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Author McCall, C.A.; Salters, M.A.; Simpson, S.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Relationship between number of conditioning trials per training session and avoidance learning in horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1993 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 291-299  
  Keywords Horse; Learning; Avoidance conditioning  
  Abstract Sixteen horses were used to determine if number of trials given per training session (5, 10, 15 or 20) affected learning performance in an avoidance conditioning task. The horse had to move from one side of a test pen to the other during an auditory cue presentation to avoid aversive stimulation. A pen 8 mx3.6 m, divided into two equal sections by a 13-cm diameter plastic pipe lying on the ground, was used as the test pen. Painted plywood panels were fastened to the fence in half the pen to help horses distinguish visually between the two parts. A 10-s auditory cue was used as a signal for horses to move from one side of the test pen to the other. A 20-s intertrial interval was used. Training sessions were conducted every third day. Each trial was recorded as an avoidance (the horse completed the task during auditory cue presentation and avoided aversive stimulus) or an error (the horse received aversive stimulus). After completing ten consecutive avoidances (criterion), the horse was removed from the study. Numbers of training sessions, trials, avoidances and errors until reaching criterion were recorded for each horse. Horses varied greatly within these variables with ranges of 3-18 sessions, 37-121 trials, 20-68 avoidances and 17-53 errors to criterion. No differences were detected (P>0.05) in the number of conditioning trials per training session (treatment) for the mean number of trials, avoidances or errors to criterion. Number of training sessions to criterion differed (P<0.01) among treatments, indicating that an optimum number of learning trials per training session might exist. Mean sessions to criterion for horses receiving 5, 10, 15 and 20 trials per session were 15.1+/-1.3, 5.8+/-1.1, 5.3+/-1.1 and 4.6+/-1.1, respectively. Regression analysis indicated that 16.2 trials per training session would minimize number of sessions to criterion. Although it is widely assumed that learning efficiency in horses is decreased when intense activity is concentrated into a small number of sessions, these results indicate that moderate repetition of training activities is needed for efficient learning.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3686  
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Author Mal, M.E.; McCall, C.A.; Newland, C.; Cummins, K.A. doi  openurl
  Title Evaluation of a one-trial learning apparatus to test learning ability in weanling horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1993 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 35 Issue 4 Pages 305-311  
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  Abstract Fourteen Arabian foals were used to determine if a one-trial appetitive conditioning task, developed for laboratory rats, could be adapted for use in equine learning research. The learning apparatus consisted of a 1.5 m x 0.6 m wooden grid containing 40 compartments. Seven foals received a complete learning test which consisted of placing a foal in a pen with the learning apparatus on one wall, recording the foal's behavior for 5 min and then placing a food reinforcer in a target compartment (TC). After location of the food, the foal's behavior was recorded for an additional 5 min. Total visits made to the apparatus and compartments visited by the foal were recorded. The remaining seven foals received a test in which no reinforcer was placed in the TC. These foals were re-tested the next day with reinforcement. After location of the food reinforcer, all foals exhibited more visits to the apparatus, visits to the TC, visits one compartment from the TC, and visits greater than one and less than or equal to two compartments from the TC (P<0.05). Mean distance of visits from the TC decreased after location of the reinforcer (P<0.05). Increased frequency of visits to the apparatus and concentration of visits around the TC after finding the reinforcer suggest that foals had learned the location of the reinforcer. Results suggest that a one-trial appetitive conditioning test may be applicable in equine learning research.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3688  
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Author Boyd, L.; Bandi, N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Reintroduction of takhi, Equus ferus przewalskii, to Hustai National Park, Mongolia: time budget and synchrony of activity pre- and post-release Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 78 Issue 2-4 Pages 87-102  
  Keywords Equids; Przewalski's horses; Takhi; Behaviour patterns; Time budgets; Behavioural synchrony; Reintroduction  
