Home << 1 2 >>
List View
 | 
Citations
 | 
Details
   web
Records
Author Baragli, P.; Demuru, E.; Scopa, C.; Palagi, E.
Title Are horses capable of mirror self-recognition? A pilot study Type Journal Article
Year 2017 Publication Plos One Abbreviated Journal Plos One
Volume 12 Issue 5 Pages e0176717
Keywords
Abstract Mirror Self-Recognition (MSR) unveils complex cognitive, social and emotional skills and it has been found only in humans and few other species, such as great apes, dolphins, elephants and magpies. In this pilot study, we tested if horses show the capacity of MSR. Four subjects living socially under naturalistic conditions were selected for the experiment. We adopted the classical mark test, which consists in placing a coloured mark on an out-of-view body part, visible only through mirror inspection. If the animal considers the image as its own, it will use its reflection to detect the mark and will try to explore it. We enhanced the classical paradigm by introducing a double-check control. Only in the presence of the reflecting surface, animals performed tactile and olfactory exploration of the mirror and looked behind it. These behaviors suggest that subjects were trying to associate multiple sensory cues (visual, tactile and olfactory) to the image in the mirror. The lack of correspondence between the collected stimuli in front of the mirror and the response to the colored mark lead us to affirm that horses are able to perceive that the reflected image is incongruent when compared with the memorized information of a real horse. However, without replication of data, the self-directed behavior towards the colored marks showed by our horses cannot be sufficient per se to affirm that horses are capable of self-recognition.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Public Library of Science 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 (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6158
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Lanata, A.; Guidi, A.; Valenza, G.; Baragli, P.; Scilingo, E. P.
Title The Role of Nonlinear Coupling in Human-Horse Interaction: a Preliminary Study Type Conference Article
Year 2017 Publication 2016 38th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) Abbreviated Journal EMBC
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract This study focuses on the analysis of humanhorse

dynamic interaction using cardiovascular information

exclusively. Specifically, the Information Theoretic Learning

(ITL) approach has been applied to a Human-Horse Interaction

paradigm, therefore accounting for the nonlinear information

of the heart-heart interplay between humans and horses.

Heartbeat dynamics was gathered from humans and horses

during three experimental conditions: absence of interaction,

visual-olfactory interaction, and brooming. Cross Information

Potential, Cross Correntropy, and Correntropy Coefficient were

computed to quantitatively estimate nonlinear coupling in a

group of eleven subjects and one horse. Results showed a

statistical significant difference on all of the three interaction

phases. Furthermore, a Support Vector Machine classifier

recognized the three conditions with an accuracy of 90:9%.

