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Author Williams, J.L.; Friend, T.H.; Nevill, C.H.; Archer, G. url  openurl
  Title The efficacy of a secondary reinforcer (clicker) during acquisition and extinction of an operant task in horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 88 Issue 3-4 Pages 331-341  
  Keywords Equine; Horse; Clicker training; Operant conditioning; Secondary reinforcers  
  Abstract “Clicker training” is a popularly promoted training method based on operant conditioning with the use of a secondary reinforcer (the clicker). While this method draws from theories of learning and is used widely, there has been little scientific investigation of its efficacy. We used 60 horses, Equus callabus, and assigned each horse to one of six reinforcement protocols. The reinforcement protocols involved combinations of reinforcers administered (primary versus secondary plus primary), schedule of reinforcement (continuous versus variable ratio), and reinforcers applied during extinction (none or secondary). There were no differences (P>=0.11) between horses which received a secondary reinforcer (click) followed by the primary reinforcer (food) and those which received only the primary reinforcer (food) in the number of trials required to train the horses to touch their noses to a plastic cone (operant response). There also were no differences (P>=0.12) between horses which received the secondary reinforcer plus primary reinforcer and those which received only the primary reinforcer in regards to the number of trials to extinction. We conclude that there is no difference in the amount of training required to learn the operant task or in the task's resistance to extinction between horses that received a secondary reinforcer followed by a primary reinforcer versus horses which received only a primary reinforcer.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3581  
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Author Langbein, J.; Siebert, K.; Nuernberg, G.; Manteuffel, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The impact of acoustical secondary reinforcement during shape discrimination learning of dwarf goats (Capra hircus) Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 103 Issue 1-2 Pages 35-44  
  Keywords Dwarf goats; Operant conditioning; Visual discrimination learning; Secondary reinforcement  
  Abstract The use of secondary reinforcement is widely accepted to support operant learning in animals. In farm animals, however, the efficacy of secondary reinforcement has up to now been studied systematically only in horses (“clicker training”), and the results are controversial. We investigated the impact of acoustical secondary reinforcement on voluntary, self-controlled visual discrimination learning of two-dimensional shapes in group-housed dwarf goats (Capra hircus). Learning tests were conducted applying a computer-controlled learning device that was integrated in the animals' home pen. Shapes were presented on a TFT-screen using a four-choice design. Drinking water was used as primary reinforcement. In the control group (Gcontrol, n = 5) animals received only primary reinforcement, whereas in the sound group (Gsound, n = 6) animals got additional acoustical secondary reinforcement. Testing recall of shapes which had been successfully learned by the goats 6 weeks earlier (T1), we found a weak impact of secondary reinforcement on daily learning success (P = 0.07), but not on the number of trials the animals needed to reach the learning criterion (trials to criterion, n.s.). Results in T1 indicated that dwarf goats did not instantly recall previously learned shapes, but, re-learned within 250-450 trials. When learning a set of new shapes (T2), there was a strong influence of secondary reinforcement on daily learning success and on trials to criterion. Animals in Gsound reached the learning criterion earlier (P < 0.05) and needed fewer trials (1320 versus 3700; P < 0.01), compared to animals in Gcontrol. Results suggest that acoustical secondary reinforcement supports visual discrimination learning of dwarf goats, especially when the task is new and the salience of S+ is low.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3583  
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Author Flannigan, G.; Stookey, J.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Day-time time budgets of pregnant mares housed in tie stalls: a comparison of draft versus light mares Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 78 Issue 2-4 Pages 125-143  
  Keywords Horse; Time budget; Stereotypies; Housing  