  Abstract A harem of takhi (Equus ferus przewalskii) was observed during introduction to the Hustain Nuruu Steppe Reserve of Mongolia. The goals were to examine whether the harem exhibited significant behavioural synchrony, whether release had an effect on time budget, and what the implications might be regarding acclimatisation to the wild. Behaviours were scan sampled every 10 min between the hours of 06:00 and 22:00, twice before release, twice immediately after release, and twice 2 years after reintroduction. Time budgets were constructed from these data. Considerable behavioural synchrony was evidenced both before and after release. Crepuscular grazing and midday resting were typical, regardless of the date relative to release. Upon release, the amount of time spent moving doubled for all age classes. It is suggested that this increase resulted from exploration. The amount of time spent grazing and standing remained unchanged; the increased amount of time spent moving came at the expense of resting. Two years later, the horses still spent more time moving than when captive. Somewhat less time was spent grazing, although the difference was not significant. More time was spent resting in 1996 than immediately after release. These time budgets provide evidence of successful acclimatisation to the wild. Trekking between favoured sites could account for the persistent increase in time spent moving, with concomitantly less time needed to meet nutritional needs by grazing and more time available for resting. Housing captive takhi in large enclosures is evidently insufficient to permit the amount of movement exhibited by this wild harem. The time budget of the 1- and 2-year olds was more similar to that of adults than foals, indicating approaching adulthood. That 1- and 2-year olds were nursed, without loss of body condition by the dam, provided additional evidence that the takhi achieved excellent nutritional status in the wild.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3690  
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Author Marc, M.; Parvizi, N.; Ellendorff, F.; Kallweit, E.; Elsaesser, F. openurl 
  Title Plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations in the warmblood horse in response to a standardized treadmill exercise test as physiological markers for evaluation of training status Type Journal Article
  Year 2000 Publication Journal of Animal Science Abbreviated Journal J. Anim Sci.  
  Volume 78 Issue 7 Pages 1936-1946  
  Keywords Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/*blood/diagnostic use; Animals; Catheterization/veterinary; Exercise Test; Horses/*blood; Hydrocortisone/*blood; Male; *Physical Conditioning, Animal  
  Abstract Reliable physiological markers for performance evaluation in sport horses are missing. To determine the diagnostic value of plasma ACTH and cortisol measurements in the warmblood horse, 10 initially 3-yr-old geldings of the Hannovarian breed were either exposed to a training schedule or served as controls. During experimental Phase 1, horses were group-housed, and half of the horses were trained for 20 wk on a high-speed treadmill. During Phase 2, groups were switched and one group was trained for 10 wk as during Phase 1, whereas the control group was confined to boxes. During Phase 3 horses were initially schooled for riding. Thereafter, all horses were regularly schooled for dressage and jumping, and half of the horses received an additional endurance training for 24 wk. During all phases horses were exposed at regular intervals to various standardized treadmill exercise tests. During and after the tests frequent blood samples were taken from an indwelling jugular catheter for determination of ACTH and cortisol. Treadmill exercise increased both hormones. Maximum ACTH concentrations were recorded at the end of exercise, and maximum cortisol levels were recorded 20 to 30 min later. Except for one test there were no differences in ACTH levels between trained horses and controls. There was no significant effect of training on the cortisol response (net increase) to treadmill exercise in any of the tests during Phase 1. During Phase 2 higher cortisol responses were recorded in controls than in trained horses (P < .05) after 10 wk of training (controls confined to boxes). During Phase 3 plasma cortisol responses were also higher in controls than in trained horses (P < .05 after 6, 18, and 24, P < or = .07 after 12 wk of training) when the inclination of the treadmill was 5%, but not at 3%. There was no overlap in net cortisol responses at 30 min between trained and untrained horses. An ACTH application after 24 wk of training resulted in higher cortisol responses in controls than in trained horses (P < or = .05), without any overlap between the groups at 30 min after ACTH. Plasma cortisol responses to either treadmill exercise or ACTH injection may be a reliable physiological marker for performance evaluation. Prerequisites are sufficient differences in training status and sufficient intensity of exercise test conditions.  
  Address Institute of Animal Science and Animal Behaviour, Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL) Mariensee, Neustadt, Germany  
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  ISSN 0021-8812 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:10907837 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3732  
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Author Hintz, R.L. openurl 
  Title Genetics of performance in the horse Type Journal Article
  Year 1980 Publication Journal of Animal Science Abbreviated Journal J. Anim Sci.  
