Abstract: The International Society for Equitation Science is a not-for-profit International scientific organisation with the primary function of facilitating research into the training and welfare of horses. The mission of the ISES is to promote and encourage the application of objective research and advanced practice which will ultimately improve the welfare of horses in their associations with humans. ISES provides an international forum in which scientists can communicate their most recent findings by organising annual scientific meetings and by encouraging scientific publications. Furthermore, the Society offers a pool of expertise to national governments, international bodies, industry and equine welfare organisations. The idea of founding a Society devoted to equitation science had first been raised during discussions following the Havemeyer Foundation Workshop on Horse Behaviour and Welfare in Iceland in 2002. Since then, equitation science has developed rapidly. The discipline combines learning theory, psychology, ecology, biology and ethology in order to objectively examine the efficiency of different equine training methods. The society is open for people with scientific, scholarly or professional qualifications: equine scientists, ethologists, veterinarians, behaviour therapists or qualified trainers and riders. ISES membership gives the opportunity of joining a network of internationally renowned equine scientists and advanced practitioners. Members save on registration fees for international conferences and stay informed about research and its application in practice through two newsletters per year. For further information and membership issues please visit www.equitationscience.com. During the presentation an overview will be given about the history and goals of ISES, the meetings since 2001, the current organisation- and membership structure and the future plans. Also a summary of the presentations given at the 4th International Equitation Science Conference August 2-4, 2008 in Dublin will be presented.

Abstract: Using a multidisciplinary approach, the present study complements ethological behaviour measurements with basic theoretical concepts, methods and approaches of the personality psychological trait paradigm. Its adoptability and usefulness for animal studies are tested exemplarily on a sample of 20 zoo-housed great apes (five of each of the following species): bonobos, Pan paniscus; chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus; gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gorilla; and orang-utans, Pongo pygmaeus abelii. Data on 76 single trait-relevant behaviours were recorded in a series of 14 laboratory-based situations and in two different group situations. Data collection was repeated completely after a break of 2 weeks within a 60-day period. All behaviour records were sufficiently reliable. Individual- and variable-oriented analyses showed high/substantial temporal stability on different levels of aggregation. Distinctive and stable individual situational and response profiles clarified the importance of situations and of multiple trait-relevant behaviours. The present study calls for a closer collaboration between behavioural biologists and personality psychologists to tap the full potential of animal personality research.

Abstract: Cribbiting is a common stereotypy in domestic horses and is associated with stress and low fibre/high concentrate diets, which are known to cause gastric inflammation and ulceration. Recent studies indicate that antacid supplements can reduce both gastric inflammation and cribbiting. However, stereotypies are also associated with altered brain functions and these are thought to be responsible for emancipation. Emancipation refers to a process by which stereotypies become increasingly independent of the causal factors and may therefore persist with age, regardless of the conditions. Emancipation complicates therapy and points to the importance of prevention.
To further examine the relationship between gastric health and cribbiting and its relation to age at onset, we examined the effect of the proton-pump inhibitor omeprazole (GastroGard, Merial) on gastric inflammation/ulceration and on cribbiting in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirty-one horses of different sex, breed and age were randomly allocated to treatment and placebo and divided into three groups depending on age: 0-5 years (n=11), 5-10 years (n=11) and >10 years (n=9), whereby age at onset of cribbiting was ≤ 5 years for all horses. Treatment and placebo were administered orally by syringe once every day for 28 days by the horse owners. Treatment consisted of 4mg/kg omeprazole for the first four days and 1mg/kg for the following 24days.
Using scan sampling and behaviour sampling, general activity and the number of crib-bites were assessed in the home pens one day before and one day between day 21 and 28 of treatment. Observations were made for three hours each around morning and evening feeding times, respectively. Prior to pre-treatment observations and after post-treatment observations, the horses were transported to the clinic and endoscoped for signs of inflammation and ulceration in the oesophagus, the squamous area, the glandular area and the first part of the duodenum using a common scoring system (Andrews et al. 1999).
All 31 horses showed signs of gastric inflammation/ulceration which decreased significantly from a median score of 1,2 to 0,6 in the treatment group (Wilcoxon signed rank test, z=-3,186, p=0,001), while there was no change in the placebo group (z=-0,577, p=1.0). However, there was no significant difference in cribbiting before and after treatment, neither in the treatment group (z=-1,834, p=0,068), nor in the placebo group (z=-0,415, p=0,734). Moreover, there were no significant effects of age on gastric inflammation/ulceration (2-way ANOVA, F=1,112, p=0,345) or cribbiting (F=1,113, p=0,344).
These results contrast with the recent studies on the effects of antacids on gastric health and cribbiting. There are two possible explanations for this: First, cribbiting may become rapidly established and may thus have persisted even in the youngest age group. Second, omeprazole acts specifically by reducing gastric acid secretion into stomach, while antacids may also have an effect on the intestine. However, these results shed doubts on the hypothesis that cribbiting is caused by gastric inflammation/ulceration.

