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Scopa, C.; Greco, A.; Contalbrigo, L.; Fratini, E.; Lanatà, A.; Scilingo, E.P.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2020 |
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Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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7 |
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998 |
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A human-animal relationship can be developed through subsequent interactions, affected by the positive or negative emotional valence of the proceeding one. Horses implement a process of categorization to classify humans with whom they interact as positive, negative, or neutral stimuli by evaluating the kind of approach and the nature of the contact. In these terms, human-animal interactions are emotionally charged events, eliciting specific emotional states in both subjects involved. Although the human-horse relationship has been mainly investigated through behavioral analysis, physiological indicators are needed for a more objective assessment of the emotional responses. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a commonly used autonomic nervous system (ANS) correlate estimating the sympathovagal balance as a psychophysiological marker of emotion regulation in horses. We have assumed that long-term positive relationships with humans may have a positive and immediate impact on the emotional arousal of the horse, detectable, via ANS activity, during the interaction. We analyzed horses' heartbeat dynamics during their interaction with either familiar or unfamiliar handlers, applying a standardized experimental protocol consisting of three different conditions shifting from the absence of interaction to physical contact. The ANS signals were monitored through an innovative non-invasive wearable system, not interfering with the unconscious emotional response of the animal. We demonstrated that horses appeared to feel more relaxed while physically interacting (e.g., grooming on the right side) with some familiar handlers compared to the same task performed by someone unfamiliar. The shift of the sympathovagal balance toward a vagal predominance suggests that the horses experienced a decrease in stress response as a function not only of the handler's familiarity but also of the type of interaction they are experiencing. These results constitute the objective evidence of horses' capacity to individually recognize a familiar person, adding the crucial role of familiarity with the handler as a paramount component of human-animal interaction. Our rigorous methodological approach may provide a significant contribution to various fields such as animal welfare while further investigating the emotional side of the human-animal relationships. |
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2297-1769 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6625 |
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Baragli, P.; Scopa, C.; Maglieri, V.; Palagi, E. |
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Title |
If horses had toes: demonstrating mirror self recognition at group level in Equus caballus |
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Journal Article |
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2021 |
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Animal Cognition |
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Anim. Cogn. |
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Mirror self-recognition (MSR), investigated in primates and recently in non-primate species, is considered a measure of self-awareness. Nowadays, the only reliable test for investigating MSR potential skills consists in the untrained response to a visual body mark detected using a reflective surface. Here, we report the first evidence of MSR at group level in horses, by facing the weaknesses of methodology present in a previous pilot study. Fourteen horses were used in a 4-phases mirror test (covered mirror, open mirror, invisible mark, visible colored mark). After engaging in a series of contingency behaviors (looking behind the mirror, peek-a-boo, head and tongue movements), our horses used the mirror surface to guide their movements towards their colored cheeks, thus showing that they can recognize themselves in a mirror. The analysis at the group level, which 'marks' a turning point in the analytical technique of MSR exploration in non-primate species, showed that horses spent a longer time in scratching their faces when marked with the visible mark compared to the non-visible mark. This finding indicates that horses did not see the non-visible mark and that they did not touch their own face guided by the tactile sensation, suggesting the presence of MSR in horses. Although a heated debate on the binary versus gradualist model in the MSR interpretation exists, recent empirical pieces of evidence, including ours, indicate that MSR is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon that appeared once in phylogeny and that a convergent evolution mechanism can be at the basis of its presence in phylogenetically distant taxa. |
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1435-9456 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ Baragli2021 |
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6631 |
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Sighieri, C.; Tedeschi, D.; De Andreis, C.; Petri, L.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Behaviour Patterns of Horses Can be Used to Establish a Dominant-Subordinate Relationship Between Man and Horse |
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2003 |
