| Records |
| Author |
Mills, D.S. |
| Title |
Applying learning theory to the management of the horse: the difference between getting it right and getting it wrong |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1998 |
Publication |
Equine veterinary journal. Supplement |
Abbreviated Journal |
Equine Vet J Suppl |
| Volume |
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Issue |
27 |
Pages |
44-48 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Horses/*psychology; *Learning; Reinforcement (Psychology) |
| Abstract |
Horses constantly modify their behaviour as a result of experience. This involves the creation of an association between events or stimuli. The influence of people on the modification and generation of certain behaviour patterns extends beyond the intentional training of the horse. The impact of any action depends on how it is perceived by the horse, rather than the motive of the handler. Negative and positive reinforcement increase the probability of specific behaviours recurring i.e. strengthen the association between events, whereas punishment reduces the probable recurrence of a behaviour without providing specific information about the desired alternative. In this paper the term 'punishers' is used to refer to the physical aids, such as a whip or crop, which may be used to bring about the process of punishment. However, if their application ceases when a specific behaviour occurs they may negatively reinforce that action. Intended 'punishers' may also be rewarding (e.g. for attention seeking behaviour). Therefore, contingency factors (which define the relationship between stimuli, such as the level of reinforcement), contiguity factors (which describe the proximity of events in space or time) and choice of reinforcing stimuli are critical in determining the rate of learning. The many problems associated with the application of punishment in practice lead to confusion by both horse and handler and, possibly, abuse of the former. Most behaviour problems relate to handling and management of the horse and can be avoided or treated with a proper analysis of the factors influencing the behaviour. |
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De Montfort University Lincoln, School of Agriculture and Horticulture, Caythorpe, Lincs., UK |
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PMID:10485004 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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845 |
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| Author |
Cooper, J.J. |
| Title |
Comparative learning theory and its application in the training of horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1998 |
Publication |
Equine veterinary journal. Supplement |
Abbreviated Journal |
Equine Vet J Suppl |
| Volume |
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Issue |
27 |
Pages |
39-43 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Conditioning (Psychology); Horses/*psychology; *Learning; Reinforcement (Psychology) |
| Abstract |
Training can best be explained as a process that occurs through stimulus-response-reinforcement chains, whereby animals are conditioned to associate cues in their environment, with specific behavioural responses and their rewarding consequences. Research into learning in horses has concentrated on their powers of discrimination and on primary positive reinforcement schedules, where the correct response is paired with a desirable consequence such as food. In contrast, a number of other learning processes that are used in training have been widely studied in other species, but have received little scientific investigation in the horse. These include: negative reinforcement, where performance of the correct response is followed by removal of, or decrease in, intensity of a unpleasant stimulus; punishment, where an incorrect response is paired with an undesirable consequence, but without consistent prior warning; secondary conditioning, where a natural primary reinforcer such as food is closely associated with an arbitrary secondary reinforcer such as vocal praise; and variable or partial conditioning, where once the correct response has been learnt, reinforcement is presented according to an intermittent schedule to increase resistance to extinction outside of training. |
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Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK |
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PMID:10485003 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
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846 |
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| Author |
Smith, S.; Goldman, L. |
| Title |
Color discrimination in horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1999 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
| Volume |
62 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
13-25 |
| Keywords |
Horses; Vision; Color; Discrimination; Behavior |
| Abstract |
Four Arabian horses and one Thoroughbred were presented with a series of two-choice color vs. gray discrimination problems. Testing was done in a stall containing a wall with two translucent panels that were illuminated from behind by light projected through color or gray filters to provide the discriminative stimuli. Horses first learned to push one of the panels in order to receive the food reward behind the positive stimulus in an achromatic light-dark discrimination task, and were then tested on their ability to discriminate between gray and four individual colors: red (617 nm), yellow (581 nm), green (538 nm), and blue (470 nm). The criterion for learning was set at 85% correct responses, and final testing for all color vs. gray discriminations involved grays of varying intensities, making brightness an irrelevant cue. Three subjects were tested with all four colors. Two of those subjects successfully reached the criterion for learning on all four color vs. gray discriminations, while the third reached criterion with red and blue, but performed at chance levels for yellow and green. A fourth horse was only tested with green and yellow, and a fifth only with blue, and both of those horses successfully reached criterion on the discriminations they attempted. With the exception of the one subject's poor performance with yellow and green, there was no significant difference between horses on any of the discrimination tasks, and no significant difference in their performance with different colors. The results suggest that horses have color vision that is at least dichromatic, although partial color-blindness may occur in some individuals. |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
