toggle visibility Search & Display Options

Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print
  Records Links
Author (down) Kavar, T.; Dovc, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Domestication of the horse: Genetic relationships between domestic and wild horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Livestock Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 116 Issue 1-3 Pages 1-14  
  Keywords Equus caballus; Domestication; Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA); Y chromosome markers  
  Abstract To date, a large amount of equine genetic data has been obtained regarding (i) extant domestic horses of various breeds from all over the world, (ii) ancient domestic horses, (iii) the extant Przewalski's wild horse, and (iv) the late Pleistocene wild horse from Eurasia and North America. Here, a review of mtDNA and Y chromosome marker analyses is presented in the context of horse domestication. High matrilineal (mtDNA) diversity, which can be found in both extant and ancient (domestic and wild) horses, has suggested that a high number of wild (and tamed) mares were domesticated. Alternatively, Y chromosome marker analysis revealed a single haplotype in all domestic horses analyzed; interestingly even a small population of extant Przewalski's wild horses showed two different Y chromosome haplotypes. It seems that an extreme male population bottleneck occurred due to domestication, while reduction in the female population was only moderate, leaving about 100 distinct haplotypes. For this reason, we speculate that domestication might have started when the appropriate stallion was found or was obtained by selection. Perhaps it had some unusual but special characteristics which could have accelerated the process of domestication. We doubt that only a single Y chromosome haplotype will be found in present-day domestic horses if there are no important differences between the founder stallion/s and the other stallions that were not included in the domestication. In the Eneolithic, tamed and wild mares have probably been spread all over Eurasia, although the number of animals was most likely very low and the populations were limited to a restricted area (e.g., taming centers). Only two subspecies of wild horses (Tarpan and Przewalski's wild horse) have survived up to recently. During the further process of domestication, mares (tamed or wild) were preferentially crossed to stallions having more desirable characteristics. We assume that mares from different regions varied in their morphology due to adaptation to their local environmental conditions. These data might explain rapid expansion of horse populations, as well as their rapid differentiation into various phenotypes during the early phase of domestication.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1871-1413 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4771  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Kaczensky, P.; Ganbaatar, O.; von Wehrden,H.; Walzer, C. pdf  openurl
  Title Przewalski`s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) and Asiatic wild asses (Equus hemionus): Similar Species, Same Habitat – Same Use? Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Historic overlap zones of wild equids were small in Africa but extensive for Przewalski`s horses and Asiatic wild asses in Asia. Currently the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in SW Mongolia is the only place where sympatric, free-ranging populations of these equids occur. This provides an unique opportunity to examine the co-existence of these little studied species and test the hypothesis that Przewalski`s horses are primarily adapted to mesic steppe habitats, whereas Asiatic wild asses are adapted to arid desert steppes and semi-deserts.

We monitored 9 Przewalski`s horses and 7 wild asses with satellite telemetry and superimposed the data on a habitat map derived from remote sensing (LANDSAT TM & ETM+-data) and ground sample plots. We tested for habitat preferences comparing use and availability with a logistic regression mixed model approach. Individuals were treated as random factors. Factor variables were tested for significant differences in subsequent Tukey post-hoc tests. Przewalski`s horses had non-exclusive home ranges of 152-826 km² and heavily selected for the most productive riparian plant communities. Asiatic wild asses also had non-exclusive home ranges, but with 4,449-6,835 km² they were 10 times larger than those of Przewalski`s horses. Asiatic wild asses seem to use plant communities more or less relative to their availability. Our results provide evidence for two parallel resource selection strategies. Our findings indicate that the Gobi areas provide an edge, rather than an optimal habitat for Przewalski`s horses. This leaves only small and isolated pockets of suitable habitat for future re-introductions. Asiatic wild asses, on the other hand, need access to large tracts of land to cope with the unpredictable resource distribution of the Gobi. Thus, Asiatic wild ass conservation requires a large scale approach.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Kaczensky, P. Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference IESM 2008  
  Notes Talk 15 min IESM 2008 Approved yes  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4490  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Jørgensen, G. H.M.; Borsheim, L.; Mejdell, C. M.; Bøe, K. E. pdf  openurl
  Title Social interactions and spacing in horses (Equus caballus) grouped according to gender Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the social behaviour and spacing between horses when grouped according to gender in homogeneous- or heterogeneous groups, and to see if the amount and severity of aggression differed in relation to gender composition.

