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Author |
Burn, C.C.; Dennison, T.L.; Whay, H.R. |
![goto web page (via DOI) doi](img/doi.gif)
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Title |
Relationships between behaviour and health in working horses, donkeys, and mules in developing countries |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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Volume |
126 |
Issue ![sorted by Issue field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
3-4 |
Pages |
109–118 |
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Animal welfare; Developing countries; Equine; Human-animal relationships; Inactivity; Sickness behaviour |
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Recent studies raise serious welfare concerns regarding the estimated 93.6 million horses, donkeys and mules in developing countries. Most equids are used for work in poor communities, and are commonly afflicted with wounds, poor body condition, respiratory diseases, parasites, dental problems, and lameness. Non-physical welfare problems, such as fear of humans, are also of concern. Interventions to improve working equine welfare aim to prioritise the conditions that cause the most severe impositions on the animals' subjectively experienced welfare, but data identifying which conditions these may be, are lacking. Here we describe a stage in the validation of behavioural welfare indicators that form part of a working equine welfare assessment protocol. Over 4 years, behavioural and physical data were collected from 5481 donkeys, 4504 horses, and 858 mules across nine developing countries. Behaviours included the animals' general alertness, and their responses to four human-interaction tests, using the unfamiliar observer as the human stimulus. Avoidance behaviours correlated significantly with each other across the human-interaction tests, with 21% of animals avoiding the observer, but they showed no associations with likely anthropogenic injuries. Over 13% of equids appeared [`]apathetic': lethargic rather than alert. Measures of unresponsiveness correlated with each other across the five tests, and were associated with poor body condition, abnormal mucous membrane colour, faecal soiling, eye abnormalities, more severe wounds, and older age, depending on the equine species. This suggests that working equids in poor physical health show an unresponsive behavioural profile, consistent with sickness behaviour, exhaustion, chronic pain, or depression-like states. |
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0168-1591 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5158 |
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Author |
Lee, J.; Floyd, T.; Erb, H.; Houpt, K. |
![goto web page (via DOI) doi](img/doi.gif)
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Title |
Preference and demand for exercise in stabled horses |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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Volume |
130 |
Issue ![sorted by Issue field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
3-4 |
Pages |
91-100 |
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Horse; Welfare; Exercise; Operant conditioning; Two choice preference; Treadmill |
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Operant conditioning and two choice preference tests were used to assess the motivation of horses to be released from straight and from box stalls. The motivations for food, a companion, and release into a paddock were compared when the horses had to work for each commodity at increasing fixed ratios of responses (panel presses) to reward in an equine operant conditioning stall. The motivation for food (mean ± SEM = 258 ± 143) responses was much greater than that for either release (38 ± 32) from a straight stall into a large paddock alone or into a small paddock with another horse (95 ± 41) (P = 0.04). When given a two choice preference test between exercise on a treadmill for 20 min or returning to their box stalls, eight of nine horses chose to return to their stalls. In a two choice preference test six of eight horses in box stalls chose to be released into a paddock alone. Horses were given a series of two choice preference tests to determine how long they preferred to be in a paddock. After 15 min in the paddock the horses were re-tested, but all chose the paddock when released into a paddock with three other horses. They were retested every 15 min until they chose to return to their stalls. They chose to stay out for 35 ± 6 min when other horses were in the paddock but for only 17 ± 2 min when they would be alone. When deprived of stall release for 48 h the horses chose to remain in the paddock with other horses for 54 ± 6 min, but showed no compensatory behavior when they were alone (duration chosen = 16 ± 4 min). These findings indicate that horses are not strongly motivated to exercise alone and will choose not to endure forced exercise on a treadmill. The social context of voluntary exercise is important; horses are willing to stay out of their stalls longer if other horses are present and will show compensatory behavior only if other horses are present. These finding have implications for optimizing turnout time for stalled horses. |
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0168-1591 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5330 |
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Baker, K.C.; Seres, E.; Aureli, F.; De Waal, F.B. |
![find record details (via OpenURL) openurl](img/xref.gif)
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Title |
Injury risks among chimpanzees in three housing conditions |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2000 |
Publication |
American journal of primatology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Am. J. Primatol. |
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51 |
Issue ![sorted by Issue field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
3 |
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161-175 |
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Aggression; *Animal Welfare; Animals; Female; *Housing, Animal; Male; *Pan troglodytes; Risk Assessment; Wounds and Injuries/*veterinary |
