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Author |
Lovrovich, P.; Sighieri, C.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Following human-given cues or not? Horses (Equus caballus) get smarter and change strategy in a delayed three choice task |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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Volume |
166 |
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80-88 |
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Highlights
�Horses remember the location of food hidden by the experimenter after a delay.
�They understand the communicative meaning of a human positioned close to the target.
�The same horses are capable of changing their decision-making strategy.
�They are able to shift from accuracy inferred from human given cues to speed.
�Horses can use human cues or not depending on time, cost, experience and reward.
Abstract
To date, horses have seemed capable of using human local enhancement cues only when the experimenter remains close to the reward, since they fail to understand the communicative meaning of the human as momentary local enhancement cue (when the human is not present at the moment of the animal's choice). This study was designed to analyse the ability of horses to understand, remember and use human-given cues in a delayed (10 s) three-choice task. Twelve horses (experimental group) had to find a piece of carrot hidden under one of three overturned buckets after seeing the experimenter hide it. The results were then compared with those of a control group (twelve horses) that had to find the carrot using only the sense of smell or random attempts. At the beginning, the experimental horses made more correct choices at the first attempt, although they took more time to find the carrot. Later the same horses were less accurate but found the carrot in less time. This suggests that the value of the proximal momentary local enhancement cues became less critical. It seemed, in fact, that the experimental and control group had aligned their behaviour as the trials proceeded. Despite this similarity, in the second half of the trials, the experimental group tended to first approach the bucket where they had found the carrot in the immediately preceding trial. Our findings indicate that horses are capable of remembering the location of food hidden by the experimenter after a delay, by using the human positioned close to the target as valuable information. The same horses are also capable of changing their decision-making strategy by shifting from the accuracy inferred from human given cues to speed. Therefore, horses are able to decide whether or not to use human given-cues, depending on a speed-accuracy trade-off. |
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Elsevier |
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doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.02.017 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5849 |
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Author |
Cozzi, A.; Sighieri, C.; Gazzano, A.; Nicol, C.J.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Post-conflict friendly reunion in a permanent group of horses (Equus caballus) |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
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Volume |
85 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
185-190 |
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Keywords |
aggression; affiliative interactions; conflict resolution; horse; post conflict; behaviour; reconciliation |
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Abstract |
Gregarious animals living in permanent social groups experience intra-group competition. Conflicts over resources can escalate into costly aggression and, in some conditions, non-dispersive forms of conflict resolution may be favoured. Post-conflict friendly reunions, hence reconciliation, have been described in a variety of species. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the occurrence of reconciliation in a group of domestic horses (Equus caballus) and learn more about strategies used to maintain group cohesion. The behaviour of seven horses living as permanent group in an enclosure for at least 2 years was observed by video for 108 h from June to August 2007. We used a Post-Conflict/Matched Control method to assess the existence of reconciliation and third-party affiliation. Behaviours recorded Post-Conflict, or during Matched Control periods, were classified as affiliative based on previous descriptions of visual communication patterns in horses. The proportion of attracted pairs over total post-conflict situations was significantly greater than the proportion of dispersed pairs, both during dyadic interactions (p < 0.001) and during triadic interactions (p = 0.002). The results of the present study show that both dyadic reconciliation and third-party post-conflict affiliative interactions form important social mechanisms for managing post-conflict situations in horses. |
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0376-6357 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5168 |
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Baragli, P.; Paoletti, E.; Vitale, V.; Sighieri, C. |
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Title |
Looking in the correct location for a hidden object: brief note about the memory of donkeys (Equus asinus) |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Ethology Ecology & Evolution |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ethology Ecology & Evolution |
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23 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
187-192 |
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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. |
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Taylor & Francis |
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0394-9370 |
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doi: 10.1080/03949370.2011.554885 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6177 |
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Baragli, P.; Vitale, V.; Paoletti, E.; Sighieri, C.; Reddon, A.R. |
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Title |
Detour behaviour in horses (Equus caballus) |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Journal of Ethology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Ethol. |
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Volume |
29 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
227-234 |
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Keywords |
Detour behaviour; Equus caballus; Horses; Lateralization; Spatial reasoning |
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Abstract |
The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of horses (Equus caballus) to detour around symmetric and asymmetric obstacles. Ten female Italian saddle horses were each used in three detour tasks. In the first task, the ability to detour around a symmetrical obstacle was evaluated; in the second and third tasks subjects were required to perform a detour around an asymmetrical obstacle with two different degrees of asymmetry. The direction chosen to move around the obstacle and time required to make the detour were recorded. The results suggest that horses have the spatial abilities required to perform detour tasks with both symmetric and asymmetric obstacles. The strategy used to perform the task varied between subjects. For five horses, lateralized behaviour was observed when detouring the obstacle; this was consistently in one direction (three on the left and two on the right). For these horses, no evidence of spatial learning or reasoning was found. The other five horses did not solve this task in a lateralized manner, and a trend towards decreasing lateralization was observed as asymmetry, and hence task difficulty, increased. These non-lateralized horses may have higher spatial reasoning abilities. |
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Springer Japan |
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English |
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0289-0771 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5686 |
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Author |
Vitale, V.; Balocchi, R.; Varanini, M.; Sgorbini, M.; Macerata, A.; Sighieri, C.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
The effects of restriction of movement on the reliability of heart rate variability measurements in the horse (Equus caballus) |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Journal of Veterinary Behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Vet. Behav. |
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8 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
400-403 |
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Keywords |
behavior; heart rate variability; horse; measurement; reliability; restriction of movement |
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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. |
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1558-7878 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6618 |
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Author |
Sighieri, C.; Tedeschi, D.; De Andreis, C.; Petri, L.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Behaviour patterns of horses can be used to establish a dominantsubordinate relationship between man and horse |
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Journal Article |
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2003 |
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Animal Welfare |
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12 |
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705-708 |
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ANIMAL WELFARE; BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS; DOMINANCE; UNHANDLED HORSE |
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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. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4089 |
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Sighieri, C.; Tedeschi, D.; De Andreis, C.; Petri, L.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Behaviour Patterns of Horses Can be Used to Establish a Dominant-Subordinate Relationship Between Man and Horse |
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Journal Article |
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2003 |
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Animal Welfare |
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12 |
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4 |
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705-708 |
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animal welfare; behaviour patterns; dominance; unhandled horse |
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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. |
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Cambridge University Press |
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2023/01/11 |
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0962-7286 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6713 |
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Author |
Scopa, C.; Greco, A.; Contalbrigo, L.; Fratini, E.; Lanatà, A.; Scilingo, E.P.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses |
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Journal Article |
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2020 |
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Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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7 |
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Pages |
998 |
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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. |
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2297-1769 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6625 |
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Author |
Baragli, P.; Demuru, E.; Scopa, C.; Palagi, E. |
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Title |
Are horses capable of mirror self-recognition? A pilot study |
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Journal Article |
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2017 |
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Plos One |
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Plos One |
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12 |
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5 |
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e0176717 |
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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. |
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Public Library of Science |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6158 |
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