A total of 66 horses divided in six batches were used. In each batch, horses were allotted into one mare group, one gelding group and one mixed gender group, with most groups consisting of three or four animals. Three batches were performed on Icelandic horses and three batches on riding horses and -ponies. After 4-6 weeks of acclimatisation, a trained observer recorded all social interactions using direct, continuous observation one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for three consecutive days. In addition, the nearest neighbour of each horse was recorded using instantaneous sampling every 10 minutes. The horses were inspected for injuries before grouping, day one after grouping and after 4-6 weeks. Furthermore, a novel object test and a handling test (taking horse out of group) were conducted after the behavioural observations were completed.

No significant effect of gender composition was found on social interactions, spacing or injuries. Most of the aggressive interactions recorded were threats, and not aggressive interactions involving physical contact. Aggression seemed to increase with decreased space per animal and more horses per feeding place. Very few injuries were found and most were superficial. Horses showed a low degree of fearfulness in the novel object test and most horses were easy to handle in the “horse out of group test”.

In conclusion, gender composition does not seem to have any effect on aggression level, spacing or injuries in social groups of horses.
 
  Address 2National Veterinary Institute, Department of Animal Health, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Norway.  
  Corporate Author Jørgensen, G. H.M. Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference IESM 2008  
  Notes Talk 15 min IESM 2008 Approved yes  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4489  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Jacobs, A.; Maumy, M.; Petit, O. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The influence of social organisation on leadership in brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus fulvus) in a controlled environment Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 79 Issue 2 Pages 111-113  
  Keywords Animals; *Decision Making; Dominance-Subordination; *Exploratory Behavior; Female; Group Structure; *Leadership; Lemur/*psychology; Male; Sex Factors; *Social Environment  
  Abstract Studies on leadership during group movements in several lemur species showed that females were responsible for the travelling choices concerning time and direction. Interestingly, in these species females are dominant over males. We investigated the influence of social organisation upon leadership processes by studying a lemur species in which social organisation is characterized by the absence of female dominance: the brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus fulvus). The study was conducted on a semi-free ranging group of 11 individuals and the analysis performed on 69 group movements showed that all the individuals could initiate a group movement. In 34 cases, the whole group moved. There was no significant difference in the number of start attempts or in the number of group members involved from one initiator to another. Moreover, there was no effect of sex or age of the initiator on the number of individuals following it or on the speed of the joining process. Therefore, the leadership observed is widely distributed to all group members. These results support the hypothesis of an influence of social organisation upon the decision-making processes but still remain to be studied in a more relevant ecological context.  
  Address IPHC-DEPE, Equipe d'ethologie des primates, UMR 7178, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Universite Louis Pasteur and Centre de Primatologie, Strasbourg, France  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0376-6357 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:18586413 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5127  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Innes, L.; McBride, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Negative versus positive reinforcement: An evaluation of training strategies for rehabilitated horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 112 Issue 3–4 Pages 357-368  
  Keywords Horse; Training; Positive reinforcement; Negative reinforcement; Stress; Rehabilitation  
  Abstract Rescued equids are often exposed to rehabilitation and training (or retraining) programmes to improve their physical and psychological well-being as well as to facilitate the re-homing process. Training uses either positive or negative reinforcement learning procedures and it is considered here that, there may be welfare implications associated with using the latter technique as it has the potential to overlay acute stress on animals with a chronic stress life history. The aim of this study, therefore, was to compare these training strategies (negative versus positive reinforcement) on equine behaviour and physiology as the first step in establishing an optimal rehabilitation approach (from a welfare perspective) for equids that have been subjected to chronic stress in the form of long-term neglect/cruelty. Over a 7-week period, 16 ponies (aged 6–18 months) were trained using either positive (‘positive’) (n = 8) or negative reinforcement (‘negative’) (n = 8) techniques to lead in hand, stand to be groomed, traverse an obstacle course and load into a trailer. Heart rate was measured (5 s intervals) on days 1 and 4 of each training week, ‘Pre’- (1 h), ‘During’ (0.5 h) and ‘Post’- (1 h) training session. Ethograms (10.00–20.00 h) outside of the training period were also compiled twice weekly. In addition, weekly arena tests (as a measure of reactivity) were also performed 1 week before and during the 7 weeks of training. Results showed significant differences between the two training schedules for some measures during the latter stages of the trial and suggested that animals trained under a positive reinforcement schedule were more motivated to participate in the training sessions and exhibited more exploratory or ‘trial and error’ type behaviours in novel situations/environments. In this context, the incorporation of positive reinforcement schedules within a rehabilitation programme may be of benefit to the animal from a welfare perspective.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  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 5644  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) IESM 2008 Test openurl 
  Title Presentation without Fulltext Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM Conference Volume Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 1 Issue Pages 5-10  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Example of abstract

