Introduction to enrichment for horses

Horse SAwww.horsesa.asn.auJanuary 2016iStock

The modern horse

Modern horses can successfully live in situations that are quite distant from how they evolved

Horse care includes feed, water, shelter and preventative health

Horse care also includes providing for physical and social environments

iStock

iStock

iStock

Let’s take a closer look at the ‘horse’ part of horses

Social connections

Horses have evolved as herd animals, which includes:

frequently interacting with other equines (social connections)

mutual grooming, watching out for others

territorial actions, herd dynamics

teamwork, separation

reproduction

curiosity with surroundings

staying safe from predators

iStock

iStock

Physical places to hang out

The horse has evolved to:

walk, eat, drink and rest as a herd

utilize a variety of landscape features (akin to prey animal)

range over a geographical area following fresh feed and water sources

seek out landscape features for daily routines e.g. suitable surface for a roll

travel distance between water and grazing

iStock

The pantry, kitchen and dining room

The horse has evolved to:

walk and eat at the same time

graze and browse a variety of grasses, herbs, trees & shrubs

experience a variety of tastes, smells, textures

hear different sounds food makes

use whiskers to help inform choice

spend approx. 14-16 hrs./24hrs searching for food & water

use skills to negotiate food as part of a herd

select foods, choose ‘good’ from ‘poor’

Just do it

The horse has evolved with behaviours which motivate him to:

work out how to prolong his survival and personal safety

find his own personal space, and place in the herd

learn how to navigate his environment

solve his own problems

control or respond to situations

seek out safer places

reproduce

iStock

Sensory sensibility

The horse has evolved to process information from his senses, which informs choice (and ultimately survival).

sound

sight

taste

smell

sound

touch

iStock

How well do you know your horse?

Could you write down how your horse budgets his time each day? For example:

Graze, browse, lick, chew

mutual grooming, scratch & roll

lie down flat, snooze while standing

interact with other horses, humans

walk, run, kick and buck

snort, neigh & nicker

other behaviours?

When have you observed different characteristics? E.g. alert, depressed, anxious

iStock

iStock

iStock

Did you know?

Enrichment is about the offer of choice, leading to measurable improvements in the daily life of a horse

Stimuli are triggers which act as motivation for activity or engagement in surroundings

iStock

iStock

Types of enrichment

Enrichment are measurable actions taken which act as a stimuli to promote natural behaviours, mental & physical activity.

Sensory

Food

Cognitive (memory, judgement etc.)

Physical environment

Social

Human-animal bond (little researched)

iStock

iStock

Why wait for something to go wrong?

We are all familiar with the common ‘vices’ (stereotypies) e.g. weaving, fence walking

- but why wait for something to go wrong?

What ways could we improve the day to day life of our horses, for ‘good’ or ‘positive’ welfare over and above survival needs.

Even if the horse lives in a paddock.

iStock

Outdoor physical environments also have stories to tell about how horses interact with their surrounds.

Discuss these photos.

iStockiStock

DIY enrichment plan for your horse

write down a description of your horse’s unique characteristics, living environment and routine.

observe and record behaviours and time budget over 24 hr. period

review notes, seeking advice from animal behaviour specialist if required

write a continuous improvement plan

monitor results

review

try something else, improve the plan

share your findings

iStock

iStock

Keep life interesting

Design the living environment to be as enriching as possible.

Variety can be found in the seasons, surfaces, searching for food, walking, use of enrichment toys in different ways.

Photo: Alayne Blickle

Tips for making toys & enrichment tools

cannot be swallowed, torn, ripped or broken (and then swallowed)

cannot trap or entangle the horse

cannot cut, poke, scrape or injure

non-toxic

sturdy, durable and indestructible

easily cleaned

easy and economical to construct

easily carried in and out of the horse’s physical living environment

Keeping enrichment activities safer for horses

build a list of potential safety hazards

thoroughly envision all the ways your horse might interact with the item

cross-check potential safety hazards from others (e.g. horse owners, vets)

prior to offering enrichment items, create a response plan should a problem arise

observe each horse’s interactions with new enrichment

revise the enrichment items based on observations

share your safety information!

Links:

McGreevy, Paul (2012) Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists

Australian Equine Behaviour Centrehttp://www.aebc.com.au/

International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultantshttps://iaabc.org/

Engaged Equineshttp://www.engagedequines.com/

Enrichment safety initiative http://www.enrichment.org/miniwebfile.php?Region=About_EE&File=safety.html&NotFlag=1

Tips for the care of confined horses (Horse SA)http://www.horsesa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/3100_HSA_CONFINEMENT-TIPS_Final.pdf

Tips for making toys and enrichment tools is adapted from: https://www.hoglezoo.org/meet_our_animals/animal_enrichment/design_enrichment_toys/

Keeping enrichment activities safer for horses is adapted from Enrichment Gone Wrong! Valerie J. Hare, Beth Rich, and Karen E. Worley The Shape of Enrichment, Inc., San Diego, United States of America https://www.parsemusfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Enrichment-gone-wrong-2008.pdf

Horse SAE: horsesa@horsesa.asn.au

www.horsesa.asn.au