Horse Behaviour Flashcards
What is the oldest ancestor of the horse
Przewalski’s horse (pony-shaped Mongolian wild horse)
When do feeding bouts increase in time
At dawn and in late afternoon
What is the horses panoramic vision
330-350 degrees
What colours can horses see well
Yellow and blue (dichromatic)
What is dichromatic
Can see two primary colours well
How do horses identify toxic or safe plants
Using taste (harmful = bitter)
Where is allogrooming common in horses
Along mane, less common on back or rump
What is a harem
Social group in horses consisting of a number of females and young and one male
What does the stability of the harem depend on
- The stallions herding instinct
- Strong social attachment between members
- Stallion rejects intruders
How does the hierarchy work in small vs large herds
Small = linear
Large = triangular (A may dominate B who may dominate C who can dominate A)
When does estrus decrease in mares
At the height of the breeding season
What is “winking”
repeated exposure of vulva tissue
How long is the gestation period
340 + 5 days
When do feral vs stabled horses foal
Feral = early morning
Stabled = at night or dawn
How does confinement affect a horse
Compromise feeding (eat and move), social, kinetic beh & health
How much time does a stabled vs pasture horse spend grazing
Stabled = 10% (consume rapidly)
Pasture = 70%
How is elimination behaviour different in stalls
Horse cannot avoid their own waste, males might urinate more frequently on fresh bedding
How is kinetic behaviour affected by stabling
Restricted space makes it hard to roll
Post-inhibitory rebound after being stall-bound may lead to unwanted behaviours during training (overdo behaviour once they have the space)
Why do horses roll
Expend energy, trying to get scent on them to cover up their space
Why do people use feral horses for behavioural comparison rather than Prezwalski horse
Prezwalski came from a shallow gene pool (11 animals) over the past 20 generations
Why do horses seek companions
Safety, comfort, detection of food, insecure when isolated
What does a horse rely on for self preservation
Caution, speed, agility,
Why does restricted movement and periods of fasting affect horses
Needs to eat and move (move to ruminate)
What kind of feeder is the horse
Generalist herbivore
What factors affect horses foraging behaviour
Temp down = less foraging
Longer feeding bouts at dawn/late afternoon
Breaks between are short (for maintenance, social, repro)
Describe a horses vision
Panoramic vision = 330-350
Binocular vision = 60-70
Image magnification 50% better than humans
Night vision (tapetum lucidum)
Dichromatic vision (yellow/blue)
Discriminate between shades of grey (troubles with green/grey)
What does over bending do to a horses vision
Blind area directly in front
Describe horses hearing
Funnel shaped (arc 180)
Impaired hearing = drooped ears, not moving towards sound
How can horses protect their hearing
Lay their ears flat
Describe horse smell
Well developed olfactory
Vomeronasal organ / flehmen
What is the response shown by the vomernasal organ
Flehmen (lip curl)
What does horses taste help them do
Discriminate between safe and toxic plants
Describe a horses touch
Very sensitive (muzzle/ears/eyes/groin/heel bulbs)
Where do horses allogroom
Along mane, less common over back/rump
What grooming styles are used in horses
Rolling, shaking, rubbing, scratching, nibbling
Who do social groups consist of in feral horses
Harem groups, one male (usually), variable number of females and horses
Bachelor groups also exist
Why is the constant presence of a male in a harem important
Detection of heat is assured
What does the stability of the harem depend on
Herding instinct of stallion, social attachment between members, rejection of intruders
Describe the dominance hierarchy in horses
Once established, stable
Males tend to rank higher (bite/kick, threats)
When is dominance displayed in domesticated groups
In competitive situations (restricted food source)
What’s the difference between dominance hierarchies of small herds vs large herds
Small = linear hierarchy
Large = in the middle there is triangular relationships
How are dominance hierarchies asserted
Height or body weight (sometimes age; juvenile could be smaller but stronger), length of time in band
Daughters of dominant mare tend to be dominant
What kind of estrous are horses
Seasonally polyestrous
Duration of estrus decreases at height of the breeding season
Describe an unreceptive vs receptive mare
Unreceptive = kicks, squeals, lays ears
Receptive = stands still, spread legs, tail to one side, lower pelvis, expose vulva tissue repeatedly (wink)
Describe horse sexual behaviour
Foreplay (male smells, nibble, lick, flehmen)
When does copulation first occur in horses
15 months to three years (sexual maturity/opportunity)
What is a horses gestation period
340 +/- 5 days
When does foaling occur in feral horses, how does this differ between stabled TB
Early morning hours
TB foal at night/dawn
What occurs directly after birth
Mother stays laying, nuzzles foal
Once standing, nuzzle and vigorously lick
Form bond
Mare stands by foal as it lays, prevents contact with herd
How long might a foal stay with its mother
Up to two years
Why does a horses behaviour change with confinement
Compromises feeding, social, kinetic behaviour and health
Why does feeding behaviour change in stabled horses
Limits feed choice, concentrated ration consumed quickly
How much time do pastured vs stabled horses spend foraging daily
Pastured/feral = 70%
Stabled = 10%
How does behaviour change in stabled horses
Perform operant tasks (undoing bolts)
Prevent detection of predators/escape
Cannot avoid waste
Fresh bedding = urination in males
How is kinetic behaviour affected by stabling
Restricted space (rolling behaviour difficult, maintenance behaviours)
What kind of behaviour might a horse display after a period of confinement
Post-inhibitory rebound (unwanted behaviours)
What are the two types of recumbancy, describe them
Lateral (laying flat out on ground)
Sternal (head in air)
What’s the difference between przwalski and domesticated horses time budget spent doing different things daily
DOMESTICATED
50-75% foraging
15-35% standing-resting
10,000 paces daily
PRZWALSKI
15.7% standing-resting
1.2% lying sternal, 4.1% laterally
What are the four stages of equine sleeping patterns
1) wakefulness
2) drowsiness
3) slow wave sleep
4) paradoxical sleep
Horses show polyphasic sleep patterns, what does this mean?
Sleep for short durations over multiple time points
When does slow wave sleep occur, what does REM sleep require
Slow wave = standing or lying
REM requires lateral recumbancy
What affects the longevity of resting behaviour in horses
Housing and bedding (straw=^)
Comfort (pregnant mares rest more in stables)
Where do cold bloods vs warm bloods originate
Cold = small, heavily set horses
Hot = finer-boned, shorter
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for show jumping
Agility, obedience, boldness, responsiveness, aware of feet
Ex TB, draft/TB, welsh cob/TB, WB
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for dressage
Controlled, powerful, responsive, calm, classically correct, regular paces, confident
Ex draft/TB, WB
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for eventing
Stamina, agility, compliance, calm, responsive
Ex TB, draft/TB, WB, WBx
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for endurance
Long distance, bond, calm, compliant, drink readily
Ex Arabians, arabX, appaloosas
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for racing
Reactive, desire to run, reluctance to be at back
Ex TB, Arabians, QH
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for trotting and pacing
Tolerance of harness/handling, desire to run
Ex STB
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for ball sports
Reliable, responsive, hardworking, agile, learn
Ex polo ponies, small TB, QH
What characteristics and breeds are preferred for leisure
Adaptable, calm
Ex any breed, saddlebred, QH, STB, ArabianX
When are feeding bouts the longest
Dawn, later afternoon
Why would a horse take a break between feeding bouts
Maintenance, social, reproductive behaviour
