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Author McCall, C.A.; Salters, M.A.; Johnson, K.B.; Silverman, S.J.; McElhenney, W.H.; Lishak, R.S. url  openurl
  Title Equine utilization of a previously learned visual stimulus to solve a novel task Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 82 Issue 3 Pages 163-172  
  Keywords Horse; Learned stimulus; Novel task; Discrimination  
  Abstract Forty-four horses were used to determine if a learned stimulus could be used to increase acquisition of a response unrelated to the original learned task. Horses were paired by age, breed and sex. One randomly chosen horse from each pair served as the control while the remaining horse was trained to respond to a visual stimulus by pushing a lever to obtain a food reward. In Experiment I (n=28), the food reward was delivered in a feed box located equidistant between two levers located 2.7 m apart on one wall of the test stall. Trained horses were given 30 training trials daily until they achieved at least 85% correct responses in three nonconsecutive days. After each trained horse reached criterion, both horses in the pair were tested in 30 trials daily for five consecutive days in a modified Y maze. The stimulus that indicated the correct lever in the initial training task was used to signify the correct arm of the maze for both the control and trained horses. The correct arm of the maze was changed randomly during each daily session, and correct choices resulted in a food reward. In Experiment II (n=16), levers were located on opposite walls (11 m apart) of the test stall, and the stimulus and modified Y maze were simplified. Trained horses received 15 training trials daily until they reached at least 85% correct responses on three consecutive days. As each trained horse achieved this criterion, both horses in the pair were tested in a maze for 15 trials daily for 7 days. Again, the stimulus from initial lever-pressing task was used to signify the rewarded arm of the maze. Correct choices of trained and control horses in both experiments were compared using a paired t-test. In Experiment I, no differences (P>0.34) in mean correct responses were detected between trained and control horses on the first day in the maze (15.3 and 16.8, respectively) or after 5 days in the maze (84.0 and 82.1, respectively). Similarly, in Experiment II, trained and control horses did not differ (P>0.50) in mean correct responses on the first day (6.9 and 7.4, respectively) or after 7 days in the maze (63.6 and 61.6, respectively). These results indicate that the stimuli used to solve the lever-pressing task were not utilized by horses in the maze task, and that horses may have difficulty transferring learned visual stimuli to new tasks.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3587  
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Author Davis, H.; Balfour, D. (eds) url  isbn
openurl 
  Title The Inevitable Bond: Examining Scientist-Animal Interactions Type Book Whole
  Year 1992 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Book Description

Although animals are widely employed as research subjects, it is only recently that we have acknowledged the bond that frequently, perhaps inevitably, develops between subject and researcher. Whatever the qualities of this relationship, an increasing body of evidence suggests that it may result in profound behavioural and physiological changes in the animal subject. Such effects are apparent in behavioural studies conducted in both laboratory and field settings. They also appear in physiological studies ranging from the biomedical (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, immunological changes) to animal science (e.g. growth, reproduction). Such effects are not confined to obvious cases involving primates and dogs, but appear in unexpected animals like chickens, reptiles and even octopuses. Despite the fact that most researchers are trained to minimise or avoid such interactions, they continue to occur. This book, the first of its kind to address this issue systematically, describes many examples of this “inevitable bond” between scientist and animal. This discussion will allow researchers to anticipate these potentially confounding effects and take advantage of such relationships in designing more effective and humane environments for animal subjects.