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Meeting the psychological needs of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) can be a challenge given their aggressiveness on the one hand and the complexity of their social lives on the other. It is unclear how to balance the need to provide opportunities for species-appropriate behavior against potential risks of injury chimpanzees may inflict on each other. This study evaluates the suggestion that simpler social environments protect chimpanzees from wounding. Over a two-year period all visible injuries to 46 adult males, 64 adult females, and 25 immature chimpanzees were recorded at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center. Approximately half of the subjects were mother-reared, and the rest were nursery-reared. Housing included compounds containing about 20 chimpanzees, interconnected indoor-outdoor runs for groups of up to 12 individuals, and smaller indoor-outdoor runs for pairs and trios. Annual wounding rates were calculated for serious wounds (extensive injuries and all those requiring veterinary intervention) as well as for minor wounds. Compound-housed chimpanzees incurred the highest level of minor wounding, but serious wounding levels were not affected by housing condition. Even with a period of dominance instability and elevated levels of wounding in one compound, compound chimpanzees were not injured more than those in smaller social groups over the long term. Nursery-reared females in moderate-sized groups were wounded more than mother-reared females. Also, nursery-reared males and females were wounded less often when paired with mother-reared companions. Overall, this study indicates that maintaining chimpanzees in pairs and trios would not be an effective means for reducing injuries. The management of wounding in chimpanzee colonies is influenced more by the sex and rearing composition of a colony. |
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Living Links Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. kateb@rmy.emory.edu |
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English |
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0275-2565 |
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PMID:10902665 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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188 |
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Mendl, M. |
![find record details (via OpenURL) openurl](img/xref.gif)
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Title |
Performing under pressure: stress and cognitive function |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1999 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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65 |
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3 |
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221-244 |
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Stress; Cognition; Attention; Learning; Memory; Welfare |
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The way in which cognitive functioning is affected by stressors is an important area of research for applied ethologists because stress caused by captive conditions may disrupt cognitive processes and lead to welfare and husbandry problems. Such problems may be minimised through an understanding of the links between stress and cognition. The effects of stress on cognitive function have been studied in disciplines ranging from human perceptual psychology to animal neuroscience. The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to this research, focusing on the effects of stressors on attention, memory formation and memory recall. Findings from such a diverse literature with little apparent inter-disciplinary communication are inevitably complex and often contradictory. Nevertheless, some generalities do emerge. The idea that an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between an individual's state of stress or arousal and its ability to perform a cognitive task effectively, the so-called Yerkes-Dodson law, is commonly encountered. The law has limited explanatory value because it is unlikely that different stressors act on cognitive function via the same intervening, non-specific state. Furthermore, the law only provides a very general description of the relationship between stress and cognitive function. Empirical research on attention and memory processes reveals more specific findings. Stressors appear to cause shifts, lapses and narrowing of attention, and can also influence decision speed. These processes may be viewed as serving an adaptive role helping the animal to search for and scrutinise a source of danger. There is conflicting evidence as to whether hormones involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response play a part in these processes. These hormones and those involved in the sympathetic-adrenomedullary stress response do appear to play an important role in memory formation. Low or moderate concentrations of circulating glucocorticoids and catecholamines can enhance memory formation, while excessively high or prolonged elevations of these hormones can lead to memory disruption. The effects of stressors on memory recall are less clear. There is evidence for disruptive effects, and for facilitatory effects indicating state-dependent memory recall; events experienced under conditions of high arousal may be best recalled under similar conditions. Applied ethologists have the opportunity to extend work in this area, which often involves studies of single stressors/stress hormones acting in isolation and limited measures of cognitive function, by focusing on real-life husbandry stressors encountered by captive animals. This will yield fundamental information which also has direct relevance to animal welfare and management issues. |
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refbase @ user @ |
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393 |
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Zeitler-Feicht, M.H. |
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[Critical consideration of the “Guideline for the Evaluation of Raising Horses” and keeping horses outside in the winter] |
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Journal Article |
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2004 |
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DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift |
Abbreviated Journal |
Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr |
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111 |
Issue ![sorted by Issue field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
3 |
Pages |
120-123 |
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Animal Feed/standards; Animal Husbandry/legislation & jurisprudence/methods/*standards; *Animal Welfare/legislation & jurisprudence; Animals; Cold; Female; Germany; Guidelines/*standards; Horses/*physiology; Housing, Animal/legislation & jurisprudence/*standards; Legislation, Veterinary; Male; Seasons |