  Volume 51 Issue 3 Pages 582-594  
  Keywords Animals; Exertion; Horses/*genetics/physiology; Sports  
  Abstract Criteria used to measure performance, environmental factors that influence performance and estimates of heritability are needed to estimate genetic differences. Published heritability estimates of various measures of performance in the horse are summarized. The average heritability estimates of pulling ability and cutting ability are .25 and .04, respectively. Heritability estimates are .18, .19 and .17 for log of earnings from jumping, 3-day event and dressage performance, respectively. Heritability estimates of performance rates, log of earnings, earnings, handicap weight, best handicap weight, time and best time for the Thoroughbred are .55, .49, .09, .49, .33, .15 and .23, respectively. Heritability estimates of log of earnings, earnings, time and best time for the trotter are .41, .20, .32, and .25, respectively. The heritability estimate of best time for the pacer is .23. The effectiveness of selection will depend on which performance trait is to be improved.  
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  Notes PMID:7440446 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3758  
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Author Krützen, M.; Mann, J.; Heithaus, M.R.; Connor, R.C.; Bejder, L.; Sherwin, W.B. url  openurl
  Title Cultural transmission of tool use in bottlenose dolphins Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 102 Issue 25 Pages 8939-8943  
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  Abstract In Shark Bay, wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) apparently use marine sponges as foraging tools. We demonstrate that genetic and ecological explanations for this behavior are inadequate; thus, “sponging” classifies as the first case of an existing material culture in a marine mammal species. Using mitochondrial DNA analyses, we show that sponging shows an almost exclusive vertical social transmission within a single matriline from mother to female offspring. Moreover, significant genetic relatedness among all adult spongers at the nuclear level indicates very recent coancestry, suggesting that all spongers are descendents of one recent “Sponging Eve.” Unlike in apes, tool use in this population is almost exclusively limited to a single matriline that is part of a large albeit open social network of frequently interacting individuals, adding a new dimension to charting cultural phenomena among animals.  
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  Notes 10.1073/pnas.0500232102 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5916  
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Author Uzawa, T.; Akiyama, S.; Kimura, T.; Takahashi, S.; Ishimori, K.; Morishima, I.; Fujisawa, T. doi  openurl
  Title Collapse and search dynamics of apomyoglobin folding revealed by submillisecond observations of alpha-helical content and compactness Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 101 Issue 5 Pages 1171-1176  
  Keywords Animals; Apoproteins/*chemistry; Circular Dichroism; Cytochromes c/chemistry; Horses; Myoglobin/*chemistry; *Protein Folding; *Protein Structure, Secondary; Scattering, Radiation  
  Abstract The characterization of protein folding dynamics in terms of secondary and tertiary structures is important in elucidating the features of intraprotein interactions that lead to specific folded structures. Apomyoglobin (apoMb), possessing seven helices termed A-E, G, and H in the native state, has a folding intermediate composed of the A, G, and H helices, whose formation in the submillisecond time domain has not been clearly characterized. In this study, we used a rapid-mixing device combined with circular dichroism and small-angle x-ray scattering to observe the submillisecond folding dynamics of apoMb in terms of helical content (f(H)) and radius of gyration (R(g)), respectively. The folding of apoMb from the acid-unfolded state at pH 2.2 was initiated by a pH jump to 6.0. A significant collapse, corresponding to approximately 50% of the overall change in R(g) from the unfolded to native conformation, was observed within 300 micros after the pH jump. The collapsed intermediate has a f(H) of 33% and a globular shape that involves >80% of all its atoms. Subsequently, a stepwise helix formation was detected, which was interpreted to be associated with a conformational search for the correct tertiary contacts. The characterized folding dynamics of apoMb indicates the importance of the initial collapse event, which is suggested to facilitate the subsequent conformational search and the helix formation leading to the native structure.  
  Address Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:14711991 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3779  
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Author Ballew, R.M.; Sabelko, J.; Gruebele, M. openurl 
  Title Direct observation of fast protein folding: the initial collapse of apomyoglobin Type Journal Article
  Year 1996 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 93 Issue 12 Pages 5759-5764  
  Keywords Animals; Apoproteins/*chemistry; Circular Dichroism; Horses; Kinetics; Muscle, Skeletal/chemistry; Myoglobin/*chemistry; *Protein Folding; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Temperature  
  Abstract The rapid refolding dynamics of apomyoglobin are followed by a new temperature-jump fluorescence technique on a 15-ns to 0.5-ms time scale in vitro. The apparatus measures the protein-folding history in a single sweep in standard aqueous buffers. The earliest steps during folding to a compact state are observed and are complete in under 20 micros. Experiments on mutants and consideration of steady-state CD and fluorescence spectra indicate that the observed microsecond phase monitors assembly of an A x (H x G) helix subunit. Measurements at different viscosities indicate diffusive behavior even at low viscosities, in agreement with motions of a solvent-exposed protein during the initial collapse.  