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850 |
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| Author |
Timney, B.; Keil, K. |
| Title |
Visual acuity in the horse |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
1992 |
Publication |
Vision Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
Vis. Res. |
| Volume |
32 |
Issue |
12 |
Pages |
2289-2293 |
| Keywords |
Horse Visual acuity Visual discrimination |
| Abstract |
We assessed the ease with which horses could learn visual discriminations and measured their resolution acuity. We trained three horses to press their noses against one of two large wooden panels to receive a small food reward. Following training on a series of two-choice discrimination tasks, resolution acuity was measured. Although there was some variability between animals, the best acuity obtained was 23.3 c deg-1. Within the margin of error imposed by limited anatomical data, the obtained values are consistent with predictions based on retinal ganglion cell density estimates and posterior nodal distance/axial length ratios. They suggest that the resolution acuity of the horse is limited by ganglion cell density in the temporal portion of the narrow visual streak. |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
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851 |
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Wolff, A.; Hausberger, M. |
| Title |
Learning and memorisation of two different tasks in horses: the effects of age, sex and sire |
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Journal Article |
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1996 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
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46 |
Issue |
3-4 |
Pages |
137-143 |
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Horse; Learning; Memory; Instrumental task; Spatial task |
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Learning and memory abilities of 1-3 year old horses were assessed using instrumental and spatial tasks. No important differences were observed in the success of learning of the instrumental task (chest opening) according to sex or age. Younger females, however, seemed to learn more quickly. The offspring of a particular stallion were slower to learn than other horses. All horses memorised this task and opened the chest in a very short time in the second session. The animals that learned the task easily were not necessarily faster in the memorisation test. In the spatial task, learning ability did not seem to be related to age but more females than males were successful. The offspring of one stallion were more successful than other horses. Only 76% of the horses succeeded in the memorisation test, independently of age or sex. No correlation was found between the tasks in the latencies of either the learning or the memorisation tests for the same horses. The instrumental and spatial tasks may involve different processes. |
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refbase @ user @ |
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855 |
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Francis-Smith, K.; Wood-Gush, D.G.M. |
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Copropgagia as seen in thoroughbred foals |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
1977 |
Publication |
Equine veterinary journal |
Abbreviated Journal |
Equine Vet J |
| Volume |
9 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
155-157 |
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animal; article; coprophagy; defecation; eating; female; horse; horse disease; human; mastication |
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Four Thoroughbred foals were seen to quickly eat part of the faeces deposited by their own dams on some 40 per cent of the mare-defaecating occasions observed between the second and fifth week after birth. They did not do it before or after this period. This behaviour was thought to be a feeding pattern which formed a normal part of the foal's development. |
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from Professor Hans Klingels Equine Reference List |
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no |
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1090 |
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Ishida, N.; Hirano, T.; Mukoyama, H. |
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Detection of aberrant alleles in the D-loop region of equine mitochondrial DNA by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis |
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Journal Article |
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1994 |
Publication |
Animal Genetics |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim Genet |
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25 |
Issue |
4 |
Pages |
287 |
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*Alleles; Animals; Base Sequence; *DNA, Mitochondrial; DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics; Female; Gene Frequency; Genomic Imprinting; Horses/*genetics; Male; Molecular Sequence Data; Pedigree; *Polymorphism, Genetic |
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Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Japan Racing Association, Tokyo |
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English |
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0268-9146 |
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PMID:7985852 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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2213 |
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McDonnell, S.M.; Henry,M. Bristol, F. |
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Spontaneous erection and masturbation in equids Proc 35th |
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Journal Article |
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1991 |
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J. Reprod. Fert. Suppl |
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44 |
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664-665 |
