Abstract: The behavior of mares at foaling and their behavior during subsequent weekly brief separations from their foals was quantified. Thirteen multiparous pony mares were observed for the first 30 min after foaling. Activities directed toward the foal and toward the fetal membranes were recorded. There were 16+/-8 contacts with the fetal membranes, most in the first 10 min post-partum. There were 81+/-12 activities directed toward the foal. There was a downward trend in foal contacts over the first 30 min. Eight of the 13 mares were observed for the 30-60 min post-partum during which licking and touching the foal continued. Only one of the foals suckled in the first 30 min, but half had suckled by 60 min. Ten mares and foals were separated for 5 min each week for 9 weeks. Although mare responses (neighs and steps) decreased with age of the foal, the foals' responses increased from weeks 1 to 2 and then decreased with foal age. This indicates that foal attachment to the mare is not complete until it is 2 weeks old.

Abstract: P. stutzeri cytochrome c4 is a di-haem protein, composed of two globular domains each with His-Met coordinated haem, and a hydrogen bond network between the domains. The domain foldings are highly symmetric but with specific differences including structural differences of ligand coordination, and different spin states of the oxidised haem groups. We have studied unfolding of oxidised P. stutzeri cyt c4 induced thermally and by chemical denaturants. Horse heart cyt c was a reference molecule. Isothermal unfolding induced by guanidinium chloride and acid was followed by Soret, α/β, and 701-nm band absorption, and by far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy. Multifarious patterns emerge, but the two domains clearly unfold sequentially. One phase, assigned to unfolding of the N-terminal domain, proceeds at guanidinium concentrations up to [approximate]1.0 M. This is followed by two overlapping phases at higher concentrations. The intermediate state maintains Fe-Met coordination, assigned to the C-terminal domain. Interdomain interaction is reflected in decreasing values of the cooperativity parameters. Differential scanning calorimetry shows a single peak, but two peaks appear when guanidinium chloride up to 0.4 M is present. This reflects different chemical action in chemical and thermal unfolding. Acid-induced unfolding kinetics was addressed by pH jumps using diode array stopped-flow techniques. Three kinetic phases in the 701 nm Fe-Met marker band, and four phases in the Soret and α/β bands, spanning 4-1000 ms could be distinguished on pH jumps from 7.5 to the range 2.5-3.5. In this range of time and pH cyt c appears to unfold in no more than two phases. Spectral properties of the kinetic intermediates could be identified. Sequential domain unfolding, formation of high-spin states, and an intermediate state with Fe-Met coordination to a single haem group are features of the unfolding kinetics.

Abstract: Recent interest has focused on the advantage of intensively handling young foals as a means of producing more tractable horses, accustomed to humans and receptive to training. To date, the effect of this intensive handling, dubbed “imprint training” in the popular literature, has not been tested. The present study compares seven foals handled intensively as neonates with eight untreated controls. The handling protocol started from 2-8 h after birth and continued daily for a total of 5 days. The protocol consisted of a series of stimuli and experiences that were each repeated until the foal no longer resisted or reacted negatively. Subsequently, foals were tested before weaning, at 4 months of age. Results indicated that handled foals (HF) ranked higher than control foals (CF) in subjective ratings of calmness (*P<0.0117) and friendliness (*P<0.0001) and in several specific handling tasks (venipuncture *P<0.0220; placing in stock *P<0.0128). Although, in approach tests all foals but one allowed approach of a person to 4 m, significantly more HF approached the person than CF (P<0.0080). In stimulus tests, foals were presented specific stimuli to which they had been tested as neonates. Two of eight CF were too unruly and dangerous to test. Of foals that could be tested, CF required significantly more time to hook-up a heart rate monitor (**P<0.0055). Split-plot analysis indicated that HF had lower heart rates to initial left-sided stimuli, presented first, than CF (*P<0.0421). In response to right-sided stimuli, heart rate scores of CF were not significantly different from HF (P<0.2259), suggesting reduced reactivity over time due to a learning effect. Behavioral responses to specific stimuli did not differ between CF and HF, suggesting that neonatal handling has a general rather than specific effect on subsequent behavior. Cortisol concentrations were measured before and after testing and the difference calculated. All foals had higher post-testing levels than pre-testing levels. There was a significant difference between HF and CF, indicating greater reactivity among the CF (*P<0.050). In general, the results indicated that foals handled as neonates were more tractable and less reactive. Specific neonatal handling tasks, such as sticking a finger up the foal's nose or patting the bottom of the foot, seemed to have no beneficial effect on related tasks such as passing a nasogastric tube or tapping with a farrier's hammer at 4 months of age. Mechanisms for the observed effect of neonatal handling require further investigation.

Abstract: The selection of foals as future showjumpers remains a subjective process based on qualitative parameters; and hence, frequently suffers from disparity in the criteria used by experts in the field. A detailed biomechanical description of foals while jumping would be most helpful in providing a better basis for the accurate assessment of their future athletic ability. The Qualisys Pro Reflex system was used to capture 3-dimensional kinematics of 41 Dutch Warmblood foals age 6 months free jumping a vertical fence, preceded by a cross pole fence. The left lead was the most preferred lead for both the fore- and hindlimbs, from the landing following the cross poles to the first move-off stride after clearing the vertical fence. The foals displayed a high incidence of rotary gallop during both the jump stride (divided into take-off, jump suspension and landing) and the first move-off stride, while change of lead was frequently observed during jump suspension. At the take-off side of the fence, the trailing forelimb in the last approach stride was placed furthest from the fence, whereas the trailing hindlimb at take-off was placed closest (P<0.05). At the landing side, the trailing forelimb was the closest and the leading hindlimb of the move-off stride 1 was the furthest (P<0.05). The trailing forelimb in the approach stride 1 had a significantly longer stance phase duration than the leading forelimb. At landing, the leading forelimb stance phase lasted longer than that of the trailing forelimb (P<0.05). The hindlimbs did not differ in their stance phase duration at take-off. The height reached by the hooves above the fence top was significantly greater in the hind limbs (P<0.05). In addition, the hindlimbs (97.1 +/- 2.6%) shortened more than the forelimbs (92.6 +/- 5.7%) (P<0.05). It is concluded that the overall jumping technique of foals is similar to that reported in literature for mature horses. If the patterns are consistent throughout the rearing period, the quantitative analysis of the kinematics of free jumping foals may provide a valid quantitative basis for early selection.

Abstract: Heterogeneous, “aggregated” patterns in the spatial distributions of individuals are almost universal across living organisms, from bacteria to higher vertebrates. Whereas specific features of aggregations are often visually striking to human eyes, a heuristic analysis based on human vision is usually not sufficient to answer fundamental questions about how and why organisms aggregate. What are the individual-level behavioral traits that give rise to these features? When qualitatively similar spatial patterns arise from purely physical mechanisms, are these patterns in organisms biologically significant, or are they simply epiphenomena that are likely characteristics of any set of interacting autonomous individuals? If specific features of spatial aggregations do confer advantages or disadvantages in the fitness of group members, how has evolution operated to shape individual behavior in balancing costs and benefits at the individual and group levels? Mathematical models of social behaviors such as schooling in fishes provide a promising avenue to address some of these questions. However, the literature on schooling models has lacked a common framework to objectively and quantitatively characterize relationships between individual-level behaviors and group-level patterns. In this paper, we briefly survey similarities and differences in behavioral algorithms and aggregation statistics among existing schooling models. We present preliminary results of our efforts to develop a modeling framework that synthesizes much of this previous work, and to identify relationships between behavioral parameters and group-level statistics. N1 -