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Author Lansade, L.; Bouissou, M.-F.; Erhard, H.W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Fearfulness in horses: A temperament trait stable across time and situations Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 115 Issue 3-4 Pages 182-200  
  Keywords Horse; Temperament; Fearfulness; Novelty; Suddenness; Behavioural tests  
  Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the existence of a “fearfulness” trait in horses, by testing the stability across situations and over time of the responses to different fear-eliciting situations. It was also to identify which behavioural parameters are the best indicators of this trait. Sixty-six Welsh ponies and 44 Anglo-Arab horses were successively tested at 8 months and 1.5 years of age. Of these, 33 Welsh ponies and 21 Anglo-Arabs were also tested at 2.5 years of age. At each age, they were subjected to four test situations. The first test involved the introduction of a novel object in the test pen (novel object test). In the second test, a novel area was placed in the pen between the horse and a bucket of food, to determine the time the horse took to cross the area (novel area test). Finally, the third test consisted in suddenly opening an umbrella in front of the horse while it was eating (surprise test). During these tests, many behavioural parameters were recorded. A fourth test consisted of a surprise test during which the horse was held by a handler while its heart rate was measured. Spearman correlations were used to identify links between behavioural parameters measured during different tests and between different ages. Reactions to the first three tests showed consistency between them and over time. Among all the behavioural parameters measured during these tests, some presented high stability over time and were well correlated with behaviours expressed during other tests, indicating they are the best indicators of a fearfulness trait: the frequency of licking/nibbling the novel object, the time to put one foot on the novel area and to eat from a bucket placed just behind it, and the flight distance and the time to eat under the opened umbrella. The stability across responses expressed in various fear-eliciting events and over time from 8 months to 2.5 years of age suggests the existence of a [`]fearfulness' trait in horses. The different indexes of heart rate measured or calculated during the surprise effect present limited stability over time and almost no correlation with the behavioural parameters measured during the other three tests. We conclude that, in contrast to the previously mentioned behaviours, these are not reliable measures of a temperament trait. From a practical point of view, this study shows that it is possible to identify a horse's level of fearfulness as early as 8 months of age using the first three tests.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5167  
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Author Lansade, L.; Bouissou, M.-F. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Reactivity to humans: A temperament trait of horses which is stable across time and situations Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 114 Issue 3-4 Pages 492-508  
  Keywords Horse; Equus caballus; Reactivity to humans; Temperament trait; Personality; Behavioural consistency  
  Abstract The aim of this study was to test the existence of a “reactivity-to-humans” trait which is stable over time and across situations. For this purpose, four test situations were repeated on the same animals at 8 months, 1.5 years (N = 110 horses) and 2.5 years of age (N = 54 horses). These situations involved a “familiar passive human test” during which a familiar person stayed motionless in the test pen, a “familiar active human test” and an “unfamiliar active human test” during which a familiar or unfamiliar person attempted to touch the horse, and a “halter-fitting and heart-rate measurement test”, during which the horse was haltered and equipped with a surcingle and then had its heart-rate measured. Many behavioural variables were recorded during the tests, and correlations between ages and variables measured during other situations were investigated. When correlations were found, we concluded that the variables corresponded to temperament traits which are stable over time and across situations. The horses tested were divided into four groups according to breed (Anglo-Arab and Welsh) and year of birth (2001 and 2002). Data for each group were analysed separately with Spearman rank correlations. Regarding stability over time, there was a strong correlation between ages in the frequency of licking/nibbling the passive human, the time taken by a familiar or unfamiliar person to touch the horse, and the time taken to fit a halter (e.g. the time taken to touch the horse's muzzle was significantly correlated between ages in 7 out of the 8 possible cases: 0.40 <= R <= 0.67). Regarding stability across situations, results indicate that the more frequently a horse sniffed, licked or nibbled a passive human, the easier it was for either a familiar or unfamiliar active human to touch and halter it. Moreover, a horse which could be touched easily by a familiar human could also be touched and haltered easily by an unfamiliar human. These behaviours, which are linked directly to humans, therefore indicate good stability over time and across situations. In conclusion, this stability suggests the existence of a “reactivity-to-humans” temperament trait, whether the human is passive or active, familiar or unfamiliar. When the animals do not have frequent contact with humans, this reactivity is stable over time and can be measured as early as 8 months of age using the behavioural variables cited above.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4710  
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Author Christensen, J.W.; Zharkikh, T.; Ladewig, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Do horses generalise between objects during habituation? Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 114 Issue 3-4 Pages 509-520  
  Keywords Horse; Stimulus generalisation; Habituation; Fear  