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Animal Welfare |
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12 |
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4 |
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705-708 |
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animal welfare; behaviour patterns; dominance; unhandled horse |
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This paper describes how man can enter the social hierarchy of the horse by mimicking the behaviour and stance it uses to establish dominance. A herd is organised according to a dominance hierarchy established by means of ritualised conflict. Dominance relationships are formed through these confrontations: one horse gains the dominant role and others identify themselves as subordinates. This study was conducted using five females of the Haflinger breed, totally unaccustomed to human contact, from a free-range breeding farm. The study methods were based on the three elements fundamental to the equilibrium of the herd: flight, herd instinct and hierarchy. The trainer-horse relationship was established in three phases: retreat, approach and association. At the end of the training sessions, all of the horses were able to respond correctly to the trainer. These observations suggest that it is possible to manage unhandled horses without coercion by mimicking their behaviour patterns. |
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Cambridge University Press |
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2023/01/11 |
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0962-7286 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6713 |
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Gatta, D.; Baragli, P.; Ferrarini, N.; Ciattini, F.; Sighieri, C.; Colombani, B. |
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Fitness evaluation in endurance horses by standardised exercise test on treadmill |
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Year |
1998 |
Publication |
Ippologia |
Abbreviated Journal |
Valutazione dello stato di allenamento del cavallo da endurance mediante test standardizzato su trea |
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9 |
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4 |
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57-69 |
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Endurance; Horses; Treadmill |
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Endurance horses, like marathon runners, undertake sub-maximal, longterm physical exercises and in both cases thermoregulation plays a critical role. A standardised sub-maximal treadmill test was used to assess fitness and training state in endurance horses. Literature reports that trained human athletes dissipate head load better than not trained ones; in this study parameters related to thermoregulation were recorded together with other haematologic and metabolic ones. Six endurance horses, divided into two groups according to their training state, performed two submaximal tests at a distance of one week. Blood samples were collected at rest, during exercise, at the end and during recovery (10, 30 and 60 minutes after work). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal (RT) and skin (ST) temperatures were monitored through the exercise (and recovery for HR). HR resulted significantly lower (P<0.01) in trained horses than in untrained ones, especially during recovery. Also rectal and skin temperatures resulted significantly lower (P<0.05) in trained horses and ST increased more gradually during exercise. The values of haematocrit and haemoglobin resulted significantly lower (P<0.05) at rest, during exercise and recovery samples. In this study, the parameters related to thermoregulation, in accordance with data from human athletes, resulted significantly different in trained and untrained horses, while other parameters didn't vary significantly between the two groups. Thermoregulatory responses to exercise-generated heat load in a standardised test, studied by simple parameters, can thus offer useful information about fitness and training state of endurance horses. |
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Dipto. Anat., Biochim. Fisiol. Vet., Univ. degli Studi di Pisa |
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Cited By (since 1996): 2; Export Date: 13 November 2008; Source: Scopus |
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no |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4655 |
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Author |
Lovrovich, P.; Sighieri, C.; Baragli, P. |
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Title |
Following human-given cues or not? Horses (Equus caballus) get smarter and change strategy in a delayed three choice task |
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Journal Article |
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2015 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
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Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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166 |
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80-88 |
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Highlights
�Horses remember the location of food hidden by the experimenter after a delay.
�They understand the communicative meaning of a human positioned close to the target.
�The same horses are capable of changing their decision-making strategy.
�They are able to shift from accuracy inferred from human given cues to speed.
�Horses can use human cues or not depending on time, cost, experience and reward.