 
  Address  
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  Publisher Cambridge University Press Place of Publication Cambridge, Massachusetts Editor Davis, H.; Balfour, D.  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) ISBN 978-0521405102 Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3595  
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Author Duncan, I.J.H.; Widowski, T.M.; Malleau, A.E.; Lindberg, A.C.; Petherick, J.C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title External factors and causation of dustbathing in domestic hens Type Journal Article
  Year 1998 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 43 Issue 2 Pages 219-228  
  Keywords Dustbathing; Illumination; Laying hens; Radiant heat; Social facilitation; Temperature  
  Abstract Dustbathing is known to be motivated by complex interactions between internal factors which build up over time and external factors, such as the sight of a dusty substrate. In this study, the effects of other external factors were investigated. Environmental temperature was shown to be important; frequencies of dustbathing were greater when hens were held at 22 than at 10[degree sign]C (P<0.01). In a second experiment, a radiant heat source or a radiant heat+light source, balanced to give the same radiant heat, resulted in more dustbathing behaviour during a 1-h stimulus period than during the same period with no stimulus (P<0.05). Components of dustbathing were increased more by the heat+light stimulus than by the heat stimulus alone (P<0.03). In a third experiment, the amount of dustbathing performed by individual hens in cages with dustbaths was increased by the presence of a group of hens dustbathing in an adjoining pen with a dustbath compared with the amount occurring when the hens were absent from the pen.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3607  
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Author Petherick, J.C.; Waddington, D.; Duncan, I.J.H. url  openurl
  Title Learning to gain access to a foraging and dustbathing substrate by domestic fowl: is `out of sight out of mind'? Type Journal Article
  Year 1991 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 22 Issue 3 Pages 213-226  
  Keywords Domestic fowl; Dustbathing; Welfare; Learning; Cognition  
  Abstract Domestic fowl were deprived of the opportunity to perform litter-related behaviour for three or four days and were tested in a Y-maze (which they had previously been trained to run) for their ability to associate a coloured cue with gaining access to peat. When the goal boxes were within sight of the choice point, most birds chose peat. However, when the birds had to rely solely on the coloured cue only one bird from 12 showed learning. However, the birds seemed to have some expectation of a reward, as they ran faster if, on the previous trial, they had chosen peat. The inability of the birds to learn the association may have been an artefact of the schedule of deprivation and testing, for when they were hungry and tested in the same way they were again unable to learn an association between the same coloured cue and food reward. The experiment with peat was repeated using “massed” trials (several trials in immediate succession) during training and testing and six from 15 birds showed learning. These results suggest that the initial failure to learn was probably due to the training and testing schedule, that access to peat appears to be rewarding and that hens can learn an association between an abstract cue and a rewarding consequence. This is consistent with the possibility that domestic fowls may have some cognitive representation of peat when it is out of sight.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3609  
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Author Sigurjónsdóttir , H.; Gunnarsson, V. url  openurl
  Title Controlled Study of Early Handling and Training of Icelandic Foals Type Journal Article
  Year Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Introduction

Many scientists agree that information on the learning abilities of horses should be used in developing training methods (Fiske and Potter, 1979; Mader and Price, 1980; McCall, 1990) but nevertheless research where such knowledge is put to the test is limited (Flannery, 1997). Foals that are handled continuously between 4 and 22 months of age were quicker learners and were easier to train than those that got less handling (Fiske and Potter, 1979). The handling involved being lead, brushed, and acclimated to restraint. In some studies more relaxed foals learned more and were easier to train later on than stressed foals (Fiske and Potter, 1979; Heird et al, 1986) while no such correlation was found in another study (Mader and Price 1980). It is commonly believed, and has been established with tests, that younger horses are quicker-learners than mature (Mader and Price, 1980; Houpt, 1982), but the question remains to be answered if a certain age is better than another and if so, if the optimum time differs between breeds.

The idea of imprint training (Miller, 2000) is controversial but seems to be popular in the USA. Miller found that foals that had been treated by veterinarians at birth were easier to handle later on. He associated this with what Konrad Lorenz called imprint learning (1937), which involved irreversible learning taking place during a sensitive period early in life. Miller claims that the idea has been tested scientifically but no such papers are covered by Wed of Science. To our knowledge one systematic research has been carried out whose results will be published this year (Jennifer Williams, personal communication). Miller (2000) claims that it is very important to stroke and handle the foals quickly after birth (hence the reference to the imprinting concept) and desensitize them to touch and other interventions. A study by Mal et al (1994) did not support the claim that very young foals are more sensitive to treatment than older foals. It is possible that what we are witnessing when the foals seem relaxed after stroking is not “imprinting” but “learned helplessness”.

In Iceland where mares give birth out in the field within the herd (usually herds of mares, sub-adults and sometimes geldings) it is customary not to disturb the mare and foal for the first hours of the foal's life. That fact and the custom in many places to let the foals stay with their dams within large groups in the wilderness from 1-2 months of age till autumn, would mean that continuous handling would not have a practical value for most Icelandic horse owners. We wanted to test the idea that early handling and training of foals should calm the foals considerably and teach them valuable lessons, which would make training later on easier.
