors at each therapeutic riding center or by the individual most knowledgeable about the horse at the other sites. Twenty personality traits from the survey were used to quantify temperament. Concentrations of plasma cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine were also measured in each horse. A reactivity test was then conducted which involved introducing three novel stimuli: a walking and vocalizing toy pig placed on a cardboard surface in front of the horse for 20 s; popping a balloon near the horse's flank area; and suddenly opening an umbrella and holding it open in front of the horse for 20 s. Reactions (expressions, vocalizations and movement) to each of the stimuli were scored and used to calculate an average reactivity score for each horse. The therapeutic riding instructors did not often agree on the temperament of their center's horses. The personality trait ratings made by the therapeutic riding instructors at each center were on average significantly correlated (P<0.01, r>0.52) for only 37.8% of the horses for any two instructors and 7.8% for three instructors. No significant correlations were found between temperament, reactivity, and the hormone concentrations (r<0.19), but regression analysis indicated a possibility of predicting temperament from the reactivity score and hormone concentrations (P<0.08). There was also a tendency for relationships between extremes in temperament (desirable vs. undesirable) and the hormone concentrations (P<0.09), and between extremes in reactivity (low vs. high) and the hormone concentrations (P=0.08). The difference in ratings among riding instructors indicates a need for more collaboration between instructors when evaluating horse temperament. This study also indicates that it was very difficult to objectively determine the suitability of horses for therapeutic riding programs regarding their temperament and reactivity, probably because other traits (e.g., smoothness of gait) are also considered very important.
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ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4812
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Author Uller, C.; Lewis, J.
Title Horses (Equus caballus) select the greater of two quantities in small numerical contrasts Type Journal Article
Year 2009 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.
Volume 12 Issue 5 Pages 733-738
Keywords Quantity representation – Horses – Number discrimination
Abstract Abstract  The ability to select the greater numerosity over another in small sets seems to stem from the calculation of which set contains more, and has been taken as evidence of a primordial representation at the roots of the primate numerical system. We tested 56 horses (Equus caballus) in a paradigm previously used with human infants and nonhuman primates. Horses saw two quantities paired in contrasts—2 versus 1, 3 versus 2, 6 versus 4 and a control for volume, 2 versus 1 big—and had to make a choice by snout touching the container holding the numerosity selected. The horses spontaneously selected the greater of the two quantities when the numerosities were small. These results add to evidence showing spontaneous quantity assessment in a variety of species.
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Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5028
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Author Momozawa, Y.; Kusunose, R.; Kikusui, T.; Takeuchi, Y.; Mori, Y.
Title Assessment of equine temperament questionnaire by comparing factor structure between two separate surveys Type Journal Article
Year 2005 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 92 Issue 1-2 Pages 77-84
Keywords Anxiety; Factor analysis; Horses; Questionnaires; Temperament
Abstract To establish a method for assessing equine temperament by use of a questionnaire, we carried out two surveys. The subject animals were all thoroughbreds maintained at the same farm. Respondents were the primary caretaker and two colleagues working with each horse. Factor analysis was performed on the responses to each survey. In both surveys, five factors were extracted and four of them were common between the two surveys. The common factors were [`]Anxiety', [`]Trainability', [`]Affability', and [`]Gate entrance'. There were sufficient internal consistencies in responses about [`]Anxiety', [`]Trainability', and [`]Affability' in the two surveys to indicate the validity of this questionnaire in evaluating these factors in equine temperament.
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ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5063
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Author Jezierski, T.; Jaworski, Z.; Górecka, A.
Title Effects of handling on behaviour and heart rate in Konik horses: comparison of stable and forest reared youngstock Type Journal Article
Year 1999 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 1-11
Keywords Handling; Behaviour; Heart rate; Horses; Rearing
Abstract Thirty foals and young Konik horses born in 3 consecutive years and reared up to weaning either in a forest reserve (R) or conventional stable (S) were compared with respect to behavioural reactions and heart rate (HR) during handling manipulations. The foals were randomly allocated within sex and rearing group to one of two handling treatments. Intensively handled (IH) foals received a 10-min handling, 5 days/week, beginning at the age of 2 weeks (S foals) or 10 months (R foals), and lasting up to the age of 24 months. During handling IH foals were haltered, touched, rubbed and their feet were picked up; non-handled (NH) foals were not handled except for routine or emergency veterinary care. The horses were tested at the age of approximately 6 months (S only) and 12, 18 and 24 months of age. In a test comprising catching the horse on a paddock, leading away from and towards the stable, picking up feet and being approached by an unfamiliar person, the horses' behaviour was scored and the HR was recorded telemetrically. The IH horses scored better as far as manageability behaviour is concerned (P<0.001) and demonstrated lower HR than the NH ones and the S horses scored better than R ones (P<0.001). Fillies demonstrated higher HR than colts (P=0.007). Youngstock of all groups tended to be less manageable at the age of 24 months than at 18 months. Differences between youngstock stemming from particular harems from the reserve seem to be related to differences in accidental contact with people visiting the forest reserve.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5064
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Author Gabor, V.; Gerken, M.
