Intro to Equine Behaviour

Question 1

Describe vision in horses

Answer 1

dichromatic, wide field, monocular + binocular, very sensitive to movement

Question 2

Describe smell in horses

Answer 2

very sensitive with individual olfaction recognitions, VNM + flehmen response

Question 3

Describe hearing in horses

Answer 3

acute, up to 33,000Hz, ability to move ears independently

Question 4

Do horses have taste preferencces

Answer 4

yes

Question 5

are horses sensitive to tactile stimulation

Answer 5

yes

Question 6

How do horses relate to one another

Answer 6

they are social, can have agonistic or affiliative behaviours between conspecifics

Question 7

What are horses designed to do

Answer 7

forage, graze for more than half the day

Question 8

do horses have a gall bladder

Answer 8

no

Question 9

what type of fermenters are horses

Answer 9

hind gut fermenters

Question 10

name some common housing practices of horses

Answer 10

stalling, individual housing, meal feeding, high concentrate feeding over forage (all have medical and psychological consequences)

Question 11

3Fs of equine welfare`

Answer 11

friends, forage, freedom

Question 12

What are some signs of stress/fear/anxiety in horses

Answer 12

gaze fixed on something, tension in neck, nostrils flared, pinned ears

Question 13

body language of a relaxed horse

Answer 13

droopy lower lip, half closed eyes

Question 14

what is trigger stacking

Answer 14

where small stressors/ triggers increase sensitivity of patient overtime –> when learner goes over threshold for resilience, even a small stressor can cause a huge response

Question 15

threshold

Answer 15

when a horse begins to display behaviour indicative of fear, anxiety and stress towards a stimulus

Question 16

What are some equine low stress handling techniques

Answer 16

carefully select environment, address basic needs when possible, provide conspecifics, ***decrease trigger stacking and stay under threshold, use distractions, handle gently and calmly, use pain meds and sedation when needed, have positive associations with vet handling

Question 17

3 horse handling techniques to use during an aversive vet procedure

Answer 17

1. feeding
2. rubbing over eyes
3. rubbing over withers

Question 18

what are the ABCs of behaviours

Answer 18

A = antecedent
B = behaviour
C = consequence

Question 19

What are the 6 steps to analyzing behaviour

Answer 19

1. describe the target behaviour in clear, observable terms
2. describe antecedent events that occur and conditions that exist immediately before the behaviour happens
3. describe consequences hat immediately follow the behaviour
4. examine the antecedents, the behaviour and the consequence in science
5. devise new antecedents and/or consequences to teach new behaviours or change existing ones
6. evaluate the outcome

Question 20

what are some considerations when assessing function of behaviour

Answer 20

observe behaviours objectively, keep it simple, do not assign unnecessary human constructs

Question 21

classical conditioning

Answer 21

repeated association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, until the neutral stimulus elicits a conditioned emotional response

Question 22

operant conditioning/operant learning

Answer 22

a method of learning that creates associations between a voluntary behaviour and the consequence of that behaviour

Question 23

what relationship does classical conditioning and operant conditioning have

Answer 23

often concurrent processes

Question 24

*** be really familiar with -/+ reinforcement, -/+ punishment

Question 25

desensitization

Answer 25

reducing response to a stimulus through gradual controlled exposure

Question 26

counterconditioning

Answer 26

changing an animal’s conditioned emotional emotional and physiological response to a stimulus

Question 27

marker/ bridge/ bridging stimulus

Answer 27

auditory, tactile, or visual cue that communicates precise moment that is being reinforced

Question 28

what works as positive reinforcement in horses

Answer 28

• food is a highly salient, primary reinforcer
• scratches can work well, but not all tactile stimulation is reinforcing and there is variety in ind. preference
• experiences/ access to resources

Question 29

how can horses be taught to take food rewards safely

Answer 29

through positive reinforcement

Question 30

how do you respect the client when using food as a reward/ distraction

Answer 30

do not hand feed if client has concerns, use buckets, hay nets

Question 31

what is important to keep in mind for the human and effective use of negative reinforcement

Answer 31

• light touch, soft hands, use least amount of pressure neeed
• have to release pressure in order to actually reinforce
• still use “shape” techniques - reinforce smallest steps towards desired behaviour
• look for less intrusive interventions in the moment for future handling