 
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  Publisher Iceland University of Education Place of Publication Editor  
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  Notes 2 papers – scroll down Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3619  
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Author McGee, S.; Smith, H.V. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Accompanying pre-weaned Thoroughbred (Equus caballus) foals while separated from the mare during covering reduces behavioural signs of distress exhibited Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 88 Issue 1-2 Pages 137-147  
  Keywords Distress; Foals; Maternal separation; Stereotypies; Welfare  
  Abstract Some Thoroughbred stallion farms separate the mare from the foal during breeding, leaving the foal alone in its stall. Such separation often leads to distress in the foal, as evidenced by behavioural indicators such as vocalisations, pacing or moving about, pawing and striking the body against solid objects. This study examined whether the foal's distress is reduced if a handler accompanies it during the period of separation. A total of 57 foals on an Irish stud farm were observed: 27 foals were accompanied during separation and 30 were left in isolation but discretely observed from outside the stall. On average, unaccompanied foals vocalised at significantly (P<0.001) shorter intervals (14.8 s versus 26.8 s), and spent significantly (P<0.05) more time pawing (29.6 s versus 6.8 s) than accompanied ones. In addition, 17 of the unaccompanied foals hurled themselves against a solid object on at least one occasion, while not one of the accompanied foals did this (P<0.001). Age, gender and number of times the foal had been previously separated from the mare while she was being teased or covered were not significantly related to any of the behavioural indicators of distress. Overall, the data provide clear evidence that accompanying a foal reduces the distress that it exhibits when separated from the mare. This procedure has obvious welfare benefits in the short term, in that the foal both experiences less distress and has a reduced likelihood of injuring itself, and it may have longer-term benefits by reducing the chance of the animal later developing a locomotory stereotypical behaviour.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3639  
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Author Goodwin, D.; Davidson, H.P.B.; Harris, P. doi  openurl
  Title Selection and acceptance of flavours in concentrate diets for stabled horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 95 Issue 3-4 Pages 223-232  
  Keywords Horse; Flavour; Diet; Selection; Acceptance  
  Abstract Like most large grazing herbivores, horses select their food based on visual cues, odour, taste, texture, availability and variety. There is relatively little published information about the role of flavour in diet selection by domestic horses in comparison with other domestic and companion animals. However, previous trials investigating effects of diet flavour in stabled horses indicated significant effects on foraging behaviour and selection. In this series of three trials we aimed to determine relative acceptance by presenting flavour preference tests to eight horses. Horses were stabled and fed hay ad lib on trial data collection days plus a standard unflavoured concentrate ration at 7:30 a.m. In Trial 1, 15 flavours were separately presented in standard 100 g cereal by-product meals and the trial was replicated. Quantity consumed, time of completion, partial rejection or refusal were recorded. Order of presentation was determined by a Latin Square design. Trial data were collected on five sampling days, separated by a minimum of 1 day. Horses were presented with six flavoured meals daily; minimum 1 h between the meals. Twelve flavours were universally accepted and of these the eight flavours with fastest mean consumption times (banana, carrot, cherry, cumin, fenugreek, oregano, peppermint and rosemary) were presented in paired preference tests in Trial 2. In Trial 2, all paired combinations of the eight flavours were presented, in two tests per day at noon and 4 p.m. Presentations of the same flavour were separated by at least 1 day. Paired presentations were in 300 g cereal by-product. Presentations were terminated when approximately half of the total amount presented had been consumed. Flavour preferences were expressed as a ratio from 0 (rejection) to 1 (exclusive consumption). Paired flavour preferences produced the following rank order: fenugreek, banana, cherry, rosemary, cumin, carrot, peppermint, oregano. In Trial 3, relative consumption times of mineral pellets flavoured with fenugreek and banana were significantly reduced in comparison with unflavoured pellets. In these short-term trials, flavour had significant effects on diet acceptance, selection and consumption times.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3643  
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Author Peham, C.; Licka, T.; Schobesberger, H.; Meschan, E. url  openurl
  Title Influence of the rider on the variability of the equine gait Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Human Movement Science Abbreviated Journal European Workshop on Movement Science  
  Volume 23 Issue 5 Pages 663-671  
  Keywords  
