Download ppt - Equine Behavior. What Affects Behavior? Environment Experiences Experiences Diet Diet Exercise Exercise Stress Stress Genetics Gender Type Breed Family

Equine BehaviorEquine Behavior

What Affects Behavior?What Affects Behavior?

EnvironmentEnvironment ExperienExperien

cesces DietDiet

ExerciseExercise

StressStress

GeneticsGenetics GenderGender TypeType BreedBreed Family Family

groupgroup

SmellSmell Identify other horsesIdentify other horses MatingMating Locate water, feedLocate water, feed Vomeronasal organVomeronasal organ PheromonesPheromones

Ears & HearingEars & Hearing Detect soundsDetect sounds Determine location of Determine location of

soundsound To provide sensory To provide sensory

informationinformation Hear in range 14 Hz to Hear in range 14 Hz to

25 kHz (humans 20 Hz 25 kHz (humans 20 Hz to 20 kHz)to 20 kHz)

Auricle – 180Auricle – 180oo rotation rotation Ear position generally Ear position generally

relates to visual relates to visual attentionattention

TouchTouch Responsive to Responsive to

pain, pressure, pain, pressure, cold and heatcold and heat

Sensitive areas Sensitive areas Eyes, ears and Eyes, ears and

nosenose Withers, ribs, Withers, ribs,

flanks and legsflanks and legs Suffers fatigue Suffers fatigue

VISIONVISION Primary detector of dangerPrimary detector of danger

Acute ability to detect Acute ability to detect movementmovement

Monocular & Binocular visionMonocular & Binocular vision

Monocular field of vision: Monocular field of vision: 215215oo for each eye for each eye

Binocular field of vision: Binocular field of vision: 6060oo-70-70oo

Often raise head to observe close objects

Lower head to observe faraway objects

Monocular fieldUp to 215o

Monocular field

Binocular field60-70o

Marginal zone

Visual SignsVisual Signs

EarsEars TailTail Mouth & Mouth &

lipslips EyesEyes NostrilsNostrils

Horse BehaviorHorse BehaviorSocial OrganizationSocial Organization

Harem groups – Harem groups – Domestic horses, Domestic horses, Przewalski horse & Przewalski horse & some zebrasome zebra

Territorial Territorial breeders-Donkeys breeders-Donkeys & some zebras& some zebras

Social OrganizationSocial Organization

HaremHarem FamilyFamily MaresMares StallionStallion Bachelor Bachelor

GroupGroup

Ten Natural Survival Ten Natural Survival TraitsTraits

Depends on flight as its Depends on flight as its primary means of primary means of survivalsurvival

One of the most One of the most perceptive of all perceptive of all domestic animalsdomestic animals

Very fast response timeVery fast response time Can be desensitized from Can be desensitized from

frightening stimulifrightening stimuli Horses forgive, but do Horses forgive, but do

not forgetnot forget


Horses categorize Horses categorize A) something not to fear, so A) something not to fear, so

ignore or exploreignore or explore B) Something to fear, so fleeB) Something to fear, so flee

Horses are easily dominatedHorses are easily dominated Horses exert dominance by Horses exert dominance by

controlling the movement of controlling the movement of their peers. Horse accept their peers. Horse accept dominance when:dominance when: We or another animal cause them We or another animal cause them

to move when they prefer not toto move when they prefer not to We or another animal inhibit We or another animal inhibit

movement when they want to fleemovement when they want to flee


The body language of a horse is unique The body language of a horse is unique to the equine speciesto the equine species

Horse is a precocial species (newborn Horse is a precocial species (newborn foals are neurologically mature at birth)foals are neurologically mature at birth)

Types of Horse Types of Horse BehaviorBehavior

Ingestive behaviorIngestive behavior Eliminative Eliminative

behaviorbehavior Epimeletic Epimeletic

behavior -Care-behavior -Care-giving & care-giving & care-seeking behaviorseeking behavior