  Abstract Day-time (08.30-05.30 h) time budgets were generated from 55 light and 55 draft late pregnancy mares housed in tie stalls from ten pregnant mares' urine (PMU) farms using continuous video recording. Equal numbers of light and draft mares were filmed on each farm during the months of February and early March. The actions recorded included eating, drinking, resting (standing and recumbent), standing active, and interactions between horses (aggressive and non-aggressive). In addition, the presence and duration of stereotypic behaviours such as cribbing, head bobbing, weaving, and wood/bar chewing were recorded. Light mares spent significantly more time feeding and significantly less time standing active and standing resting (P<0.05, Rank Sum Two Sample Test). However, the time budget of both groups fell within the range of previously published activity budgets of feral horses. Therefore, the differences noted may not be clinically relevant. Three light and two draft mares performed repetitive behaviours at a level that is considered stereotypic (at >5% of their daily time budget). There was no significant difference in the number of horses performing stereotypies between light and draft mares. When the time budgets of both light and draft mares who performed stereotypies were pooled, the activities did not differ significantly from their counterparts who did not perform stereotypies. Because of the overall low prevalence of stereotypies and the fact that time budgets were similar to free-range horses, we believe that the management practice of keeping large numbers of pregnant mares in tie stalls is rational and that the welfare of mares is sound. Furthermore, we did not see a behavioural justification for a bias in the weight class of horses used within this management system.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3637  
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Author Val-Laillet, D.; Passille, A.M. de; Rushen, J.; von Keyserlingk, M.A.G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The concept of social dominance and the social distribution of feeding-related displacements between cows Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 111 Issue 1-2 Pages 158-172  
  Keywords Cattle; Social dominance; Competitive success; Hierarchy; Feeding competition  
  Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which the classical properties of social dominance describe the pattern of feeder-related displacements with groups of cattle. We also compared the advantages and disadvantages of three dominance indices for describing the competitive success at the feeder. We observed displacements at the feeder within six groups of 12 lactating dairy cows over 72 h per group. We demonstrated that the cattle in our experiment established a quasi-linear hierarchy at the feeder where many dominance relationships were bi-directional (52.0 +/- 5.9%); namely, dominance relationships were significantly linear (P < 0.05 in five of the six groups) but contained many circular triads (45.0 +/- 5.6%). Dominance rank influenced the milk production (r = 0.36, P = 0.002) and the time budget of the animals: high-ranking cows were found spending more time at the feeder during the 120 min following provision of fresh food than low-ranking cows (P = 0.022), but dominance indices based on the occurrence of displacements at the feeder did not correlate with actual time spent at the feeder. The presence of numerous circular triads and bi-directional relationships suggests that the classical properties of social dominance do not correspond to the pattern of displacements that occur at feeders within small groups of cattle. Instead, the competitive success may also be affected by motivation or persistence by the animal to gain access to the food resource.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4213  
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Author Fleurance, G.; Duncan, P.; Fritz, H.; Cabaret, J.; Cortet, J.; Gordon, I.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Selection of feeding sites by horses at pasture: Testing the anti-parasite theory Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 108 Issue 3-4 Pages 228-301  
  Keywords Foraging strategies; Horses; Parasite risk; Patch choice  
  Abstract Management of grazed grasslands for production and/or conservation objectives requires a thorough understanding of the choices of feeding sites by herbivores, and of the biological processes involved. Most models of the feeding strategies of herbivores are based on the principle that optimising the intake of energy (or some nutrient) is the primary goal of foragers but other selective forces, such as parasitism, could be important. Gastrointestinal parasites (including cyathostome nematodes) have powerful effects on the fitness of herbivores and may act as a major selection pressure favouring host behaviour that reduces the risk of encountering parasites. Among large herbivores, horses have perhaps the most marked tendency to select particular feeding sites within grasslands. We test here: (1) whether horses select feeding patches with relatively low parasite densities and (2) if their choice is affected by their parasite