Abstract
To date, horses have seemed capable of using human local enhancement cues only when the experimenter remains close to the reward, since they fail to understand the communicative meaning of the human as momentary local enhancement cue (when the human is not present at the moment of the animal's choice). This study was designed to analyse the ability of horses to understand, remember and use human-given cues in a delayed (10 s) three-choice task. Twelve horses (experimental group) had to find a piece of carrot hidden under one of three overturned buckets after seeing the experimenter hide it. The results were then compared with those of a control group (twelve horses) that had to find the carrot using only the sense of smell or random attempts. At the beginning, the experimental horses made more correct choices at the first attempt, although they took more time to find the carrot. Later the same horses were less accurate but found the carrot in less time. This suggests that the value of the proximal momentary local enhancement cues became less critical. It seemed, in fact, that the experimental and control group had aligned their behaviour as the trials proceeded. Despite this similarity, in the second half of the trials, the experimental group tended to first approach the bucket where they had found the carrot in the immediately preceding trial. Our findings indicate that horses are capable of remembering the location of food hidden by the experimenter after a delay, by using the human positioned close to the target as valuable information. The same horses are also capable of changing their decision-making strategy by shifting from the accuracy inferred from human given cues to speed. Therefore, horses are able to decide whether or not to use human given-cues, depending on a speed-accuracy trade-off. |
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Elsevier |
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doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.02.017 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5849 |
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Guidi, A.; Lanata, A.; Valenza, G.; Scilingo, E.P.; Baragli, P. |
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Validation of smart textile electrodes for electrocardiogram monitoring in free-moving horses |
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2017 |
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Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research |
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J. Vet. Behav. |
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17 |
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19-23 |
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This article focuses on the validation of smart textile electrodes used to acquire electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in horses in a comfortable and robust manner. The performance of smart textile electrodes is compared with standard Ag/AgCl electrodes in terms of the percentage of motion artifacts (MAs, the noise that results from the movement of electrodes against the skin) and signal quality. Seven healthy Standardbred mares were equipped with 2 identical electronic systems for the simultaneous collection of ECGs. One system was equipped with smart textile electrodes, whereas the second was equipped with standard Ag/AgCl electrodes. Each horse was then monitored individually in a stall for 1 hour, without any movement constraints. The ECGs were visually examined by an expert who blindly labeled the ECG segments that had been corrupted by MAs. Finally, the percentage of MAs (MA%) was computed as the number of samples of the corrupted segments over the whole length of the signal. The total MA% was found to be lower for the smart textiles than for the Ag/AgCl electrodes. Consistent results were also obtained by investigating MAs over time. These results suggest that smart textile electrodes are more reliable when recording artifact-free ECGs in horses at rest. Thus, improving the acquisition of important physiological information related to the activity of the autonomic nervous system, such as heart rate variability, could help to provide reliable information on the mood and state of arousal of horses. |
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Elsevier |
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1558-7878 |
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doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2016.10.001 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6213 |
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Baragli, P.; Paoletti, E.; Vitale, V.; Sighieri, C. |
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Looking in the correct location for a hidden object: brief note about the memory of donkeys (Equus asinus) |
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Journal Article |
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2011 |
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Ethology Ecology & Evolution |
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Ethology Ecology & Evolution |
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23 |
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2 |
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187-192 |
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In recent years, considerable literature has been published on cognition in horses; however, much less is known about the cognitive abilities of domestic donkey (Equus asinus). This study aimed to expand our knowledge of donkey cognition by assessing their short-term memory capacity. We employed a detour problem combined with the classic delayed-response task, which has been extensively used to compare working memory duration in a variety of different species. A two-point choice apparatus was used to investigate location recall and search behaviour for a food target, after a short delay following its disappearance. Four donkeys completed the task with a 10 sec delay, while four others were tested with a 30 sec delay. Overall, each group performed above chance level on the test, showing that subjects had successfully encoded, maintained, and retrieved the existence and location of the target despite the loss of visual contact. |
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Taylor & Francis |
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0394-9370 |
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doi: 10.1080/03949370.2011.554885 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6177 |
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Author |
