Horse Evolution & Behaviour Flashcards
First equid to walk on one digit
Pliohippus
What did the two redundant toes become
Splint bones
Only surviving genera
Equus
7 remaining Equus species
Domestic horse Zebras (x3) Przewalskis Donkeys Wild ass
Horses initial purpose
Meat & skin
Domestication uses
Initially pulling heavy loads before the range today eg riding sport carting
Type of animal
Flight animal
Normal grouping system
1 stallion maybe 2 with mares or a bachelor band
Hierarchy
Live in a large group
+ve of living in a large group
Protection
Hierarchy system
Usually older/more aggressive/present in herd for longer mare is dominant/has priority resource access
Hierarchy fxs
Incr stability
Incr survival (dominant decides if flight or fight)
Incr repro success
Decr herd injuries
Aggression types
Learned
Dominance
Learned aggression
Rewarded for the behaviour gen assoc woth a specific person
Dominance aggression
Defensive of resource/space
Reinforced through bad inadequate handling or inappropriate punishment
Horse assoc time
Little more than a second
Cause of training problems
Horse given inappropriate signals so this unpredictability causes unwanted behaviour so need to avoid conflicting signals for successful training
Stereotypical behaviour egs
Weaving Head bobbing Crib biting Wind sucking Box walking
Evolution from hyracotherium
Fox sized
4 toed front feet
3 toed rear feet
Swampy region inhabitant
Horses natural behaviour
Continual movement and grazing most of the day.
Herd never graze all at once
Behaviour is product of
Interaction of genetics and enviro
Predisposition combined with learned behaviour
Predisposition to certain behaviour is due to
Genetics
Optimal management and training req
Understanding of behaviour
Gen cause of behaviour problem
Inadequate management routine and lack of knowledge of how horse perceives world
Earliest ancestor of domestic hirse
Eohippus (dawn horse) Size of fox Ran with Four toes on front legs and 3 on back legs Swampy regions of N america Browsed shrubs and plants Died out
