Abstract: In many taxonomic groups, odours provide cues to species identity, reproductive status, genetic relatedness and individual identity. These odour cues are often used to mark territories or other resources and to recognize individuals through direct or indirect olfactory investigation. Belding's ground squirrels, Spermophilus beldingi, frequently scent-mark their environment and they also investigate the scent glands of conspecifics, which suggests that odours play a modulating role in their social relationships. I conducted studies to determine what information is conveyed by various S. beldingi odours and whether this information is used by conspecifics for social recognition. Spermophilus beldingi produce a number of cues that are individually distinct, including odours from oral, dorsal, pedal and anal glands and from ears, but apparently not from urine, although it is unclear whether all of these odours are used for social recognition. This discrimination among odours of individuals does not require prior familiarity with the odour bearers. The volatile components of some odours are sufficient to permit individual discrimination, which may explain how animals appear to [`]recognize' each other from a short distance. Finally, S. beldingi incorporate multiple odours into their memories of conspecifics as perception of one odour of an individual generalizes to a second odour from it, suggesting a mental representation of familiar individuals. The production of multiple unique odours may facilitate accurate discrimination of conspecifics along several social dimensions, and some of these odours also vary with relatedness. Together, these results indicate a rich olfactory milieu mediating the social lives of S. beldingi.

Abstract: Little research has been done to measure reactivity objectively in therapeutic riding horses (TRH). As individual reactivity and chronic stress could be assessed by exposing animals to acute, novel stressors, the authors of this work aimed at comparing reactions of TRHs and jumping horses (JH) to two challenges. Four TRHs and four JHs were exposed to a restraint covering their head with a hood for 1 h and to a startling stimulus (a 40 cm long, red and white synthetic holiday garland shaken with a rustling noise inside the box). Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded continuously and telemetrically, the reaction was video-recorded and analysed with a software for behavioural analysis. Blood samples were collected before and after each challenge to determine lymphocyte proliferation and other biochemical parameters. Horses spent most of the time immobile, during the challenges (p < 0.05). TRHs had a significantly higher average basal HR than JH (p < 0.05), probably due to their better condition. HR varied among different behaviours during the restraint (p < 0.05): the average HR during “pawing” was higher than during other behaviours (p < 0.005). A significant decrease in the proliferation of lymphocytes in samples taken after the removal of the hood (p < 0.05) was found, while the other stress related parameters did not vary significantly after the challenges. The authors conclude that TRHs did not react less than JHs to the new stimuli and this should be taken into consideration while planning their daily work and management.

Abstract: We observed the behaviour of six stabled horses (stallions n = 3; geldings n = 3) in an attempt to identify behavioural measures of eating satisfaction. The horses were required to perform an operant response (pressing a button with the muzzle) in order to access a food reward in an experimental box stall. After each horse had successfully learned the experimental situation, it participated in the experimental protocol on 4 days. Horses were brought to the experimental box stall for the operant response sessions (1 h duration per session), and upon completion, they were returned to their own (home) box stalls. The number of presses for the reward was a Fixed Ratio schedule of either 3 or 12 muzzle presses (FR3, FR12) and the FR procedure for each horse was as follows: FR3 FR12 FR12 FR3 or FR12 FR3 FR3 FR12. Number of rewards obtained during each session, and behaviour and heart rate after each session were recorded for each horse. A repeated measures ANOVA showed that the number of rewards obtained in FR3 was higher than in FR12 (P < 0.05). The horses spent more time in standing-rest, (with ears rotating laterally and exhibiting a low neck position) indicating sleep, in the home box stall, after FR3 compared to FR12 treatments (P < 0.05). Mean heart rate after standing-sleep was significantly lower than mean heart rate in the home box stall (P < 0.01). These results suggest that eating satisfaction induces sleep in stabled horses, and that episodes of standing-sleep behaviour may be a useful indicator of appropriate or enhanced welfare in the horse.

Abstract: Weaning in suckler calves influences performance in a learning task. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the improved performance after weaning, including relocation, is due to differences in motivation for the reward or in learning abilities. Forty Aubrac calves were used; half of them were weaned from their dams at around eight months, the other half were weaned one month later. After weaning, calves were housed in groups of four in a new setting. From the day after weaning of the last group of calves, the animals were subjected to two tests: (1) an arena test, (2) a T-maze test where one arm led to either a social or a food reward. The T-maze test consisted of three sessions: in Session 1, trials were conducted until the animal acquired the task (i.e. did not take the unrewarded arm on three consecutive trials); in Session 2, the motivation for the reward was assessed via the walking time of the animal to reach the reward; in Session 3, the place of reward was reversed and the animals were trained until they acquired the new task. Calves weaned for one day explored more (P < 0.05) and had lower heart rates during the arena test (P < 0.05) compared to the ones weaned for one month. During the T-maze test, calves weaned for one month versus one day did not differ in their capacities to learn the initial route (Session 1) or in their motivation for either the social or food reward (Session 2). Calves weaned for one day learned significantly faster (P < 0.05) the reversed route (Session 3) than calves weaned for one month. Hence, the better performances at reversal in the T-maze by calves that have just been weaned cannot be accounted for by a higher motivation for the reward. A better cognitive control of their behaviour due to a lower stress state is suggested by our results.

Abstract: In previous studies on lying behaviour in horses kept in individual boxes we observed that most horses that had been lying down resting sometimes made a rolling behaviour prior to getting up. The rolling behaviour was seen in approximately 30% of the times the horses stood up. To analyse whether the behaviour was caused by individual housing in a box or whether it is a behaviour occurring also under free range conditions, we observed a group of 43 horses kept on pasture throughout the day and night. The horses were observed from 03:00 to 10:00 h over four consecutive mornings, at a time when lying behaviour was frequent. Of the 43 horses observed, the rising procedure was seen in 41 horses, and 25 of these horses (60.9%) performed the rolling behaviour at least once. A total of 135 rising episodes were observed, and 41 followed the performance of a rolling behaviour (30.4%). In contrast to the rolling behaviour seen indoors, the behaviour was more varied outdoors in that some horses rolled anywhere from 45 to 180[degree sign], some even repeatedly, whereas horses in a box only rolled 90[degree sign] and back. In all cases when horses rolled 180[degree sign] they rolled back to the original side before getting up. Also in contrast to previous observations, no horse was observed changing position during the roll. We conclude that the behaviour is a kind of comfort behaviour but that further studies are necessary to explain its function.