  Abstract Habituation to frightening stimuli plays an important role in horse training. To investigate the extent to which horses generalise between different visual objects, 2-year-old stallions were habituated to feeding from a container placed inside a test arena and assigned as TEST (n=12) or REFERENCE horses (n=12). In Experiment 1, TEST horses were habituated to six objects (ball, barrel, board, box, cone, cylinder) presented in sequence in a balanced order. The objects were of similar size but different colour. Each object was placed 0.5m in front of the feed container, forcing the horses to pass the object to get to the food. TEST horses received as many 2min exposures to each object as required to meet a habituation criterion. We recorded behavioural reactions to the object, latency to feed, total eating time, and heart rate (HR) during all exposures. There was no significant decrease in initial responses towards a novel object with increasing object number, indicating that habituation was stimulus-specific. REFERENCE horses were exposed to the test arena without objects in the same period, and reactions of TEST and REFERENCE horses were subsequently compared in a fear-test (2m2.5m rubber mat placed under the feed container, forcing the horses to step on the mat to get food). There were no significant differences between the treatment groups, i.e. previous habituation of TEST horses to six visual objects did not reduce responses in a fear-test involving visual and tactile stimulation. Due to the lack of generalisation in Experiment 1, we designed a supplemental experiment (Experiment 2), in which REFERENCE horses were exposed to the same six objects except that object colour was kept constant. We found a significant reduction in response (behaviour and HR) with increasing object number, indicating that horses generalise between similarly coloured objects of varying shape. We conclude that a high degree of object similarity, e.g. identical colouring, appears to be crucial for object generalisation in horses.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4756  
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Author Lansade, L.; Pichard, G.; Leconte, M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Sensory sensitivities: Components of a horse's temperament dimension Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 114 Issue 3-4 Pages 534-553  
  Keywords Horse; Equus caballus; Temperament; Sensory sensitivity; Behavioural tests  
  Abstract Temperament is an important factor when working with horses. Behavioural tests have already been developed to measure certain dimensions of a horse's temperament (fearfulness, gregariousness, etc.). In order to measure the temperament more precisely, our work aimed to identify a dimension which has already been described in several species but not yet in horses, namely sensory sensitivity. Our study was based on the definition of a temperament dimension as “a behavioural characteristic stable across situations and over time”. We designed several tests for each sense and then determined whether the responses observed were correlated between situations and in time. The principle of the tests was to generate two stimuli of different intensities for each sense (e.g. two different sounds) and to measure the intensity of the horse's response (N = 26). Using Spearman rank correlations, we tested whether the responses to these different stimuli were inter-correlated. We repeated the same tests 5 months later to determine whether the responses were correlated over time. Within each sense, results show that the greater the horses' response to one stimulus, the greater their response to the other. For example, the reaction to the odour of cinnamon (time spent near the source of the odour) was significantly correlated to the reaction to lavender (R = 0.53, p = 0.004). The reactions to two different sounds or to two different tactile stimuli (von Frey filaments, or contact of a brush on the body), were also significantly correlated (R = 0.59, p < 0.0001; R = 0.38, p = 0.029). Finally, the reactions to two different tastes or to two visual stimuli tended to be correlated (R = 0.27, p = 0.09; R = 0.27, p = 0.09). However, there was no significant correlation between the responses to stimuli relating to different senses. Finally, except for the responses to odour, the responses to other sensory stimuli showed stability over a 5-month period (e.g. tactile stimulation: R = 0.71, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, our study revealed characteristics which were stable across situations and over time. The absence of links between the characteristics measured for the different senses suggests that a dimension for each sense exists (e.g. tactile sensitivity) rather than a general sensory sensitivity dimension covering all the senses.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4779  
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Author Heitor, F.; Vicente, L. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Maternal care and foal social relationships in a herd of Sorraia horses: Influence of maternal rank and experience Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 113 Issue 1-3 Pages 189-205  
  Keywords Horse; Rank; Experience; Maternal care; Social relationships  
  Abstract The influence of maternal rank and experience on patterns of maternal care and social relationships of foals were investigated in a managed herd of Sorraia horses, Equus caballus. Social interactions and spatial relationships of 13 foals (seven females and six males) born to seven mares were examined from birth to 10 months of life, within the three major periods of foal development. Conflict over suckling between dam and foal was not generally affected by rank and experience, but higher-ranking mothers allowed more suckling during late lactation than lower-ranking mothers. Foals of higher-ranking mares spent more time in proximity to the mother during socialization. Maternal rank and experience did not significantly affect maternal protectiveness, foal independence from the mother or the development of affiliative relationships between foals and group members. Foals of higher-ranking mares received lower frequencies of aggression from other horses only in the first month of life. Dominance relationships among foals depended mainly on aggressiveness and were not associated with maternal rank. The large variability in maternal behaviour, the absence of a significant association between maternal rank and body condition at parturition and the stable social environment within this herd may partly account for the reported results.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4778  
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Author Feuerstein, N.; Terkel, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Interrelationships of dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus L.) living under the same roof Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 113 Issue 1-3 Pages 150-165  
  Keywords Cats; Dogs; Shared home; Interrelationship; Aggression; Amicability; Indifference; Adaptation  
