Equine Behavior Flashcards
why study behavior?
guides handling and management, safety, and best housing practices
horses are gregarious
live in groups
horses form harems
group of females, share a male
-head stallion = protection and breeding
-head mare = tells herd what, when, and where
hierarchy
not about size, show dominance by controlling movement
reactive
natural preservation, response to homeostasis
ingestive
how horses eat, first behavioral trait
eliminative
rid of waste, urine or feces
sexual
seasonal, spring and summer
epimeletic
caregiving behaviors
agnostic
fight or flight
allelomimetic
mimicking behavior
investigative
curious, easily scared
grooming
horses groom each other
sleep and rest
very important, can sleep standing up or laying down
vision
monocular and binocular
– head placement affects range
– has to adjust to light changes
hearing
- better than sight
- each ear moves independently
- projects body language
what percent of time is spent eating?
60%
-multiple small meals
what percent of time standing?
20%
- “stay apparatus” = lock front knees and back leg to sleep
what percent of time spent laying?
10%
Stereotypic Behaviors
repetitive, invariant behavior pattern with no goal or function due to boredom and/or stress.
–> affects 15% of horses
locomotive stereotypic behaviors
pacing and weaving