  Abstract The aim of this study was to show that the motion pattern of a well-ridden horse varies less than the motion pattern of an unridden horse. In order to do so, we recorded the motion of two markers, one attached to the dorsal spinous processus of lumbar vertebra L4, the other to the right fore hoof. In total, we measured 21 horses in trot, ridden and unridden, with a fitting and with a non-fitting saddle. After breaking down the entire time series of the three-dimensional motion of the markers into their respective motion cycles, we computed a measure of motion pattern variability for the motion as well as for the derivatives (velocity and acceleration) along each of the three principal dimensions. Two of six variables (velocity and acceleration in the forward direction) displayed a significant discrimination between the ridden and the unridden case, and demonstrated the beneficial effect of a rider on the horse's motion pattern variability. Saddle fit was shown to have also an influence on motion variability: variability of two variables (velocity and of acceleration in forward direction) was significantly lower with a fitting saddle compared to a non-fitting saddle, a third variable (acceleration in the transversal direction) showed a significant difference also. This new method offers an objective evaluation of saddle fit, and a sensitive assessment of the quality of the rider in the moving horse.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3670  
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Author McCall, C.A.; Hall, S.; McElhenney, W.H.; Cummins, K.A. url  openurl
  Title EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF FOUR REACTIVITY TESTS IN HORSES Type Conference Article
  Year 2010 Publication Proc.17th Equine Nutr. Physiol. Symp Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 357  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Four methods of ranking horses on reactivity were evaluated and compared: isolation from conspecifics, presentation of a static novel stimulus, traversing a novel stimulus in a runway (isolation, novel stimulus and runways tests, respectively) and assigning subjective emotionality scores. Forty horses performed each of the three tests daily on three different days in a switchback design where treatments were injection of a tranquilizer or vehicle. Horses were randomly assigned a daily test sequence, which was maintained throughout the study. In all tests, heart rates were recorded and behavior was videotaped. To be considered a valid test of reactivity, at least one heart rate and one behavioural measurement in the test had to show a significant difference due to tranquilization, and behavioural measures had to be displayed in at least 75% of the trials. In the runway test, no significant difference in heart rate values in tranquilized and non-tranquilized horses was found, and no behavioural attribute was displayed in more than 52% of the trials; therefore it was rejected as a valid test of reactivity. Both isolation and novel stimulus tests produced valid measurements. Mean heart rate was the most precise physiological measure for these tests, and walking and defecation frequency were the most precise behavioural measures for novel stimulus and isolation tests, respectively. Mean heart rates on the novel stimulus and isolation tests were correlated (rs=0.79, P<0.01) indicating that these tests produced similar rankings based on physiological responses. However, behavioural measures ranked horses differently (rs=0.27, P<0.10) on the tests. Rank correlations between mean heart rates and behavioural measures were higher in the novel stimulus (rs = 0.66, P<0.01) than the isolation test (rs = 0.55, P<0.01), indicating that the novel stimulus test ranked horses based on either physiological or behavioural responses more similarly than did the isolation test. Therefore, the novel stimulus test was considered the more accurate evaluation of reactivity. Subjective emotionality scores were correlated moderately with mean heart rates (rs > 0.33, P<0.01) from the novel stimulus and isolation tests and with walking scores (rs = 0.47, P<0.01) from the novel stimulus test. Assignment of subjective emotionality scores was not as accurate as the novel stimulus or isolation tests in ranking horses for reactivity. Using physiological data alone, combining physiological and behavioural measurements or using more than one behavioural measurement in reactivity tests may reflect the reactivity of the horse better than a single behavioural measurement.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Lexington, KY Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3689  
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Author Oikawa, M.; Hobo, S.; Oyamada, T.; Yoshikawa, H. doi  openurl
  Title Effects of Orientation, Intermittent Rest and Vehicle Cleaning During Transport on Development of Transport-related Respiratory Disease in Horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Journal of Comparative Pathology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 132 Issue 2-3 Pages 153-168  
  Keywords horse; respiratory disease; transit fever; transit stress  
  Abstract Summary The effects of various factors on the inflammatory and stress response in horses during transportation were examined in Experiments 1 and 2, carried out in April and August, respectively. In Experiment 1, three groups (G1-G3) of four Thoroughbreds were used, and in Experiment 2, two groups (G4, G5). G1 animals were loaded into lorries with their heads facing forwards (FF) and given periods of short rest (SR) (30 min for every 4 h driven). G2 horses were loaded facing rearwards (FR) and given SR. G3 horses were FF and given periods of long rest (LR) (2 h rest for every 4 h driven). G4 horses were transported FF with hay suspended in front of them and no cleaning of faeces or urine during rest stops. G5 horses were FF and given pellets instead of hay, and the lorry was cleaned and washed at each rest stop. G4 and G5 horses were rested for 1 h after every 5 h of driving. All groups were driven a distance of 1500 km, and the total journey time was 37 h for G1 and G2, 49 h for G3, and 40 h for G4 and G5. In Experiment 1, indicators of inflammatory and stress responses tended to be highest in G1, intermediate in G2 and lowest in G3. In Experiment 2 they tended to be higher in G4 than in G5. The results suggested that increasing the rest time and cleaning the interior of the vehicle during rest stops reduced transportation stress and respiratory insults, factors that may lead to respiratory disease.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3693  
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