| Records |
| Author |
Krueger, K.; Trager, L.; Farmer, K.; Byrne, R. |
| Title |
Tool Use in Horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Animals |
Abbreviated Journal |
Animals |
| Volume |
12 |
Issue |
15 |
Pages |
1876 |
Keywords  |
crowdsourcing; horse; innovation; mule; management; tool use |
| Abstract |
Tool use has not yet been confirmed in horses, mules or donkeys. As this subject is difficult to research with conventional methods, we used a crowdsourcing approach to gather data. We contacted equid owners and carers and asked them to report and video examples of �unusual� behaviour via a dedicated website. We also searched YouTube and Facebook for videos of equids showing tool use. From 635 reports, including 1014 behaviours, we found 20 cases of tool use, 13 of which were unambiguous in that it was clear that the behaviour was not trained, caused by reduced welfare, incidental or accidental. We then assessed (a) the effect of management conditions on tool use and (b) whether the animals used tools alone, or socially, involving other equids or humans. We found that management restrictions were associated with corresponding tool use in 12 of the 13 cases (p = 0.01), e.g., equids using sticks to scrape hay within reach when feed was restricted. Furthermore, 8 of the 13 cases involved other equids or humans, such as horses using brushes to groom others. The most frequent tool use was for foraging, with seven examples, tool use for social purposes was seen in four cases, and there was just one case of tool use for escape. There was just one case of tool use for comfort, and in this instance, there were no management restrictions. Equids therefore can develop tool use, especially when management conditions are restricted, but it is a rare occurrence. |
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Animals |
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12 |
Series Issue |
15 |
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2076-2615 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
6695 |
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| Author |
Krueger, K. (ed) |
| Title |
Proceedings of the International Equine Science Meeting 2008 |
Type |
Conference Volume |
| Year |
2008 |
Publication |
IESM 2008 |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Issue |
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Pages |
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| Keywords |
Equine Ecology; Equine Sociality; Equine Learning; Equine Cognition; Equine Welfare |
| Abstract |
Target group: Biologists, Psychologists, Veterinarians and Professionals
Meeting target: Because the last international meeting on Equine Science took place a couple years ago, there is an urgent need for equine scientists to exchange scientific knowledge, coordinate research provide knowledge for practical application, and discus research results among themselves and with professionals who work with horses. Additionally, dialog concerning the coordination of the study “Equitation Science” in Europe is urgently needed. Coordination and cooperation shall arise from the meeting, enrich the research, and advance the application of scientific knowledge for the horses` welfare. |
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Xenophon Verlag |
Place of Publication |
Wald |
Editor |
Krueger, K. |
| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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ISBN |
978-3-9808134-0-2 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4508 |
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| Author |
Schneider, G.; Krueger, K. |
| Title |
Third-party interventions keep social partners from exchanging affiliative interactions with others |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2012 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Behav. |
| Volume |
83 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
377-387 |
| Keywords |
Equus caballus; horse; rank; social bond; social network; third-party intervention |
| Abstract |
Third-party interventions are defined as the interruption of dyadic interactions by third animals through direct physical contact, interposing or threats. Previous studies focused on the analysis of interventions against agonistic encounters. However, there have been no evaluations of interventions against affiliative behaviours, particularly in relation to the intervening animal�s social relationships and its social and spatial position. Horses, Equus caballus, are an interesting model species, as interventions against affiliative interactions occur more frequently than against agonistic interactions. In this study, 64 feral horses displayed 67 interventions in affiliative interactions and eight interventions in agonistic interactions within the observation period. We analysed the interventions in affiliative encounters, and found that it was mainly higher-ranking females that intervened in the affiliative interactions of group mates in the stable horse harems. The intervening animals took an active part in affiliative and agonistic encounters within the group, but did not occupy particular social roles or spatial positions. They intervened in affiliative interactions in which group mates with which they had social bonds interacted with other members of the group. They targeted the nonbonded animal and approached the one with which they were socially bonded. We suggest some species use third-party interventions in affiliative interactions to prevent competition for preferred social interaction partners from escalating into more costly agonistic encounters. |
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0003-3472 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5492 |
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| Author |
Krueger, K.; Schneider, G.; Flauger, B.; Heinze, J. |
| Title |
Context-dependent third-party intervention in agonistic encounters of male Przewalski horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
| Volume |
121 |
Issue |
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Pages |
54-62 |
| Keywords |
Equus ferus przewalskii; Group conflict; Rank orders; Social bonds; Social control; Third-party intervention |
| Abstract |