Abstract: The colours of the horses have long been a subject of interest to owners and breeders of horses as well as to scientists. Though, the colour of horses has little to do with its performance, it is a primary means of identification and also the first indicator of questionable parentage. Probably the ancestral colour of the horse was a black-based pattern that provided camouflage protection against predators. Horse colours are mostly controlled by genes at 12 different loci. The three basic colours of horses are black, bay and chestnut. The genetic control of the basic colours of horses resides at two genetic loci, namely Extension (E) and Agouti (A) loci. Among the basic colours bay is dominant to black and both are epistatic to chestnut. Dilution of basic colours of horses as a result of four colour dilution genes such as cream dilution, dun, silver dapple and champagne resulted in extensive array of possible colours of horses. The most widespread and familiar of the horse colour dilution gene is the one that produces the golden body colour and are called as palomino or buckskin based on the colour of the points. The grey coat colour is due to the presence of dominant gene (G) at the grey locus. Grey is epistatic to all coat colour genes except white and a grey horse must have at least one grey parent. Roan is due to a dominant gene (Rn) at roan locus and this combines with any base colour to produce the various shades of roan pattern. White coat is due to a single dominant gene (W) and it is epistatic to the genes controlling all other colours. White marking in the face and legs are due to genetic and non-genetic factors. Several genes are involved in producing white markings. During recent years, comparative genomics and whole genome scanning have been used to develop DNA tests for different variety of horse colours. Molecular genetic studies on coat colour in horses helped in identification of the genes and mutation responsible for coat colour variants. In future, this will be applied to breeding programmes to reduce the incidence of diseases and to increase the efficiency of race horse population.

Abstract: Abstract Hormones play a central role in the physiology and behaviour of animals. The recent development of noninvasive techniques has increased information on physical and social states of individuals through hormone measurements. The relationships among hormones, life history traits and behaviours are, however, still poorly known. For the first time, we evaluated natural winter glucocorticoid and testosterone levels in young ungulates in relation to winter progression, diet quality and social rank. Overwinter, levels of glucocorticoid and testosterone decreased, possibly due to the decline of fawns" body mass. The relationships between hormone levels and diet quality were surprising: Fawns fed the control diet presented higher glucocorticoid and lower testosterone levels then fawns fed the poor diet, suggesting that control fawns faced a higher nutritional stress than those on the poor diet. Similarly to other studies on social mammals, we found no relationship between faecal glucocorticoid levels and social rank, suggesting that social stress was similar for dominant and subordinate fawns during winter. Testosterone levels were not correlated to social rank as found previously in groups of individuals forming stable social hierarchies and maintaining stable dominance relationships. The simultaneous suppression of glucocorticoid and testosterone levels suggests for the first time that young ungulates present a hormonal strategy to prevent fast depletion of limited proteins and fat resources during winter.