Baragli, P.; Tedeschi, D.; Masini, A.P.; Magnaghi, N.; Martelli, F.; Sighieri, C. |
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Title |
Estimation of performance in elite endurance horses by means of an exercise test in field conditions |
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2001 |
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Ippologia |
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Valutazione della performance in cavalli da endurance di elite mediante test diesercizio in campo |
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12 |
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1 |
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13-19 |
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In human sports medicine exercise tests are normally used to check training progression. Correlation tests between blood lactate concentration and exercise speed are often used for this purpose. Studies have been done to adjust exercise tests for athletic horses using the same principle. The aim of this work was to verify the practical possibility that the anaerobic threshold in elite endurance horses could be calculated by adjusting a submaximal exercise field test in order to obtain reference parameters for endurance horses. Ten selected horses from the Italian National Endurance Team were used for this study. The tests were conducted on an 800 meters grass oval. Horses performed three steps (800 meters every step), at increasing speed with two minute intervals between each step. Riders were informed of the ideal speed for every step (5, 7.5, 10 m/s) and the real velocity was calculated on the basis of time taken to finish a single step. Blood samples were obtained via venipuncture from the jugular vein, immediately before the beginning of the test and 60 seconds after the end of each step. The following parameters were evaluated for each horse: individual anaerobic threshold (VSI), anaerobic threshold (V4) and exercise velocity corresponding to a lactate concentration of 2 mM/I (V2). Analysis of results indicate that lactate concentration is exponentially related to exercise speed for the entire test. VSI, V4, V2, were (mearttsd): 25.7±5.1; 30.5±2.5; 21.1±2.9 km/h respectively. |
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Dipto. Anat., Biochim. Fisiol. Vet., Univ. degli Studi di Pisa |
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Export Date: 13 November 2008; Source: Scopus |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4654 |
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Baragli, P.; Regolin, L |
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Cognitive Tests in Equids (Equus caballus and Equus Asinus) |
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Conference Article |
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2008 |
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IESM 2008 |
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For ages horses and donkeys constituted the most important domesticated animals. Even though equids were often bred and kept in close proximity to humans, surprisingly little is known about their cognitive abilities. Traditionally, horses are not regarded as clever animals; common beliefs maintain that the horses“ behaviour is merely driven by conditioned-responses. Additionally, from an anthropomorphic point of view donkeys are believed to be ”stupid“ animals.
Our study investigates the equids” ability to recover a hidden object. For this purpose the animal has to create and maintain a representation of the object and its location in space, from the moment in which it disappears from direct perception, till the moment in which it reappears. The knowledge about objects being entities that continue to exist even when they are no longer available for direct perception is refered to as the well known concept of “object permanence”.
We primarly assessed the ability of Esperia's pony and donkeys to solve a Detour problem while employing an opaque “U-shaped” barrier. Each animal observed a food bucket moving and disappearing behind the barrier. Immediately after the object"s disappearance, the animal was released to search for the object. If it solved the task by detouring the barrier it was positively reinforced.
The ability to retain in memory the hidden object as well as its spatial location was subsequently tested in the presence of two, rather than one, screens (Working Memory testing phase). The food bucket was made to move and hidden behind one of the two identical screens, while the animal was watching it. Following a pre-established delayed period of 10 sec, the animal was set free to look for the food. In such a test the detour problem is combined with the classical delayed-response task, which is in use for the comparison of memory duration in different species.
In order to recover the hidden objects, animals must encode, maintain and correctly regain from their working memory the existence of the no longer visible object and its location from their working memory.
Both donkeys and ponies performed the Detour task showing to grasp the fact that an object which is no longer perceivable still continues to exist and can be regained. They also were able to correctly retrieve the goal object after a delay of 10 s in the Working Memory tasks, showing that they had encoded, maintained and correclty retrieved from their working memory the spatial location of the hidden object as well as its existence.
Nevertheless, when Standardbreds, raised in traditional stables, were tested in identical conditions to those describe for the ponies and donkeys, they could not succeed in the Detour tasks. The reason for such differences needs to be studied Even though it would be interesting to focus on handling differences, i.e., the ponies had been living in an environment rich in natural stimuli, while the Standardbreds had lived in a man-controlled environment since birth. It is also noteworthy that, like donkeys, the Esperia's pony have a reputation for being hard to handle.
Several considerations could arise from our preliminary investigations, and we will have the pleasure to leave them open for discussion. |
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University of Pisa- Dept of Veterinary Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology |
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Baragli, P. |
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IESM 2008 |
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Talk 15 min IESM 2008 |
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yes |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4461 |
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