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Croney, C. C., Prince-Kelly, N., & Meller, C. L. (2007). A note on social dominance and learning ability in the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 105(1-3), 254–259.
Abstract: Relatively little is known about the relationship between social behavior and specific cognitive abilities of the chicken. It is uncertain whether dominant birds have a cognitive advantage over subordinate birds that might facilitate their superior position in the social hierarchy. Likewise, it is unknown whether subordinate birds compete successfully with higher ranking birds because their cognitive capacities compensate for physical deficits. In this study, the relationship between the chicken's position in the dominance hierarchy and its performance on a cognitive task was explored. Ten pairs of New Hampshire domestic roosters (Gallus gallus) were observed to determine dominance or subordinance within dyads. All birds were then trained and tested on a visual discrimination learning task. Discriminative stimuli were orange and green plastic discs. Correct stimuli (orange or green) were randomly assigned to birds. Placement of the discs (left or right of center) was also randomly assigned and counterbalanced to avoid a side bias. Birds were rewarded with food for pecking at the correct disc. Criterion for task completion was 80% correct responses on three consecutive test sessions or 86% correct on two consecutive sessions. All subjects met the test criterion. The number of trials to criterion was compared between dominant and subordinate birds using a paired t-test. No difference was found in performance between dominant and subordinate birds (p > 0.05) suggesting that in chickens, ability to learn a novel visual discrimination task is not well correlated with rank. Additional studies, particularly using different learning paradigms, are needed to confirm these results.
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Jorgensen, G. H. M., & Boe, K. E. (2007). A note on the effect of daily exercise and paddock size on the behaviour of domestic horses (Equus caballus). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 107(1-2), 166–173.
Abstract: In a 2 x 3 factorial experiment we examined the effect of exercise (no exercise/daily exercise) and paddock size (small: 150 m2, medium: 300 m2 and large: 450 m2) on the behaviour of horses. In both these treatment periods nine (three cold blood and six warm blood) adult horses were exposed to all the three paddock size treatments for 2 h daily, for 1 week in each paddock size, and the order of paddock size treatments were rotated systematically. In between turnout in paddocks the horses were all housed in tie stalls. In the non-exercise period the horses walked significantly more, they travelled a longer distance, explored more and stood more alert, than in the period with exercise. The horses stood less passively in the large paddock compared to the medium and the small paddock, and they also travelled a longer distance in the larger paddock sizes. At days with heavy rain and wind, the horses were more restless and walked significantly more than in warmer weather. In conclusion; daily exercise significantly reduced the general activity in the paddocks. Increasing the paddock size to 450 m2, increased the time spent eating grass from under the fence and decreased the time spent standing passively.
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Chaya, L., Cowan, E., & McGuire, B. (2006). A note on the relationship between time spent in turnout and behaviour during turnout in horses (Equus caballus). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 98(1-2), 155–160.
Abstract: We examined if time spent in turnout influenced behaviour during turnout for horses maintained in stalls and given either 2 h/week (n = 7) or 12 h/week (n = 7) of turnout. Horses turned out for 2 h/week were more likely than those turned out for 12 h/week to trot, canter, and buck. Frequency of trotting and cantering was also higher and frequency of grazing lower in horses turned out for 2 h/week. These results have welfare implications and support previous studies showing that horses react to confinement with increased activity when not confined.
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Benhajali, H., Richard-Yris, M. - A., Leroux, M., Ezzaouia, M., Charfi, F., & Hausberger, M. (2008). A note on the time budget and social behaviour of densely housed horses: A case study in Arab breeding mares. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 112(1-2), 196–200.
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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Gough, M. R. (1999). A note on the use of behavioural modification to aid clipping ponies. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 63(2), 171–175.
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Motch, S. M., Harpster, H. W., Ralston, S., Ostiguy, N., & Diehl, N. K. (2007). A note on yearling horse ingestive and agonistic behaviours in three concentrate feeding systems. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 106(1-3), 167–172.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to compare behaviours of yearling horses fed concentrates under each of three management systems. Over two consecutive years, 16 yearling horses (n = 8/year; 4 fillies, 4 geldings, full siblings between years) were observed over a 60-day trial period/year at 15:30 h each day. The experimental design consisted of three factors (sex, feeder type, and year); repeated measures on feeder type: tire feeders (control system), individual tub feeders, and manger feeders. Frequency of agonistic interaction was affected by feeder type and sex. Fillies performed more than three times the total number of agonistic behaviours per feeding session as geldings. In both years, horses spent the most time eating and had the fewest agonistic interactions when fed in tire feeders.
