The horse is a social animal whose management influences its manageability and reduces its fear reactions [1]. We compiled daytime ethograms for mares and foals to define the influence of management on the animals’ behavior, emotional reaction, learning ability and manageability. We defined the ethograms using focal sampling in different stabling conditions. Data were analysed using The Observer Video-Pro. The ethogram included the timings of upright resting, recumbent resting (with the foal in either sternal or lateral recumbency), feeding and playing. It also included vocalizations, details of aggressive and submissive behaviors, numbers and times of suckling, and the distance between mare and foal.

We recommend behavior shaping and natural communication in horse management, because the handling strategy during the preweaning period alleviates the emotional reactivity of horses to novel stimuli and increases their manageability; it also enhances their later learning ability [2,3,4]. The handling of foals and young horses should reduce their fear reaction and increase confidence during contact with humans. Behavioral and emotional reactions of horses are of great importance during their use and daily care, especially if they are handled horses used in therapeutic riding programs. Contact with humans is an important factor influencing the behavioral and emotional characteristics of young animals. For this reason, we advocate handling foals to create ‘family ties’ between horse and trainer. Applying more efficient training procedures should produce animals better suited to training, and permit a more natural, ‘soft’ approach to the horse and its world [5,6].

References

1. Heird, J.C; Whitaker. (1986). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 15, 15-25.
2. Mal, M.E.; McCall. (1993). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 35, 305-311.
3. Mal, M.E.; McCall. (1994). Appl. Anim. Behav.Sci., 40, 187-195.
4. Jezierski, T.; Jaworski, Z. (1999). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 62, 1-11.
5. Panzera et al. (2000). Atti II Convegno Nuove acquisizioni in materia di alimentazione, allevamento e allenamento del cavallo. Campobasso, Italy.
6. Panzera et al. (2001). Atti III Convegno Nuove acquisizioni in materia di alimentazione, allevamento e allenamento del cavallo. Campobasso, Italy.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2002 , 4^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 27-30 August 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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