load. We used 10 two-year old saddle-horses and three periods. In the first period, the horses were under natural parasitism which varied strongly among individuals; in the second period they were all dewormed, and in the third, a sub-set of the horses was experimentally infected with cyathostome larvae. Ninety-eight percent of the infective larvae in the pasture were found <1 m from faeces. The main determinant of the choice of feeding patch by horses was the availability of patches of different parasite risk and grass height. Controlling for availability, the horses used tall grasses (>16 cm) less than expected, whether the grass was contaminated or not, and they selected for short patches >1 m from faeces, where the risk of encountering parasites was low. These results suggest that selection of feeding sites by horses is driven by an interaction between their nutritional and anti-parasite strategies: the horses avoid the patches of tall grass which are generally of low quality and areas contaminated by parasite larvae which leads them to prefer the patches of short grass far from faeces. The parasite status of the horses at the time of the experiment had no effect on their feeding choices. However, before concluding that the challenge by cyathostomes has no effect on the selection of feeding sites in horses, it will be necessary to test whether the history of parasitism of the individuals, rather than the current status, is important.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4228  
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Author Lloyd, A.S.; Martin, J.E.; Bornett-Gauci, H.L.I.; Wilkinson, R.G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Horse personality: Variation between breeds Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 112 Issue 3-4 Pages 369-383  
  Keywords Horse personality; Breed; Assessment; Questionnaire survey; Animal  
  Abstract Anecdotal evidence from horse owners and handlers suggests the existence of breed typical behaviour and personality in horses. This is further supported by current research on heritability of personality characteristics in a range of species. The Horse Personality Questionnaire (HPQ) is a 25-item rating method that has previously been shown to be reliable for the assessment of personality in horses. Principal component analysis on HPQ data has identified six underlying personality components in horses. These are Dominance, Anxiousness, Excitability, Protection, Sociability and Inquisitiveness. Using the HPQ a survey of 1223 horses of eight different breeds was completed. Data were analysed to explore any differences in personality between breeds across the six personality components. Breed differences in personality were identified, and it was noted that variability between breeds varied between personality components. Anxiousness and Excitability showed the most variation between breeds, whilst Dominance and Protection showed the least variance. The results identified breed typical personalities that were comparable to results from previous studies as well as anecdotal evidence provided by the popular equine literature. The results are discussed in terms of the potential selection pressures that may have resulted in these differences.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4279  
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Author Jorgensen, G.H.M.; Boe, K.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A note on the effect of daily exercise and paddock size on the behaviour of domestic horses (Equus caballus) Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 107 Issue 1-2 Pages 166-173  
  Keywords Horse; Exercise; Paddock size; Behaviour; Turnout  
  Abstract In a 2 x 3 factorial experiment we examined the effect of exercise (no exercise/daily exercise) and paddock size (small: 150 m2, medium: 300 m2 and large: 450 m2) on the behaviour of horses. In both these treatment periods nine (three cold blood and six warm blood) adult horses were exposed to all the three paddock size treatments for 2 h daily, for 1 week in each paddock size, and the order of paddock size treatments were rotated systematically. In between turnout in paddocks the horses were all housed in tie stalls. In the non-exercise period the horses walked significantly more, they travelled a longer distance, explored more and stood more alert, than in the period with exercise. The horses stood less passively in the large paddock compared to the medium and the small paddock, and they also travelled a longer distance in the larger paddock sizes. At days with heavy rain and wind, the horses were more restless and walked significantly more than in warmer weather. In conclusion; daily exercise significantly reduced the general activity in the paddocks. Increasing the paddock size to 450 m2, increased the time spent eating grass from under the fence and decreased the time spent standing passively.  