  Abstract In the process of domestication, dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) have undergone thousands of years of genetic changes that have adapted them to the human environment. Both species have acquired a global distribution and it has become quite common to find homes with the two living side by side. Nevertheless, there is widespread belief that interspecific communication between dogs and cats is problematic, stemming from their separate evolutionary development and different social structures. Consequently, many people considering possible adoption of both species are concerned about their ability to get along. Interrelationships of dogs and cats living together were studied here in an attempt to determine the main factors influencing the type of relationship likely to develop between the two species. Two approaches were used: (1) a questionnaire completed by owners of both dog(s) and cat(s), which provided a broad database of the animals' behaviors; and (2) observations carried out in participants' homes on their dog-cat interactions. Two separate ethograms for dogs and cats served for analyses of their body language. The findings revealed the following: Both species showed a similar ability to establish a relatively amicable relationship with the other species; the animals' gender had little influence on the nature of their interrelationship; and adoption of the cat prior to the dog appears to conduce to establishing an amicable relationship, as does their first encounter taking place at an early age (up to 6 months of age in cats and up to 1 year in dogs). The findings also suggest that the majority of these dogs and cats understood the particular body language displayed by one animal that has an opposite meaning for the other species; and that the earlier the age of first encounter between the two, the better this understanding. It can be concluded that exposure of both species at an early age to the presence of the other facilitates the learning of each other's body language, and the consequent establishment of an amicable relationship. A better understanding of the various factors that contribute to determining the two species' relationship should not only improve the quality of life of these pets, but also reassure and encourage more people to adopt both cat and dog.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4757  
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Author McGrogan, C.; Hutchison, M.D.; King, J.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Dimensions of horse personality based on owner and trainer supplied personality traits Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 113 Issue 1 Pages 206-214  
  Keywords Horse; Personality; Domestication; Five-factor model  
  Abstract Ratings on 36 personality descriptive adjectives were made on 100 companion horses by owners, trainers, and stable managers. The descriptors had been previously provided by a subset of 30 raters based on their own experience with horses. Principal components analysis revealed three statistically significant factors accounting for 59% of the variance. The first was a large, complex factor resembling the human Agreeableness factor. This factor contained four clusters of items reflecting obedience, kindness, sociality, and non-aggressiveness. The second factor resembled human Extraversion, although it also contained items reflecting intellect and curiosity. The third factor reflected Neuroticism or Emotionality. Factors similar to Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Emotionality are frequently observed in other taxa. The diverse composition of the Agreeableness factor indicating covariation among obedience, kindness, sociality, and non-aggressiveness may be a result of the intense artificial selection for all four components during the 6000 years of horse domestication.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Admin @ knut @ Serial 4337  
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Author Christensen, J.W.; Rundgren, M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Predator odour per se does not frighten domestic horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 112 Issue 1-2 Pages 136-145  
  Keywords Horse; Predator odour; Behaviour; Heart rate; Fear  
  Abstract Horses frequently react nervously when passing animal production farms and other places with distinctive smells, leading riders to believe that horses are innately frightened by certain odours. In three experiments, we investigated how horses respond to (1) urine from wolves and lions, (2) blood from slaughtered conspecifics and fur-derived wolf odour, and (3) a sudden auditory stimulus in either presence or absence of fur-derived wolf odour. The experiments were carried out under standardised conditions using a total of 45 naive, 2-year-old horses. In the first two experiments we found that horses showed significant changes in behaviour (Experiments 1 and 2: increased sniffing; Experiment 2 only: increased vigilance, decreased eating, and more behavioural shifts), but no increase in heart rate compared to controls when exposed to predator odours and conspecific blood in a known test environment. However, the third experiment showed that exposure to a combination of wolf odour and a sudden stimulus (sound of a moving plastic bag) caused significantly increased heart rate responses and a tendency to a longer latency to resume feeding, compared to control horses exposed to the sudden stimulus without the wolf odour. The results indicate that predator odour per se does not frighten horses but it may cause an increased level of vigilance. The presence of predator odour may, however, cause an increased heart rate response if horses are presented to an additional fear-eliciting stimulus. This strategy may be adaptive in the wild where equids share habitats with their predators, and have to trade-off time and energy spent on anti-predation responses against time allocated to essential non-defensive activities.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Admin @ knut @ Serial 4339  
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Author Benhajali, H.; Richard-Yris, M. -A.; Leroux, M.; Ezzaouia, M.; Charfi, F.; Hausberger, M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A note on the time budget and social behaviour of densely housed horses: A case study in Arab breeding mares Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 112 Issue 1-2 Pages 196-200  
  Keywords Behavioural repertoire; Time budget; Mare; Social behaviour; Density  
  Abstract We observed a high-density herd (200 mares/ha) of 44 Arab breeding mares, while in a bare paddock in Tunisia. Twenty-minute animal focal samples and scan sampling were used to determine the time budget of the mares during the period from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and study their social behaviour. The data obtained reveal restricted behavioural repertoires with missing behaviour like rolling, allogrooming and lying down; unusual time budgets with a high frequency of locomotion that constitutes the most frequent activity (27.9 ± 19.47%) of the mares. Social interactions were restricted to agonistic interactions but despite the high stocking density, aggressions were not that frequent among mares.  
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  ISSN 0168-1591 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4774  
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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 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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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4279  
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