(06) Development: Equine

Question 1

Cortical plasticity

Must have light and vision to learn to see

must have sound to learn to hear

Question 2

(Development depends on species)

(predators)

1. 1st priority of survival is what?

(prey)

1. 1st priority of survival is what?

Answer 2

1. getting enough food (solo or cooperative - not open)
2. not being eaten (safety in numbers - any other horse is better than being alone - MUST stay open to new members)

Question 3

(Prey offspring)

1. are precocial - what does this mean?

(predator offspring)

2. are altritial - what does this mean?

Answer 3

1. all senses are present at birth (need to avoid being eaten right away)
2. helpless at birth (brains not fully developed)

Question 4

(Precocial/Prey Species)

(Horse: Best defense is ability to run)

1. fitness requires immediate suspicion of what?
2. if ran from everything would die
3. requires lifelong ability to habituate

(Safety in numbers)

4. must stay open to new members
   therefore. .. Who you are (individual is less important what you are (ie a horse)

does this make social exposure during development more or less important?

Answer 4

1. anything new

less important

Question 5

(Altricial/Predator Species)

1. Beft defense = short distance run, aggression, and hiding

not as good at habituating as prey species are

Question 6

(key points)

1. with a predator species it is most important to be able to do what?

Answer 6

1. recognize a particular individual as someone who can be trusted as it is to have safety in numbers - and more important to be able to recognize new individuals than to habituate

(this makes all the difference)!!!

Question 7

this is because they aren’t as good at habituating later in life (because they are predators)

Answer 7

Question 8

She wants us to be familiar with the different phases - but they aren’t so clear cut in the horse

Question 9

(Behavioral Development - Horse)

(neonatal phase)

1. last about how long?
2. foals learn to do what?
3. ends when?

Answer 9

1. 2 hours
2. stand, walk, nurse
3. after first successful nursing

Question 10

(Behavioral Development - Horse)

(transitional phase)

1. what happens in this phase?
2. how long does it last?
3. how close do they stay to mother?

Answer 10

1. refinement of sensory and motor skills
2. about two weeks
3. close proximity (learn from her responses)

(foals lie down during REM sleep - during the phase the mare stands over the foal)

Question 11

(Behavioral Development - Horse)

(socialization phase)

1. increasing time away from mare
2. associate with whom?
3. gender preference?
4. Are female-female bonds lifelong?

Answer 11

2. foal of dam’s preferred associate
3. may prefer associate of same gender
4. yep - sometimes

Question 12

(Horses - social play peaks at about 4 weeks)

Answer 12

Question 13

(Behavioral Development - Horse)

(Weaning)

1. natural weaning is a gradual process
2. begins when?
3. leave gradually - come and go for several weeks before leaving for good?
4. not complete for how long?
5. 1-2 year old offspring nurse off of dam

Answer 13

2. 6-12 months
3. 2-3 years (sometimes)

Question 14

Question 15

(imprinting)

critical period of development

duck follow the firdt things they see

there is no criical period in horse as there is in duck or goose

How do you know if imprint training makes a difference?

Answer 15

found that controlled foals (ones without training) wer initially less likely to allow being handled - however eventually things evened out

this ties right in with the horse imprinting

downside of imprinting?

interefre were foal-mother bond potentially - if done wrong could cause fear

Question 16

(imprinting in horses)