  Address School of Chemical Sciences and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61801, USA  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:8650166 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3798  
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Author Dubois, C.; Ricard, A. doi  openurl
  Title Efficiency of past selection of the French Sport Horse: Selle Francais breed and suggestions for the future Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication Livestock Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 112 Issue 1-2 Pages 161-171  
  Keywords Horse; Genetic trend; Selection; Jumping  
  Abstract Parameters of genetic trend of Selle Francais (SF) horse breed were studied from 1974 to 2002 and detailed since 1991 because historical BLUP animal model genetic evaluation for jumping competition was available since 1989. During this period, annual births varied from 6000 to 10,000. The annual genetic trend for show jumping was 0.055 of genetic standard deviation between 1985 and 1995 and 0.096 since 1995 without unfavourable trend for dressage (ΔG = + 0.002) and eventing (ΔG = + 0.011). The three parameters of genetic trend: the selection intensity (i = 1.95 for males, 0.48 for females), the accuracy (r = 0.66 for males, 0.60 for females), and the generation interval (L = 12.0 years for males, 11.5 for females) explained this result. Particularities were: a higher number of progeny for best sires which induced true selection intensity equal to 2.21, a new and important selection on progeny (46% births form sires tested on progeny between 2000 and 2002), a high rate of own performance test in competition for mares (45%) which induced high accuracy of mare pathway. However, demographic possibilities were not reached, the possible selection rate for male (1.5%) and females (49%) should increase genetic gain + 14% and + 11% respectively. The generation interval was too long: a better selection at first stage for males, with equal rapid test on progeny and a shorter period of reproduction, i.e. a higher number of foals per sire, should decrease the relative importance of progeny test and should decrease generation interval. The drop of mares aged more than 10 at first progeny should decrease 1.2 year generation interval without loss on accuracy. If breeders keep the same structure (test of stallion and majority of mares on their own performance), they could add new criteria (conformation, gaits...) in the breeding value estimation for SF and maintain the high genetic trend on jumping.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 3946  
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Author Dubois, C.; Manfredi, E.; Ricard, A. doi  openurl
  Title Optimization of breeding schemes for sport horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Livestock Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 118 Issue 1-2 Pages 99-112  
  Keywords Breeding scheme; Horse; Jumping; Optimization; Genetic trend, Multistage selection  
  Abstract A selection scheme for jumping sport horses is modelled with four stages of selection for males and one stage for females. The selection objective included three traits: conformation and gaits (CG, weighted 20%), competition jumping (CJ, weighted 60%) and a third trait (TT, weighted 20%) such as sperm quality or orthopaedic status. The first selection stage is based on knowledge of the pedigree with the aim of selecting horses suitable for CG test (at 3 years old) and CJ test (at 5 years old). The second stage includes the horse's own performance with respect to CG and CJ with the aim of selecting horses suitable for the TT test. The third stage is the selection of a limited number of males who are allowed to reproduce. The fourth stage (at 12 years old) takes into account the results of the horse's progeny. Females are selected in one step, whatever the number of performances measured at 5 years old. The annual genetic response was 9.4% genetic standard deviation of the objective, 2.6% for CG, 9.0% for CJ and 1.5% for TT. Results showed that selection by progeny testing did not contribute much to genetic response (12% of progeny issued from proven sires), the female pathway represented 26% of genetic response, TT was difficult to improve when the genetic correlation was unfavourable (- 0.6% genetic standard deviation for - 0.20 genetic correlation), and should consequently be directed towards the use of molecular markers. When compared with a selection scheme involving a station test, genetic response was the same if the breeding values used for selection before entering the station test took into account the results of the relatives for CJ and CG. This revealed the importance of an extensive performance test (like for competition performance) when designing breeding schemes for sport horses.  
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  ISSN 1871-1413 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4759  
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