These preliminary and encouraging results suggest that ITL

analysis provides viable metrics for the quantitative evaluation

of human-horse interaction.
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 (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6176
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Baragli, P.; Paoletti, E.; Vitale, V.; Sighieri, C.
Title Looking in the correct location for a hidden object: brief note about the memory of donkeys (Equus asinus) Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication Ethology Ecology & Evolution Abbreviated Journal Ethology Ecology & Evolution
Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 187-192
Keywords
Abstract In recent years, considerable literature has been published on cognition in horses; however, much less is known about the cognitive abilities of domestic donkey (Equus asinus). This study aimed to expand our knowledge of donkey cognition by assessing their short-term memory capacity. We employed a detour problem combined with the classic delayed-response task, which has been extensively used to compare working memory duration in a variety of different species. A two-point choice apparatus was used to investigate location recall and search behaviour for a food target, after a short delay following its disappearance. Four donkeys completed the task with a 10 sec delay, while four others were tested with a 30 sec delay. Overall, each group performed above chance level on the test, showing that subjects had successfully encoded, maintained, and retrieved the existence and location of the target despite the loss of visual contact.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Taylor & Francis Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0394-9370 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes doi: 10.1080/03949370.2011.554885 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6177
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Baragli, P.; Vitale, V.; Paoletti, E.; Mengoli, M.; Sighieri, C.
Title Encoding the Object Position for Assessment of Short Term Spatial Memory in Horses (Equus caballus) Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication International Journal of Comparative Psychology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 24 Issue 3 Pages
Keywords
Abstract In this study, the detour problem was combined with the classic delayed-response task to investigate equine short-term spatial memory. Test subjects were eight female horses, divided into two groups (A and B) of four subjects each. The motivating object was made to move and disappear behind one oftwo identical obstacles in a two-point-choice apparatus. After a 10 s (Group A) or 30 s (Group B) delay the animal was released to seek the object. Both groups made more correct (14.8 ± 1.3 forGroup A and 13.5 ± 3.1 for Group B, mean ± SD) than incorrect choices (5.3 ± 1.3 for Group A and6.5 ± 3.1 for Group B, mean ± SD) and the performance of each group was significantly above chance level (z = 4.14,  p = 0.000, for Group A and z = 3.02, p = 0.002, for Group B). Therefore, tested animals were able to recover the object by approaching the correct obstacle after 10 s or 30 s delays, showing that they had encoded and recovered from memory the existence of the target object and its location.
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 2168-3344 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6178
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Vitale, V.; Balocchi, R.; Varanini, M.; Sgorbini, M.; Macerata, A.; Sighieri, C.; Baragli, P.
Title The effects of restriction of movement on the reliability of heart rate variability measurements in the horse (Equus caballus) Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Journal of Veterinary Behavior Abbreviated Journal J. Vet. Behav.
Volume 8 Issue 5 Pages 400-403
Keywords behavior; heart rate variability; horse; measurement; reliability; restriction of movement
Abstract Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive approach for investigating the sympathovagal balance of the autonomic nervous system. In recent years, HRV has been increasingly evaluated in animal research. In horses, it has been suggested that basal resting conditions can be achieved by restraining them. The aim of this study was to verify how restriction of movement influences HRV i2n horses. Ten healthy standardbred mares were used to measure the electrocardiographic signal under 2 conditions: free to move in the stall and restrained in the stock. Results indicate that the restriction of movement is associated with increased nervous system sympathetic activity not consistent with resting conditions.
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 1558-7878 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6618
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Scopa, C.; Greco, A.; Contalbrigo, L.; Fratini, E.; Lanatà, A.; Scilingo, E.P.; Baragli, P.
Title Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Frontiers in Veterinary Science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 7 Issue Pages 998
Keywords
Abstract A human-animal relationship can be developed through subsequent interactions, affected by the positive or negative emotional valence of the proceeding one. Horses implement a process of categorization to classify humans with whom they interact as positive, negative, or neutral stimuli by evaluating the kind of approach and the nature of the contact. In these terms, human-animal interactions are emotionally charged events, eliciting specific emotional states in both subjects involved. Although the human-horse relationship has been mainly investigated through behavioral analysis, physiological indicators are needed for a more objective assessment of the emotional responses. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a commonly used autonomic nervous system (ANS) correlate estimating the sympathovagal balance as a psychophysiological marker of emotion regulation in horses. We have assumed that long-term positive relationships with humans may have a positive and immediate impact on the emotional arousal of the horse, detectable, via ANS activity, during the interaction. We analyzed horses' heartbeat dynamics during their interaction with either familiar or unfamiliar handlers, applying a standardized experimental protocol consisting of three different conditions shifting from the absence of interaction to physical contact. The ANS signals were monitored through an innovative non-invasive wearable system, not interfering with the unconscious emotional response of the animal. We demonstrated that horses appeared to feel more relaxed while physically interacting (e.g., grooming on the right side) with some familiar handlers compared to the same task performed by someone unfamiliar. The shift of the sympathovagal balance toward a vagal predominance suggests that the horses experienced a decrease in stress response as a function not only of the handler's familiarity but also of the type of interaction they are experiencing. These results constitute the objective evidence of horses' capacity to individually recognize a familiar person, adding the crucial role of familiarity with the handler as a paramount component of human-animal interaction. Our rigorous methodological approach may provide a significant contribution to various fields such as animal welfare while further investigating the emotional side of the human-animal relationships.
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 2297-1769 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6625
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Baragli, P.; Scopa, C.; Maglieri, V.; Palagi, E.
Title If horses had toes: demonstrating mirror self recognition at group level in Equus caballus Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract Mirror self-recognition (MSR), investigated in primates and recently in non-primate species, is considered a measure of self-awareness. Nowadays, the only reliable test for investigating MSR potential skills consists in the untrained response to a visual body mark detected using a reflective surface. Here, we report the first evidence of MSR at group level in horses, by facing the weaknesses of methodology present in a previous pilot study. Fourteen horses were used in a 4-phases mirror test (covered mirror, open mirror, invisible mark, visible colored mark). After engaging in a series of contingency behaviors (looking behind the mirror, peek-a-boo, head and tongue movements), our horses used the mirror surface to guide their movements towards their colored cheeks, thus showing that they can recognize themselves in a mirror. The analysis at the group level, which 'marks' a turning point in the analytical technique of MSR exploration in non-primate species, showed that horses spent a longer time in scratching their faces when marked with the visible mark compared to the non-visible mark. This finding indicates that horses did not see the non-visible mark and that they did not touch their own face guided by the tactile sensation, suggesting the presence of MSR in horses. Although a heated debate on the binary versus gradualist model in the MSR interpretation exists, recent empirical pieces of evidence, including ours, indicate that MSR is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon that appeared once in phylogeny and that a convergent evolution mechanism can be at the basis of its presence in phylogenetically distant taxa.
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 1435-9456 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Baragli2021 Serial 6631
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Sighieri, C.; Tedeschi, D.; De Andreis, C.; Petri, L.; Baragli, P.
Title Behaviour Patterns of Horses Can be Used to Establish a Dominant-Subordinate Relationship Between Man and Horse Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Abbreviated Journal Animal Welfare
Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 705-708
Keywords animal welfare; behaviour patterns; dominance; unhandled horse
Abstract This paper describes how man can enter the social hierarchy of the horse by mimicking the behaviour and stance it uses to establish dominance. A herd is organised according to a dominance hierarchy established by means of ritualised conflict. Dominance relationships are formed through these confrontations: one horse gains the dominant role and others identify themselves as subordinates. This study was conducted using five females of the Haflinger breed, totally unaccustomed to human contact, from a free-range breeding farm. The study methods were based on the three elements fundamental to the equilibrium of the herd: flight, herd instinct and hierarchy. The trainer-horse relationship was established in three phases: retreat, approach and association. At the end of the training sessions, all of the horses were able to respond correctly to the trainer. These observations suggest that it is possible to manage unhandled horses without coercion by mimicking their behaviour patterns.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Cambridge University Press Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition 2023/01/11
ISSN 0962-7286 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference (up)
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6713
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Baragli, P.; Regolin, L
Title Cognitive Tests in Equids (Equus caballus and Equus Asinus) Type Conference Article
Year 2008 Publication IESM 2008 Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract For ages horses and donkeys constituted the most important domesticated animals. Even though equids were often bred and kept in close proximity to humans, surprisingly little is known about their cognitive abilities. Traditionally, horses are not regarded as clever animals; common beliefs maintain that the horses“ behaviour is merely driven by conditioned-responses. Additionally, from an anthropomorphic point of view donkeys are believed to be ”stupid“ animals.

