Abnormal Behaviors

Question 1

• any repetitive behavior performed with no obviously discernible function
• reason for behavior is not clear
  -ingrained habit
  -compared to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• horses that develop one are at a greater odd of developing more
• reinforced by release of endogenous opiates
• is there a coping mechanism?

Answer 1

stereotypic behavior

Question 2

• inability to perform highly motivated behavior patters
• inability to escape or avoid stressful/fearful situations
• kept in confinement or social isolation
• used as an indicator of welfare
• can be linked to sub-optimal environments

Answer 2

issues with stereotypic behavior

Question 3

types of stereotypic behaviors?

Answer 3

oral, locomotor, self-mutilation

Question 4

what type of behavior is this

cribbing, tongue or lip movements

Answer 4

oral

Question 5

what type of behavior is this

head movements, weaving, circling, stall walking, kicking, pawing, digging

Answer 5

locomotor

Question 6

what type of behavior is this

self biting, kicking, lunging into objects

Answer 6

self-mutiliaton

Question 7

• this behavior can serve as a useful function
• brings small bits of food to surface
  -digging through snow and ice
• investigative

-but also done out of frustration, boredom
- result in digging holes
-damage stall floors or doors
-hoof ware

Answer 7

pawing

Question 8

horse shifts weight between its front legs repeatedly in exaggerated manner, going back and forth back and forth

Answer 8

weaving

Question 9

horse follows a repetitious circuit around the stall

Answer 9

stall walking

Question 10

what behaviors causes weight loss and wear on hooves

Answer 10

stall walking and weaving

Question 11

flank biting
- horse injures itself repeatedly
- may continuously bite itself in the same location

stall kicking
- horse will repeatedly kick a wall until it injures itself

Answer 11

selt-mutilation

Question 12

horses have a natural need to chew, graze, browse (highest proportion of time budget)

destructive to facilities and teeth

not really abnormal or a huge stereotypical behavior (not the same as crib)

Answer 12

wood chewing

Question 13

• horse bracers upper incisors on stationary object and pulls back sucking in the air
• different from wood chewing but often occur together
• air is expelled from esophagus and is NOT swallowed

Answer 13

cribbing

Question 14

collars, muzzles
electric fence
surgery
antacids
change management

not usually harmful to horse but they may crib rather than eat and wears down the teeth badly and messes up your fence

Answer 14

typical management to cribbing

Question 15

depraved appetite

Answer 15

pica

Question 16

eating of soil

Answer 16

geophagy

Question 17

iron and copper in one study, sodium in salt licks

Answer 17

possibly due to nutritional deficiency

Question 18

eating of feces, rather in adults due to food scarcity

Answer 18

coprophagy

Question 19

prevalence studies
- conducted on populations of horses at one point in time, can miss the induction period
- the proportion of a population = prevalence

exposure, disease induction, latent, diagnosis

Answer 19

prevalence studies (risk factors for stereotypies)

Question 20

breeds (thoroughbred, warmbloods)
housing (stallions, isolation increase risk)
forced exercise increased risk ( PEI and canada)
high concentrate (grains) diet increased risk

Answer 20

findings from stereotypic prevalence study

Question 21

conducted on populations of horses over time, risk factors recorded before behaviors were developed, examined a group of abnormal behaviors

findings
-foals of dominant mares at increased risk
-paddock weaning reduced risk (compared with stalled or indoor group-housed foals)
- post weaning housing in barns increased risk
-suggests that feeding concentrates increased risk for cribbing
-breed effect not seen
- not enough time to evaluate effect of forced exercise

Answer 21

Risk Factors for stereotypies study

Question 22

numerous studies have investigated potential biological mechanisms underlying cribbing behavior

• neuroendocrine
• endogenous opiods
  -stress coping mechanisms
  -dopamine
• Gastrointestinal irritation
  -in foals associated with gastric ulcers and oral antacid tended to reduce duration

-in mature horses
-associated with lower basal
-oral antacid treatment
-cribbing stimulated saliva flow

Answer 22

risk factors for cribbing

Question 23

provision of mirrors in stable provides reduction of this behavior

this behavior may be performed in response to social isolation

increases before feeding or may be performed in an attempt to cope with frustration associated with meal anticipation

Answer 23

weaving behavior

Question 24

some habits too ingrained to change
constantly reinforced by the horse

Answer 24

treatment

Question 25

changes in management

Answer 25

most effective

Question 26

restraint and punishment (increases stress hormone)

Answer 26

least effective

Question 27

prevalence of stereotypic behavior is used as a measure of what?

the behaviors increase in environments with social isolation and high concentrated diets

current management may not have been causal in development of behavior but can promote higher frequency of behavior

Answer 27

animal welfare

Question 28

housing design
allow for social contact
high forage diet (opportunities to chew, salivate, raise gut PH (less acidic)

Answer 28

abnormal behavior prevention

Question 29

mirrors for locomotor behaviors may help
allow behavior if feasible

Answer 29

management for behaviors