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The guidelines of the Federal Ministry of User Protection, Nutrition and Agriculture (BMVEL) regarding “horse keeping with respect to animal welfare” are from 1995 (BMELF, 1995). Therefore, they are not suitable for modern horse keeping. The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) held it to be necessary to rework the guide-lines in light of 1) many subsequent investigations concerning horse keeping, and 2) the species-specific needs of horses in practice. Each chapter of the BMELF (1995) guide-lines was revised such that the literature and practical experiences were updated. Several chapters (recumbency resting behaviour, fences, underground outdoor and in stables, litter) were added in the position paper of the TVT to reflect the increasing use of boxes with paddocks, loose housing systems with open yards, pasture and winter yards as housing conditions. Keeping horses outdoors permanently during winter is possible because horses have very good thermoregulatory capabilities so that they are able to adapt themselves to cold conditions. However, in light of animal welfare, the holding system must include adequate shelter (natural or artificial). Shelters should protect against wetness, heat, cold and wind, and must be sufficiently large and high, with a dry and clean underground. In keeping horses outdoors permanently, the paths to the feeding and watering areas and to the shelter must be dry. The food must also be protected against mould and soiling. Keeping horses permanently without adequate shelter or in deep marsh without any dry places is against the Animal Protection Act. |
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Lehrgebiet fur Tierhaltung und Verhaltenskunde, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan fur Ernahrung, Landnutzung und Umwelt, Technische Universitat Munchen. Zeitler-Feicht@tz.agrar.tu-muenchen.de |
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German |
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Kritische Betrachtung der “Leitlinien zur Beurteilung von Pferdehaltungen” und Winteraussenhaltung von Pferden |
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0341-6593 |
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PMID:15195962 |
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1900 |
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Author |
Pollmann, U. |
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[Keeping of horses in circus and show businesses] |
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Journal Article |
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2002 |
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DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift |
Abbreviated Journal |
Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr |
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Volume |
109 |
Issue ![sorted by Issue field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
3 |
Pages |
126-129 |
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Animal Husbandry/*methods; *Animal Welfare; Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Horses; *Housing, Animal; Humans; Reward |
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The conditions under which horses are kept and the performance of acts in the circus ring may give rise to animal protection-relevant aspects for circus and show horses. A number of intolerable conditions under which horses are kept and procedures adopted for the work with circus and show horses are described. In addition, attention is drawn to monitoring methods capable of exposing the deplorable shortcomings of these businesses. |
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Fachbereich Ethologie und Tierschutz des Chemischen und Veterinaruntersuchungsamtes Freiburg. Ursula.Pollmann@cvuafr.bwl.de |
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German |
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Pferdehaltung in Zirkus- und Schaustellerbetrieben |
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0341-6593 |
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PMID:11963363 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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1914 |
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Zeeb, K. |
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[Possibilities for the all-year free-range raising of horses] |
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Journal Article |
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1994 |
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DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift |
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Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr |
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101 |
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3 |
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122-123 |
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Animal Feed; *Animal Husbandry; Animal Welfare; Animals; Germany; Horses/*physiology; Housing, Animal; Seasons; Weather |
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The ethological concept concerning supply of needs an avoidance of damage is mentioned as a possibility for the evaluation of welfare aspects related to animal management. The 250 Dulmen horses kept on 300 ha by the Duke of Croy show what must be provided for horse-keeping in a semi-natural environment: Sufficient food and water, efficient shelter as well as adequate structures for the needs of horses concerning social and comfort behaviour. A catalogue of factors, functions and facilities for this kind of horse-keeping is presented. |
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Tierhygienischen Institut, Freiburg, Breisgau |
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German |
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Moglichkeiten der ganzjahrigen Freilandhaltung von Pferden |
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0341-6593 |
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PMID:8205954 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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1941 |
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Petherick, J.C.; Waddington, D.; Duncan, I.J.H. |
![find record details (via OpenURL) openurl](img/xref.gif)
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Title |