Abstract One mechanism to resolve conflict among group members is third party intervention, for which several functions, such as kin protection, alliance formation, and the promotion of group cohesion have been proposed. Still, empirical research on the function of intervention behaviour is rare. We studied 40 cases of intervention behaviour in a field study on 13 semi-wild bachelor horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) in (a) standard social situations, and (b) when new horses joined the group (i.e. introductions). Only interventions in agonistic encounters were analysed. Eight of 13 animals directed intervention behaviour toward threatening animal in agonistic encounters of group members. One stallion was particularly active. The stallions did not intervene to support former group mates or kin and interventions were not reciprocated. In introduction situations and in standard social situations, the interveners supported animals which were lower in rank, but targeted, threatening animals of comparable social rank. After introductions, stallions received more affiliative behaviour from animals they supported and thus appeared to intervene for alliance formation. In standard social situations, interveners did not receive more affiliative behaviour from animals they supported and may primarily have intervened to promote group cohesion and to reduce social disruption within the group. |
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0376-6357 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5925 |
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| Author |
Krueger, K.; Flauger, B. |
| Title |
Social feeding decisions in horses (Equus caballus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2008 |
Publication |
Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
| Volume |
78 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
76-83 |
| Keywords |
Feeding decision; Horse; Rank; Social behaviour |
| Abstract |
Like many other herbivores, in a natural environment equids feed on rather evenly distributed resources. However, the vegetation in their vast habitats constantly changes. If food is plentiful only little competition occurs over food, and in non-competitive situations domestic horses tend to return to the same feeding site until it is overgrazed. In contrast, they compete over limited food for which the social status of the individuals appears to be important. Especially in ruminants several studies have proved an influence of social organisations, rank, sex and the depletion of feeding sites on the feeding behaviour of individuals. However, it is not yet understood whether and how social aspects affect horses“ feeding decisions. Curiosity about the influence of social rank on the horses” feeding decisions between two, equally with high-quality surplus food-filled buckets placed in different social feeding conditions, led us to create the test below. The observer horses were alternately tested with a dominant and a subordinate demonstrator placed in one of the three different positions. We conclude that domestic horses use social cognition and strategic decision making in order to decide where to feed in a social feeding situation. When possible they tend to return to the same, continuously supplied feeding site and switch to an “avoidance tendency” in the presence of dominant horses or when another horse is already feeding there. Thus, the social rank and the position of conspecifics affect the feeding strategy of horses. |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4394 |
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| Author |
Flauger, B.; Krueger, K. |
| Title |
Social feeding decisions in horses (Equus caballus) |
Type |
Conference Article |
| Year |
2012 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the 2. International Equine Science Meeting |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 2. Int. Equine. Sci. Mtg |
| Volume |
in press |
Issue |
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Pages |
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| Keywords |
Feeding decision; Horse; Rank; Social behaviour |
| Abstract |
Like many other herbivores equids feed on rather evenly distributed resources. Especially in ruminants several studies have proved the influence of social organisations, rank, sex and the depletion of feeding sites on the feeding behaviour of individuals. However, it is not yet understood whether social aspects affect horses´ feeding decisions. Horses roam on vast habitats with constantly changing vegetation. In non-competitive situations domestic horses tend to return to the same feeding site until it is overgrazed. Whereas, for competition over limited food the social status of the individuals appears to be important. Curiosity about the influence of social rank and different social feeding conditions on the horses´ feeding decisions between two buckets, equally filled with high-quality surplus food, led us to create the test situation described here. The observer horses were alternately tested with a dominant and a subordinate demonstrator placed in one of three different positions. We conclude that domestic horses use cognitive strategic decision making in order to decide where to feed in a social feeding situation. When possible they tend to return to the same, continuously supplied feeding site and switch to an “avoidance tendency” when another horse is already feeding from it or in the presence of a dominant horse. Thus the position and the social rank of conspecifics affect the feeding strategy of horses. |
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Flauger, B. |
Thesis |
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Xenophon Publishing |
Place of Publication |
Wald |
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978-3-9808134-26 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5581 |
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| Author |
Wolter, R.; Stefanski, V.; Krueger, K. |
| Title |
Parameters for the Analysis of Social Bonds in Horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2018 |
Publication |
Animals |
Abbreviated Journal |
Animals |
| Volume |
8 |
Issue |
11 |
Pages |
191 |
| Keywords |
feral horses; mutual grooming; social bonds; social bond analysis; spatial proximity |
| Abstract |
Social bond analysis is of major importance for the evaluation of social relationships in group housed horses. However, in equine behaviour literature, studies on social bond analysis are inconsistent. Mutual grooming (horses standing side by side and gently nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing each other), affiliative approaches (horses approaching each other and staying within one body length), and measurements of spatial proximity (horses standing with body contact or within two horse-lengths) are commonly used. In the present study, we assessed which of the three parameters is most suitable for social bond analysis in horses, and whether social bonds are affected by individual and group factors. We observed social behaviour and spatial proximity in 145 feral horses, five groups of Przewalski�s horses (N = 36), and six groups of feral horses (N = 109) for 15 h per group, on three days within one week. We found grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity to be robust parameters, as their