Title Horses use procedural learning rather than conceptual learning to solve matching to sample Type Journal Article
Year 2010 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 126 Issue 3-4 Pages 119-124
Keywords Horses; Concept learning; Visual discrimination; Cognition; Experimental design; Procedural learning
Abstract Research into higher cognitive abilities of the horse may be limited by developing the adequate experimental design. In this study four pony mares between 8 and 19 years old were included. Three of them reached the criterion to be tested in a new design of matching to sample using a black circle and a cross as visual cues attached to an apparatus. The attention was directed to the question of whether the animals are able to concept formation in a given time period or if their decisions depend on other cues or strategies. After familiarization to the testing area and the test procedure, the animals were given 27 sessions of 20 trials each during 14 weeks. While there was no preference for one of the stimuli used, horses showed a significant left sidedness. None of the mares reached the learning criterion of 80% correct answers in one session. However, the ponies showed procedural learning based on correction runs that were given between incorrect decisions, by then selecting the correct stimulus on the other side of the apparatus. This learning type arose in three individuals in session four, six and eleven, respectively. It is concluded that discrimination tasks may be biased by the involvement of unexpected learning strategies, which complicates the interpretation of such tests and may even mask possible conceptualization capabilities.
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Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5157
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Author Heffner, R.S.; Heffner, H.E.
Title Hearing in large mammals: Horses (Equus caballus) and cattle (Bos taurus) Type Journal Article
Year 1983 Publication Behavioral Neuroscience Abbreviated Journal
Volume 97 Issue 2 Pages 299-309
Keywords auditory range & sensitivity, horses vs cattle
Abstract Determined behavioral audiograms for 3 horses and 2 cows. Horses' hearing ranged from 55 Hz to 33.3 kHz, with a region of best sensitivity from 1 to 16 kHz. Cattle hearing ranged from 23 Hz to 35 kHz, with a well-defined point of best sensitivity at 8 kHz. Of the 2 species, cattle proved to have more acute hearing, with a lowest threshold of –21 db (re 20 μN/m–2) compared with the horses' lowest threshold of 7 db. Comparative analysis of the hearing abilities of these 2 species with those of other mammals provides further support for the relation between interaural distance and high-frequency hearing and between high- and low-frequency hearing. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Publisher American Psychological Association Place of Publication Us Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1939-0084(Electronic);0735-7044(Print) ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ 1983-29540-001 Serial 5633
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Author Slater, C.; Dymond, S.
Title Using differential reinforcement to improve equine welfare: Shaping appropriate truck loading and feet handling Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.
Volume 86 Issue 3 Pages 329-339
Keywords Positive reinforcement; Differential reinforcement; Shaping; Autoshaping; sign tracking; Common handling; Multiple baseline; Changing criterion; Horses
Abstract Inappropriate behavior during common handling procedures with horses is often subject to aversive treatment. The present study replicated and extended previous findings using differential reinforcement to shape appropriate equine handling behavior. In Study 1, a multiple baseline across subjects design was used with four horses to determine first the effects of shaping target-touch responses and then successive approximations of full truck loading under continuous and intermittent schedules of reinforcement. Full loading responses were shaped and maintained in all four horses and occurrences of inappropriate behaviors reduced to zero. Generalization of the loading response was also observed to both a novel trainer and trailer. In Study 2, a changing criterion design was used to increase the duration of feet handling with one horse. The horse's responding reached the terminal duration criterion of 1 min and showed consistent generalization and one-week maintenance. Overall, the results of both studies support the use of applied equine training systems based on positive reinforcement for increasing appropriate behavior during common handling procedures.
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0376-6357 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5323
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Author Kampmann, S.; Hampson, B.A.; Pollitt, C.C.