Types of Horse BehaviorTypes of Horse Behavior

Sexual Sexual PolygamousPolygamous One offspringOne offspring Seasonal BreedersSeasonal Breeders Fetal behaviorFetal behavior Parturient behaviorParturient behavior

Horse BehaviorHorse Behavior

Self-care behaviorSelf-care behavior Homeostatic Homeostatic

influencesinfluences GroomingGrooming RestRest

Awake 80%Awake 80% Drowsiness 8%Drowsiness 8% Sleep 12%Sleep 12%

AutogroomAutogroom

Mutual GroomMutual Groom

Types of Horse BehaviorTypes of Horse BehaviorInvestigative BehaviorInvestigative Behavior

Play behaviorPlay behavior Exploratory Exploratory

behaviorbehavior


Allelomimetic BehaviorAllelomimetic Behavior MimicryMimicry

Types of Horse BehaviorTypes of Horse BehaviorAgonistic BehaviorAgonistic Behavior


Dominance/Dominance/Submission (Social Submission (Social Order)Order)

Horse BehaviorHorse Behavior

Spacing Spacing Individual Individual

distancedistance Group distanceGroup distance Social distanceSocial distance Flight distanceFlight distance Home rangeHome range TerritorialTerritorial

ActivityActivity

DiurnalDiurnal Travel up to 16 Travel up to 16

km/d (10 mile/d)km/d (10 mile/d) Home range, can Home range, can

be up to 1000 ha.be up to 1000 ha.(2500 acres)(2500 acres)

Range: 0.8-303 sq. Range: 0.8-303 sq. km (0.5-188 sq. km (0.5-188 sq. mile)mile)

Average Time Budgets Average Time Budgets For HorsesFor Horses

60%20%

10%

10%

EatStandLieOther

Behavioral Behavioral Considerations in Equine Considerations in Equine

HandlingHandling HERD INSTINCTHERD INSTINCT HOMING HOMING

INSTINCTINSTINCT FLIGHTFLIGHT DOMINANCE DOMINANCE

HEIREACHYHEIREACHY TERRITORIAL TERRITORIAL

BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR SELF-DEFENSESELF-DEFENSE HABITHABIT

Good Stress – The Good Stress – The stressful condition stressful condition in which the horse in which the horse can find a solution can find a solution that will relieve that will relieve the stressthe stress

Harmful Stress – A Harmful Stress – A stressful condition stressful condition in which there is in which there is no possible no possible solution or escape.solution or escape.

StressStress

Responses To Harmful Responses To Harmful StressStress

HabituateHabituate Develop abnormal behaviorDevelop abnormal behavior Permanent fear memoryPermanent fear memory

Equine StereotypesEquine Stereotypes

OralOral CribbingCribbing Tongue movementsTongue movements Lip movementsLip movements

Equine StereotypesEquine Stereotypes LocomotionLocomotion

Head movements Head movements (bobbing, tossing, (bobbing, tossing, shaking, swinging, shaking, swinging, nodding)nodding)

Throat rubbingThroat rubbing PacingPacing WeavingWeaving Fence or stall Fence or stall

walkingwalking

Equine StereotypesEquine Stereotypes

LocomotionLocomotion CirclingCircling StompingStomping KickingKicking PawingPawing DiggingDigging Tail rubbingTail rubbing

Equine StereotypesEquine Stereotypes Self-MutilationSelf-Mutilation

Self-biting (flank, chest, shoulder)Self-biting (flank, chest, shoulder) Wall-kickingWall-kicking Lunging into objectsLunging into objects

EQUINE VICESEQUINE VICES AGGRESSIVE VICESAGGRESSIVE VICES

BitingBiting ChargingCharging CrowdingCrowding RearingRearing KickingKicking StrikingStriking FightingFighting

EQUINE VICESEQUINE VICES METABOLIC VICESMETABOLIC VICES

Coprophagy or dirt eating Coprophagy or dirt eating CribbingCribbing Mane and tail chewingMane and tail chewing Wood chewingWood chewing