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Young, T., Creighton, E., Smith, T., & Hosie, C. (2012). A novel scale of behavioural indicators of stress for use with domestic horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 140(1–2), 33–43.
Abstract: Behaviour scores (BS) offer non-invasive, objective and easy to use ways of assessing welfare in animals. Their development has, however, largely focused on behavioural reactions to stressful events (often induced), and little use of physiological measures has been made to underpin and validate the behavioural measures. This study aimed to develop a physiologically validated scale of behavioural indicators of stress for the purpose of welfare assessment in stabled domestic horses. To achieve this, behavioural and physiological data were collected from 32 horses that underwent routine husbandry procedures. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the behavioural and physiological data revealed three meaningful components that were used as the basis of the scale. Analysis of video clips of the horses’ responses to the husbandry procedures was undertaken by a panel of equestrian industry professionals using a free choice profiling (FCP) methodology. These results were added to the scale along with key definitions from relevant literature. Salivary cortisol levels were significantly correlated with the BS confirming the scale was meaningful and reflected physiological stress. The scale offers an easy to use ‘tool’ for rapid, reliable non-invasive welfare assessment in horses, and reduces the need for potentially invasive physiological measures.
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König von Borstel, U., & Küllmar, A. (2015). A pilot study on horses‘ behaviour and distance travelled in a “Paddock Trail” husbandry system. In , & K. Krueger (Ed.), Proceedings of the 3. International Equine Science Meeting. Wald: Xenophon Publishing.
Abstract: With most modern horse husbandry systems, horses’ locomotory behavior is quantitatively as well as qualitatively considerably altered, compared to the slow and continuous movement shown by horses living under conditions similar to those they have evolved under. This lack of locomotion as well as the change in quality of locomotion is thought to be responsible for a number of health issues seen in present day horses. The aim of the present study was to assess behaviour and particularly locomotion in horses kept in a husbandry system specifically designed to stimulate locomotory behaviour in horses. This type of husbandry system is named “Paddock Trail”, (PT) but is also known as “Paddock Paradise”, and the key concept of this husbandry system involves strategic placement of small portions of feed along a track which is an integral part of this husbandry system. For the present study, 11 horses, not used for riding or other activities and kept in one Paddock Trail husbandry system were available. Seven horses used in equine assisted therapy lessons and housed individually in conventional paddock-boxes (IB) served as a control group. Both groups of horses were composed of a similar mixture of horses with regard to age and breeds. Using time-sampling, behaviour of the horses was observed in 8 bouts (4 morning and 4 afternoon sessions) of 5 hours each. In addition, the average speed and distance covered was assessed in 3 (PT) and 5 (IB) horses, respectively, using a GPS system. Since the GPS signal is blocked by buildings and reliable recording would not be possible indoors, the IB horses were recorded only during their work in the therapy sessions. The behavioural observations revealed that the PT horses allocated a larger proportion of time to locomotory behaviour compared to the IB horses (on average 12 vs 3% of the 5 h observation periods; P<0,05), and in turn resting behaviour was reduced in PT horses compared to IB horses (30 vs. 46%; P<0,05). Time spent grazing (10 vs. 8%) and feeding other than grazing (47 vs. 44%) did not differ significantly between the two groups of horses in the two different husbandry systems (P>0,1). In addition, resting and feeding behaviour was influenced by social rank, such that higher ranking horses spent more time feeding and less time resting compared to horses of lower ranks (both P<0,05). Within the 5 hour observation periods, horses of the PT system covered on average a distance of 2,7 km at an average speed of 0,5 km/h. In comparison, IB horses covered during their work in the therapy sessions on average a distance of 2,1 km at an average speed of 3,6 km/h for a duration of 35 minutes. Although the confounding of groups of horses with husbandry system and although the GPS data does not allow for a direct comparison of the husbandry systems and does not cover the entire 24 hours of a day, these data indicate along with the behavioural observations that the PT system stimulates the horses to increase their locomotory behaviour.
Keywords horse, husbandry, paddock trail, locomotion, behaviour
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Houpt, K., Marrow, M., & Seeliger, M. (2000). A preliminary study of the effect of music on equine behavior. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 20(11), 691–737.
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Houpt, K., Marrow, M., & Seeliger, M. (2000). A preliminary study of the effect of music on equine behavior. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 20(11), 691–737.
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