Title Population dynamics of feral horses (Equus caballus) following above-average rainfall in a semi-arid environment of Australia Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Australian Veterinary Journal Abbreviated Journal Aust Vet J
Volume 91 Issue 11 Pages 482-487
Keywords animal welfare; ecology; horses; reproduction; wildlife
Abstract Background Recent record rainfall in much of semi-arid Central Australia is the most likely reason for a feral horse population increase in excess of normal. Uncontrolled numbers of feral horses have habitat degradation and animal welfare implications. Objectives The aims of this study were to investigate the social structure of feral horses and assess their population growth rate following unseasonably high rainfall. Methods The study area was 4000 km2 of unmanaged, semi-arid country in Central Australia (latitude 24.50°S, longitude 132.10°E). Horses were identified by descriptive features from ground searches, movement-activated cameras and ‘hides’ positioned at key water holes. Wherever possible, sex and age categories were documented. Population growth rate was estimated by the number of foals divided by the number of horses older than 1 year in the observed population. Results A total of 1424 horses were identified and categorised, of which 335 were foals born within the current year. Only 123 juveniles were identified. Of the adult horses, 53.4% were male and 46.6% were female and this differed from parity (P = 0.04). Of the mares, 71.9% had a foal at foot and the population growth rate was 29.5%. Conclusions With a sustained population growth rate of 29.5%, this population of feral horses will more than double within 3 years. The high population increase will likely have a detrimental effect on native fauna and flora and the fragile, semi-arid ecosystems of Central Australia. After a period of high rainfall and plentiful resources, ‘normal’ drought conditions will return and many feral horses will starve and die as they compete for limited resources.
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-0813 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5747
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Author Bartosova, J.; Komarkova, M.; Dubcova, J.; Bartos, L.; Pluhacek J.
Title Nursing behaviour in pregnant domestic mares (Equus caballus): Can they cope with dual maternal investment? Type Conference Article
Year 2012 Publication Proceedings of the 2. International Equine Science Meeting Abbreviated Journal Proc. 2. Int. Equine. Sci. Mtg
Volume in press Issue Pages
Keywords Suckling behaviour; pregnancy; parent-offspring conflict; domestic horses; Equus caballus
Abstract Among mammals, lactation is the most energy demanding part of parental care and so parentoffspring conflict should arise over milk provided by the mother. Mother and offspring should disagree over the length and amount of the milk provision. We focused on effect of pregnancy on suckling behaviour variables as indicators of mother-offspring conflict in domestic horses. We presumed shorter suckling bouts and higher rates of rejected and/or terminated suckling in pregnant mares compared to non-pregnant ones. Increasing conflict over amount of maternal investment between mother and her young are to be expected because of her parallel investment into a nursed foal and a foetus. Eight groups of loose housed lactating mares with foals of Kladruby horse were studied at the National Stud Kladruby nad Labem (Czech Republic) from deliveries to abrupt weaning (at the age of 127 to 210 days). We recorded 10 848 suckling solicitations of 79 mare-foal pairs, from which 10 607 resulted in a suckling bout. In 41 cases a nursing mare became pregnant during lactation. We found no significant effect of pregnancy either on probability of the mother rejecting suckling solicitation of her foal or probability that she terminated a suckling bout. However the overall effect of mother’s pregnancy on suckling bout duration was not significant, there were considerable differences in pregnant and non-pregnant mares according to who terminated a suckling bout, whether the mother or the foal (F(1, 9776) = 12.1, P < 0.001). In case it was the mother then the suckling bout was longer if she was pregnant (65.36 ± 1.25 s) than barren (60.55 ± 1.36 s). We found no impact of pregnancy on duration of suckling bouts terminated by the foal. Further, nursing a foal during the first two trimesters of pregnancy had no negative impact on birth weight of the foetus. In conclusion, we found not higher, but a lower mother-offspring conflict in pregnant than in non-pregnant lactating mares while expecting just the opposite. We suggest that pregnant mares compensate their nursed foals during intensive stages of lactation through a relaxed mother-offspring conflict for later decrease in investment due to increasing demands of the foetus and/or for the shorter period of milk supply. Our results (partly published in Bartosova et al. 2011, PLoS ONE 6(8): e22068) are of high importance in horse breeding. One of the main arguments for early weaning of the foals is regeneration of their pregnant mothers before upcoming delivery. Here we present evidence that a pregnant mare “counts” with her dual maternal investment and “employs” evolutionary mechanisms enabling her to rear a vital foetus. From this point of view there is no objective reason for stressful weaning of her nursed offspring practised in conventional breeding. Supported by AWIN, EU FP7 project No. 266213.
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Corporate Author Bartosova, J. Thesis
Publisher Xenophon Publishing Place of Publication Wald Editor Krueger, K.
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-3-9808134-26 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5501
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