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  Call Number Admin @ knut @ Serial 4338  
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Author Pick, D.F.; Lovell, G.; Brown, S.; Dail, D. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Equine color perception revisited Type Journal Article
  Year 1994 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 61-65  
  Keywords Equine; Color perception; Dichromat  
  Abstract An attempt to replicate Grzimek (1952; Z. Tierpsychol., 27: 330-338) is reported where a Quarter-Horse mare chose between colored and gray stimuli for food reinforcement. Stimuli varied across a broad range of reflectance values. A double-blind procedure with additional controls for auditory, olfactory, tactile, and position cues was used. The subject could reliably discriminate blue (462 nm) vs. gray, and red (700 nm) vs. gray without regard to reflectance (P<0.001), but could not discriminate green (496 nm) vs. gray. It is suggested that horses are dichromats in a manner similar to swine and cattle.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4368  
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Author VanDierendonck, M.C.; de Vries, H.; Schilder, M.B.H.; Colenbrander, B.; Þorhallsdóttir, A.G. and Sigurjónsdóttir, H. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Interventions in social behaviour in a herd of mares and geldings Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 116 Issue 1 Pages 67-73  
  Keywords Horses; Social relationships; Interventions; Mares; Geldings; Play; Allogrooming; Social network  
  Abstract Social dynamics and maintenance of social cohesion were studied by analysing social interventions in two groups of horses consisting of adult mares, their offspring, adult geldings and sub-adults. The animals were observed for a total of 1316 h. All relevant dyadic and triadic social interactions, including initial behaviour, possible intervention and outcome, were recorded. The main question was: do horses use interventions in affiliative interactions to safeguard their social network? Horses were significantly more likely to intervene in allogrooming or play interactions that involved a preferred partner. The stronger the preferred association in allogrooming, the higher the likelihood the intervener took over allogrooming with an initial dyad member. Interveners originating from two newly introduced groups (n = 3 and 5), intervened significantly more often when a member of their own group allogroomed with an unfamiliar horse. In play, no correlation with unfamiliarity was found. Overall, the intervening horses stopped more than half of the initial allogrooming interactions, and a third of all interactions. Therefore, social facilitation cannot sufficiently explain interference behaviour. This study shows that maintaining relationships with preferred partners is important to horses and has implications for equine husbandry and management.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4766  
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Author Napolitano, F.; De Rosa, G.; Braghieri, A.; Grasso, F.; Bordi, A.; Wemelsfelder, F. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The qualitative assessment of responsiveness to environmental challenge in horses and ponies Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication (up) Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 109 Issue 2-4 Pages 342-354  
  Keywords Horse; Pony; Behavioural expression; Qualitative measurements; Free choice profiling; Generalised Procrustes analysis  
  Abstract The responsiveness of 10 horses and 10 ponies to environmental challenge (represented by an open field test) was assessed using a qualitative approach based on free choice profiling methodology (FCP), which gives observers complete freedom to choose their own descriptive terms. Data were analysed with generalised Procrustes analysis (GPA), a multivariate statistical technique associated with FCP. A cross-validation of the outcomes of this approach to data recorded through quantitative behaviour analysis, and through a questionnaire given to the animals' owner/riding instructor, was also performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Twelve undergraduate students generated their own descriptive vocabularies, by watching 20 horse/pony video clips lasting 2.5 min each. GPA showed that the consensus profile explained a high percentage of variation among the 12 observers, and differed significantly from the mean randomised profile (p < 0.001). Two main dimensions of the consensus profile were identified, explaining 60% and 5.2% of the variation between animals, respectively. The 12 observer word charts interpreting these dimensions were semantically consistent, as they all converged towards the same meaning, albeit using different terms. The most used term to describe the positive end of axis 1 was “quiet”, whereas “attentive” was the best positive descriptor of axis 2. The most frequently used descriptors for the negative ends of axes 1 and 2 were “nervous” and “bored”, respectively. Thus, axis 1 was labelled as “quiet/nervous” and axis 2 was named as “attentive/bored”. A marked effect of animal category was observed on the scores of the animals on the first dimension (p < 0.001). Horses received significantly higher scores, and were thus assessed as more quiet and calm, than ponies. Conversely, ponies tended to receive lower scores on the second dimension (p < 0.12), therefore they appeared less curious and attentive. The results of the PCA showed that the variables from different types of measurement clearly had meaningful relationships. For instance, the variables with the highest loading on the positive end of axis 1 were all indicative of tractable and docile animals, whereas axis 2 showed high loadings on the positive end for variables indicating attentive animals. Qualitative behaviour assessment proved to be an appropriate methodology for the study of horse behavioural responsiveness, in that it provided a multifaceted characterisation of horse behavioural expression that was in agreement with other quantitative and subjective assessments of the animals' behaviour.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4769  
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