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Horse; Masturbation; Erection; Aversive conditioning; Sexual behavior; Ejaculation; Semen |
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This paper is part of the special issue entitled “Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Stallion Reproduction”, Guest Edited by Dr. Edward Squires. |
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1378 |
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Merkies, K.; McKechnie, M.J.; Zakrajsek, E. |
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Behavioural and physiological responses of therapy horses to mentally traumatized humans |
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Journal Article |
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2018 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Equine-assisted therapy; Ptsd; Horse; Behaviour; Cortisol; Heart rate |
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The benefits to humans of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) have been well-researched, however few studies have analyzed the effects on the horse. Understanding how differing mental states of humans affect the behaviour and response of the horse can assist in providing optimal outcomes for both horse and human. Four humans clinically diagnosed and under care of a psychotherapist for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were matched physically to four neurotypical control humans and individually subjected to each of 17 therapy horses loose in a round pen. A professional acting coach instructed the control humans in replicating the physical movements of their paired PTSD individual. Both horses and humans were equipped with a heart rate (HR) monitor recording HR every 5secs. Saliva samples were collected from each horse 30 min before and 30 min after each trial to analyze cortisol concentrations. Each trial consisted of 5 min of baseline observation of the horse alone in the round pen after which the human entered the round pen for 2 min, followed by an additional 5 min of the horse alone. Behavioural observations indicative of stress in the horse (gait, head height, ear orientation, body orientation, distance from the human, latency of approach to the human, vocalizations, and chewing) were retrospectively collected from video recordings of each trial and analyzed using a repeated measures GLIMMIX with Tukey's multiple comparisons for differences between treatments and time periods. Horses moved slower (p < 0.0001), carried their head lower (p < 0.0001), vocalized less (p < 0.0001), and chewed less (p < 0.0001) when any human was present with them in the round pen. Horse HR increased in the presence of the PTSD humans, even after the PTSD human left the pen (p < 0.0001). Since two of the PTSD/control human pairs were experienced with horses and two were not, a post-hoc analysis showed that horses approached quicker (p < 0.016) and stood closer (p < 0.0082) to humans who were experienced with horses. Horse HR was lower when with inexperienced humans (p < 0.0001) whereas inexperienced human HR was higher (p < 0.0001). Horse salivary cortisol did not differ between exposure to PTSD and control humans (p > 0.32). Overall, behavioural and physiological responses of horses to humans are more pronounced based on human experience with horses than whether the human is diagnosed with a mental disorder. This may be a reflection of a directness of movement associated with humans who are experienced with horses that makes the horse more attentive. It appears that horses respond more to physical cues from the human rather than emotional cues. This knowledge is important in tailoring therapy programs and justifying horse responses when interacting with a patient in a therapy setting. |
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0168-1591 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6385 |
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| Author |
Dougherty, D.M.; Lewis, P. |
| Title |
Stimulus generalization, discrimination learning, and peak shift in horses |
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Journal Article |
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1991 |
Publication |
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Exp Anal Behav |
| Volume |
56 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
97-104 |
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Animals; *Appetitive Behavior; Attention; *Conditioning, Operant; *Discrimination Learning; Female; *Generalization, Stimulus; Horses/*psychology; Male; *Pattern Recognition, Visual; Size Perception |
| Abstract |
Using horses, we investigated three aspects of the stimulus control of lever-pressing behavior: stimulus generalization, discrimination learning, and peak shift. Nine solid black circles, ranging in size from 0.5 in. to 4.5 in. (1.3 cm to 11.4 cm) served as stimuli. Each horse was shaped, using successive approximations, to press a rat lever with its lip in the presence of a positive stimulus, the 2.5-in. (6.4-cm) circle. Shaping proceeded quickly and was comparable to that of other laboratory organisms. After responding was maintained on a variable-interval 30-s schedule, stimulus generalization gradients were collected from 2 horses prior to discrimination training. During discrimination training, grain followed lever presses in the presence of a positive stimulus (a 2.5-in circle) and never followed lever presses in the presence of a negative stimulus (a 1.5-in. [3.8-cm] circle). Three horses met a criterion of zero responses to the negative stimulus in fewer than 15 sessions. Horses given stimulus generalization testing prior to discrimination training produced symmetrical gradients; horses given discrimination training prior to generalization testing produced asymmetrical gradients. The peak of these gradients shifted away from the negative stimulus. These results are consistent with discrimination, stimulus generalization, and peak-shift phenomena observed in other organisms. |
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Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens 45701 |
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0022-5002 |
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PMID:1940765 |
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1764 |
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