Example text example text example text example text example text example text example

text example text example text example text example text example text example text example

text example text example text example text example text example text example text.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes IESM 2008 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4366  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Houpt, K.A. pdf  openurl
  Title Maternal behavior in horses Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Mares quickly form a bond with their foals, probably within the first hour. They lick the foal usually beginning at the tail end, then the head and later the body of the foal. Licking behavior disappears within the first hours in most mares. Once the bond is formed the mare will let no other foal nurse and stays within a meter of the foal most of the time during the first week. The foal follows her when awake, but when he sleeps she stands over him. As the foal matures the distance the mare maintains from the foals get longer and she may graze as he sleeps. The bond of the mother to the foal gradually weakens as revealed by her response to separation from the foal. Weaning usually takes place shortly before the birth of the next foal. Some mares will attempt to steal foals and this can lead to injury of either the mares or the foal. Because of the strong and exclusive bond of most mares to their foal, foal rejection is especially abnormal. It occurs in some breeds more frequently than others, indicating a heritable component. Arabian mares reject 5% of their foals and other breeds reject less than 2%. There are three types of foal rejection- simple fear of the foal that can be quickly solved by holding the mare so the foal can suckle. The mare learns that nursing is pleasurable. This process usually takes only a few hours of holding the mare because foals suckle so frequently- about four times an hours. The second form of foal rejection is avoidance of tactile stimulation of the inguinal fold. When the foal attempts to suckle he usually strikes that skin fold and causes the mare to cow kick and move away. Desensitization to stimulation of the inguinal fold can solve this problem in a few hours. Treatment is more complex and longer for mares that are aggressive to the foal even when it does not touch them. This type of foal rejection can be treated with drugs that inhibit dopamine such as acepromazine-not the alpha adrenergic agent xylazine. Dopamine inhibits the pituitary hormone prolactin, a putative maternal hormone, which increases milk production. Blocking dopamine will increase prolactin. The mare should always have visual contact with the foal, but be restrained so she can not bite or kick the foal. A pole across the stall confining the mare against a wall is best. Maternal behavior can be induced in non-pregnant mares using injections of estrogen, progesterone, and the dopamine inhibitor sulpiride. Once lactation begins cervical stimulation can be used to elicit maternal behavior toward the next foal the mare sees.  
  Address Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853  
  Corporate Author Houpt, K.A. Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference IESM 2008  
  Notes Invited speaker IESM 2008 Approved yes  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4456  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Hothersall, B. pdf  openurl
  Title Preliminary studies on visuo-spatial cue use in horses Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract A number of discrimination learning studies suggest that horses attend to spatial cues in preference to visual ones. However, global and relative spatial cues have generally been confounded so it is not clear what information horses actually used. There has also been no study of whether one cue is learnt at the expense of another, or whether multiple cues are encoded but prioritised differently. We therefore carried out a series of studies examining how horses use different cues in learning a food-finding discrimination task. All studies used a criterion for success of 7/10 on two consecutive days (binomial test, p=0.0004).

A pilot study showed that horses could discriminate between three buckets using visual cues (striped, chequered or plain patterns). All four subjects performed significantly above chance levels, although one horse’s performance did not meet the criterion. Three others completed the task in between two and 12 sessions. There were some indications that horses tried to solve the task using irrelevant spatial information.

