Arousal

Question 1

What are the 6 stages of arousal

Answer 1

Sleep, depressed, relaxed, alert, anxious, flight or fright

Question 2

Ways to increase arousal

Answer 2

Visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, physical stimuli, Touch and pressure, Grouping dynamics

Question 3

Ways to decrease arousal

Answer 3

Calm handling, auditory calmness, minimizing visual stimuli, environmental comfort, familiarity, positive reinforcement, rest periods

Question 4

Signs a horse is relaxed

Answer 4

Soft eyes, head lowered, resting a back foot, sighing, licking and chewing

Question 5

Methods of restraint in horses

Answer 5

Halter and lead rope, twitch, skin roll or neck twitch, lifting or restraining a front leg, cross ties, vet crush/stocks, chemical restraint

Question 6

Parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 6

Dopamine: (learning)Reward and reinforcement learning, learning and memory, mood and emotional regulation, habituation and desensitization.
Serotonin: (emotions)Mood regulation and emotional stability, Stress response and adaptability, behavioural consistency, learning and memory, enhanced focus and attention

Question 7

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 7

Cortisol: Stress responce and adaptation(prepares for flight or fight), energy metabolism and performance, learning and memory(can impare cognitive function), behavioural effects(anxiety and fear).
Adrenaline: Acute stress response, increase heart rate and blood flow to muscles, excessive levels can impair learning, triggers flight or fight, high levels makes a horse excitable and reactive.