correlation was affected only by the animals� sex (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.001, t = �2.7, p = 0.008) and the group size (GLMM: N = 145, SE < 0.001, t = 4.255, p < 0.001), but not by the horse breed, the aggression ratio, the social rank, the group, the group composition, and the individuals themselves. Our results show a trend for a correspondence between all three parameters (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.004, t = 1.95, p = 0.053), a strong correspondence between mutual grooming and friendly approaches (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.021, t = 3.922, p < 0.001), and a weak correspondence between mutual grooming and spatial proximity (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.04, t = 1.15, p = 0.25). We therefore suggest either using a combination of the proactive behaviour counts mutual grooming and friendly approaches, or using measurements of close spatial proximity, for the analysis of social bonds in horses within a limited time frame. |
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2076-2615 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
6428 |
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Farmer, K.; Krueger, K.; Byrne, R. |
| Title |
Visual laterality in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) interacting with humans |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
| Volume |
13 |
Issue |
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Pages |
229-238 |
| Keywords |
Horse – Laterality – Eye preference – Emotion – Vision |
| Abstract |
Most horses have a side on which they are easier to handle and a direction they favour when working on a circle, and recent studies have suggested a correlation between emotion and visual laterality when horses observe inanimate objects. As such lateralisation could provide important clues regarding the horse’s cognitive processes, we investigated whether horses also show laterality in association with people. We gave horses the choice of entering a chute to left or right, with and without the passive, non-interactive presence of a person unknown to them. The left eye was preferred for scanning under both conditions, but significantly more so when a person was present. Traditionally, riders handle horses only from the left, so we repeated the experiment with horses specifically trained on both sides. Again, there was a consistent preference for left eye scanning in the presence of a person, whether known to the horses or not. We also examined horses interacting with a person, using both traditionally and bilaterally trained horses. Both groups showed left eye preference for viewing the person, regardless of training and test procedure. For those horses tested under both passive and interactive conditions, the left eye was preferred significantly more during interaction. We suggest that most horses prefer to use their left eye for assessment and evaluation, and that there is an emotional aspect to the choice which may be positive or negative, depending on the circumstances. We believe these results have important practical implications and that emotional laterality should be taken into account in training methods. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4953 |
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| Author |
Krueger, K.; Flauger, B.; Farmer, K.; Hemelrijk, C. |
| Title |
Movement initiation in groups of feral horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
| Volume |
103 |
Issue |
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Pages |
91-101 |
| Keywords |
Horse; Equus ferus caballus; Distributed leadership; Herding; Departure; Rank |
| Abstract |
Abstract Herds of ungulates, flocks of birds, swarms of insects and schools of fish move in coordinated groups. Computer models show that only one or very few animals are needed to initiate and direct movement. To investigate initiation mechanisms further, we studied two ways in which movement can be initiated in feral horses: herding, and departure from the group. We examined traits affecting the likelihood of a horse initiating movement i.e. social rank, affiliative relationships, spatial position, and social network. We also investigated whether group members join a movement in dominance rank order. Our results show that whereas herding is exclusive to alpha males, any group member may initiate movement by departure. Social bonds, the number of animals interacted with, and the spatial position were not significantly associated with movement initiation. We did not find movement initiation by departure to be exclusive to any type of individual. Instead we find evidence for a limited form of distributed leadership, with higher ranking animals being followed more often. |
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0376-6357 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5738 |
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Krueger, K.; Farmer, K.; Heinze, J. |
| Title |
The effects of age, rank and neophobia on social learning in horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
| Volume |
17 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
645-655 |
| Keywords |
Horse; Social learning; Sociality; Ecology; Social relationships |
| Abstract |
Social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and co-operate to share resources. Horses (Equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. However, the horse’s social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. We conducted a social learning experiment using 30 socially kept horses of different ages. Five horses, one from each group, were chosen as demonstrators, and the remaining 25 horses were designated observers. Observers from each group were allowed to watch their group demonstrator opening a feeding apparatus. We found that young, low ranking, and more exploratory horses learned by observing older members of their own group, and the older the horse, the more slowly it appeared to learn. Social learning may be an adaptive specialisation to the social environment. Older animals may avoid the potential costs of acquiring complex and potentially disadvantageous feeding behaviours from younger group members. We argue that horses show social learning in the context of their social ecology, and that research procedures must take such contexts into account. Misconceptions about the horse’s sociality may have hampered earlier studies. |
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Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
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English |
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1435-9448 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5737 |
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