Nine foals were then taught to find a food reward using the same three patterned buckets placed in a row in any corner of a test arena. In Stage 1 the rewarded bucket was signified both by visual cues (pattern) and by relative spatial cues (left, middle or right position). Foals took between 2 and 10 days to complete the task , whereupon the cues were separated. Foals then had to ignore the inappropriate cue in Stage 2. For the Spatial group (n=5), only relative position remained relevant; for the Visual Group (n=4) bucket pattern indicated the rewarded bucket. Spatial group foals completed Stage 2 faster than Visual group foals (Mann Whitney U, z=-2.71, p=0.008). Position cues seemed to overshadow learning about visual cues: Visual group foals persisted in responding to the previously correct position and none reached criterion within the maximum available time (15 days to complete both stages).

Finally, five adult horses and one 10 month old filly learnt to find a reward in one of three identical yellow buckets whose position in an array (left, middle or right) and location within the test arena were consistent. On reaching criterion, responses were recorded in two unrewarded probe trials where the buckets were either shifted along the same axis or rotated by 90º. When the array was shifted, five out of six horses chose the previously correct position (binomial test, p=0.018) that was now in a new location within the school. Choices were not significantly different from random when the array was rotated, suggesting that the horses had learnt something about global cues even if they did not use them in selecting a bucket.

At the small scale tested, relative spatial cues (position with regard to other goals) seemed to be more important to horses than either visual cues or global spatial cues, though the latter appeared to be encoded to some extent. Reliance on spatial cues may reflect their usefulness in the horse’s natural lifestyle in navigating over long distances and feeding on visually similar plants.
 
  Address University of Bristol, Clinical Veterinary Science  
  Corporate Author Hothersall, B. Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference IESM 2008  
  Notes Talk 15 min IESM 2008 Approved yes  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4493  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Hoppitt, W.; Laland, K.N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Social processes influencing learning in animals: a review of the evidence Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Adv Study Behav Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 38 Issue Pages 105-165  
  Keywords  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Hoppitt2008 Serial 6260  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Hopkins, H. pdf  openurl
  Title The Assategue of the West Project: An introduction to a 5-year logitudinal study of Immunocontraceptive use on America's Wild Horses Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract The Humane Society United States (HSUS) has been partnering with several prominent researchers for over 20 years to assess the potential use of Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), a protein used as a fertility control vaccine for wild horses. Past studies on herds located on barrier islands of the eastern United States have demonstrated that PZP prevented pregnancies and was a valuable tool for population management. With the generous support of the Annenberg Foundation and in partnership with the Science and Conservation Center, Tufts University and The University of Toledo, HSUS is conducting a 5-year longitudinal study to assess the effectiveness of immunocontraception on over 600 wild horses in the western United States.

This project involves 2 herds of over 300 wild horses each located in Utah and Colorado. We began gathering pre treatment data in April 2008. Birth rates, band size, and individual horse identifications were recorded. In the winter of 2008/2009 both herds will be captured and all mares that are released will be treated with a 2-year-duration PZP vaccine. Both herds will be closely monitored for reproduction and behavior changes for 3 years. We will record the differences in reproductive success of treated and untreated (not captured) females.

HSUS is also seeking to develop refinements to the PZP vaccine and delivery technologies. HSUS is currently trying to improve the production of the PZP vaccine by producing it with techniques that are more efficient and less costly. Improving delivery methods for the 2 year drug is another goal of this research that may allow herd managers the flexibility of treating mares year round without having to capture it. HSUS also hopes to demonstrate that incorporating this new delivery method and proactively managing wild horse herds will assist in maintaining wild horse populations at a level that is sustainable and manageable.
 
  Address The Humane Society United States, 7727 Hawthorne Dr, Cheyenne WY 82009,Heidi Hopkins, hhopkins@hsus.org  
  Corporate Author Hopkins, H. Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference IESM 2008  
  Notes Talk 15 min IESM 2008 Approved yes  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4496  
Permanent link to this record
Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print