Learning to gain access to a foraging and dustbathing substrate by domestic fowl: is `out of sight out of mind'? |
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Journal Article |
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1991 |
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Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
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22 |
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3 |
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213-226 |
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Domestic fowl; Dustbathing; Welfare; Learning; Cognition |
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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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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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3609 |
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Mormède, P.; Andanson, S.; Aupérin, B.; Beerda, B.; Guémené, D.; Malmkvist, J.; Manteca, X.; Manteuffel, G.; Prunet, P.; van Reenen, C.G.; Richard, S.; Veissier, I. |
![goto web page (via DOI) doi](img/doi.gif)
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Title |
Exploration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function as a tool to evaluate animal welfare |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Physiology & Behavior |
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Physiol. Behav. |
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92 |
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3 |
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317-339 |
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Stress; Animal welfare; HPA axis; Glucocorticoid hormones; Acth; Dexamethasone suppression test; Cattle; Pig; Fur animals; Mink; Fox; Poultry; Fish |
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Measuring HPA axis activity is the standard approach to the study of stress and welfare in farm animals. Although the reference technique is the use of blood plasma to measure glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol or corticosterone), several alternative methods such as the measurement of corticosteroids in saliva, urine or faeces have been developed to overcome the stress induced by blood sampling itself. In chronic stress situations, as is frequently the case in studies about farm animal welfare, hormonal secretions are usually unchanged but dynamic testing allows the demonstration of functional changes at several levels of the system, including the sensitization of the adrenal cortex to ACTH and the resistance of the axis to feedback inhibition by corticosteroids (dexamethasone suppression test). Beyond these procedural aspects, the main pitfall in the use of HPA axis activity is in the interpretation of experimental data. The large variability of the system has to be taken into consideration, since corticosteroid hormone secretion is usually pulsatile, follows diurnal and seasonal rhythms, is influenced by feed intake and environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, age and physiological state, just to cite the main sources of variation. The corresponding changes reflect the important role of glucocorticoid hormones in a number of basic physiological processes such as energy metabolism and central nervous system functioning. Furthermore, large differences have been found across species, breeds and individuals, which reflect the contribution of genetic factors and environmental influences, especially during development, in HPA axis functioning. Usually, these results will be integrated with data from behavioral observation, production and pathology records in a comprehensive approach of farm animal welfare. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4454 |
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Rozempolska-Ruciń ska, Iwona; Trojan, Maciej; Kosik, Elż bieta; Próchniak, Tomasz; Górecka-Bruzda, Aleksandra |
![find record details (via OpenURL) openurl](img/xref.gif)
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How “natural” training methods can affect equine mental state? A critical approach -- a review |
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Journal Article |
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2013 |
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Animal Science Papers & Reports |
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31 |
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3 |
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185 |
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HORSES -- Training; HORSEMANSHIP; HUMAN-animal relationships; LEARNING in animals; ANIMAL psychology; ANIMAL intelligence; ANIMAL welfare |
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Abstract |
Among equestrians the “natural” training methods of horses are gaining widespread popularity due to their spectacular efficiency. Underlying philosophy of trainers – founders of different “natural horsemanship training” (NHT) schools, along with other not well documented statements includes argumentation of solely welfare- and human-friendly effects of NHT in the horse. The aim of this review was to screen scientific papers related to NHT to answer the question whether „natural“ training methods may actually exert only positive effects upon equine mental state and human-horse relationship. It appears that NHT trainers may reduce stress and emotional tension and improve learning processes as they appropriately apply learning stimuli. Basing on revised literature it can be concluded that training is successful provided that [i] the strength of the aversive stimulus meets sensitivity of an individual horse, [ii] the aversive stimulus is terminated at a right moment to avoid the impression of punishment, and [iii] the animal is given enough time to assess its situation and make an independent decision in the form of adequate behavioural reaction. Neglecting any of these conditions may lead to substantial emotional problems, hyperactivity, or excessive fear in the horse-human relationship, regardless of the training method. However, we admit that the most successful NHT trainers reduce aversive stimulation to the minimum and that horses learn quicker with fear or stress reactions, apparently decreasing along with training process. Anyway, NHT should be acknowledged for absolutely positive role in pointing out the importance of proper stimulation in the schooling and welfare of horses. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5726 |
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