Our study investigates the equids” ability to recover a hidden object. For this purpose the animal has to create and maintain a representation of the object and its location in space, from the moment in which it disappears from direct perception, till the moment in which it reappears. The knowledge about objects being entities that continue to exist even when they are no longer available for direct perception is refered to as the well known concept of “object permanence”.

We primarly assessed the ability of Esperia's pony and donkeys to solve a Detour problem while employing an opaque “U-shaped” barrier. Each animal observed a food bucket moving and disappearing behind the barrier. Immediately after the object"s disappearance, the animal was released to search for the object. If it solved the task by detouring the barrier it was positively reinforced.

The ability to retain in memory the hidden object as well as its spatial location was subsequently tested in the presence of two, rather than one, screens (Working Memory testing phase). The food bucket was made to move and hidden behind one of the two identical screens, while the animal was watching it. Following a pre-established delayed period of 10 sec, the animal was set free to look for the food. In such a test the detour problem is combined with the classical delayed-response task, which is in use for the comparison of memory duration in different species.

In order to recover the hidden objects, animals must encode, maintain and correctly regain from their working memory the existence of the no longer visible object and its location from their working memory.

Both donkeys and ponies performed the Detour task showing to grasp the fact that an object which is no longer perceivable still continues to exist and can be regained. They also were able to correctly retrieve the goal object after a delay of 10 s in the Working Memory tasks, showing that they had encoded, maintained and correclty retrieved from their working memory the spatial location of the hidden object as well as its existence.

Nevertheless, when Standardbreds, raised in traditional stables, were tested in identical conditions to those describe for the ponies and donkeys, they could not succeed in the Detour tasks. The reason for such differences needs to be studied Even though it would be interesting to focus on handling differences, i.e., the ponies had been living in an environment rich in natural stimuli, while the Standardbreds had lived in a man-controlled environment since birth. It is also noteworthy that, like donkeys, the Esperia's pony have a reputation for being hard to handle.

Several considerations could arise from our preliminary investigations, and we will have the pleasure to leave them open for discussion.
Address University of Pisa- Dept of Veterinary Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology
Corporate Author Baragli, 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 (up) IESM 2008
Notes Talk 15 min IESM 2008 Approved yes
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4461
Permanent link to this record