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Core Principles of Equine Behavior
Core Principles of Equine Behavior
• Natural State: Free-ranging horses spend >60% of their day foraging and are highly social.
• Natural State: Free-ranging horses spend >60% of their day foraging and are highly social.
• Primary Cause of Problems: Most behavioral issues are associated with confinement, isolation, and deviations from these natural patterns.
• Primary Cause of Problems: Most behavioral issues are associated with confinement, isolation, and deviations from these natural patterns.
• General Management Goal: Identify the deviation from normal behavior and correct it through environmental or behavioral changes.
• General Management Goal: Identify the deviation from normal behavior and correct it through environmental or behavioral changes.
Aggression in Horses:
Aggression in Horses:
• Visual Signs: Flattened ears, retracted lips, rapid tail movements, snaking, head bowing, and levade (rearing with flexed hindquarters).
• Visual Signs: Flattened ears, retracted lips, rapid tail movements, snaking, head bowing, and levade (rearing with flexed hindquarters).
• Types of Aggression:
• Types of Aggression:
◦ To People: Often occurs in stalls (confined space); categories include fear, pain, sexual/hormonal, or learned dominance.
◦ To People: Often occurs in stalls (confined space); categories include fear, pain, sexual/hormonal, or learned dominance.
◦ Toward Other Horses: Associated with sexual competition, fear, dominance, or protecting territory/resources.
◦ Toward Other Horses: Associated with sexual competition, fear, dominance, or protecting territory/resources.
◦ Maternal: Normal in mares for the first few days post-delivery; usually wanes over time.
◦ Maternal: Normal in mares for the first few days post-delivery; usually wanes over time.
◦ While Breeding: Stallions may be aggressive if overused, used out of season, or if they have a mating preference.
◦ While Breeding: Stallions may be aggressive if overused, used out of season, or if they have a mating preference.
• Management:
• Management:
◦ Environmental: Provide sufficient space, food, and water to reduce competition.
◦ Environmental: Provide sufficient space, food, and water to reduce competition.
◦ Behavioral: Use positive reinforcement, desensitization, and counterconditioning.
◦ Behavioral: Use positive reinforcement, desensitization, and counterconditioning.
◦ Medical: Castration or progestins for sexual aggression; SSRIs or tryptophan for some cases.
◦ Medical: Castration or progestins for sexual aggression; SSRIs or tryptophan for some cases.
◦ Note: Punishment should be avoided as it can aggravate the situation.
◦ Note: Punishment should be avoided as it can aggravate the situation.
Stereotypic & Repetitive Behaviors
Stereotypic & Repetitive Behaviors
• Definition: Repetitive behaviors that serve no obvious function and occupy a large part of the day.
• Definition: Repetitive behaviors that serve no obvious function and occupy a large part of the day.
• Oral Stereotypies:
• Oral Stereotypies:
◦ Cribbing (Windsucking): Grasping an object with incisors and sucking air. Associated with highly palatable food (grain) and lack of exercise.
◦ Cribbing (Windsucking): Grasping an object with incisors and sucking air. Associated with highly palatable food (grain) and lack of exercise.
◦ Wood Chewing (Lignophagia): Swallowing wood; primarily caused by a lack of roughage in the diet.
◦ Wood Chewing (Lignophagia): Swallowing wood; primarily caused by a lack of roughage in the diet.
• Locomotor Stereotypies:
• Locomotor Stereotypies:
◦ Stall Walking & Weaving: Rhythmic circling or weight shifting. Triggered by lack of social contact, claustrophobia, and stress.
◦ Stall Walking & Weaving: Rhythmic circling or weight shifting. Triggered by lack of social contact, claustrophobia, and stress.
◦ Stall Kicking & Pawing: Often driven by frustration or anticipation of food.
◦ Stall Kicking & Pawing: Often driven by frustration or anticipation of food.
• Head Shaking: Uncontrollable head jerking; can be a compulsive disorder or caused by medical issues like respiratory disease or nasal mites.
• Head Shaking: Uncontrollable head jerking; can be a compulsive disorder or caused by medical issues like respiratory disease or nasal mites.
• Management Strategies:
• Management Strategies:
◦ Increase roughage, social contact, and exercise.
◦ Increase roughage, social contact, and exercise.
◦ Physical aids: Mirrors for weaving; cribbing straps or open-end muzzles for cribbing.
◦ Physical aids: Mirrors for weaving; cribbing straps or open-end muzzles for cribbing.
Fear, Phobias, and Trailering
Fear, Phobias, and Trailering
• Neophobia: An innate fear of new things.
• Neophobia: An innate fear of new things.
• Trailer-Related Problems:
• Trailer-Related Problems:
◦ Loading Fear: Caused by dark interiors, instability, noise, or past punishment.
◦ Loading Fear: Caused by dark interiors, instability, noise, or past punishment.
◦ Travel Stress: Indicated by increased heart rate and salivary cortisol.
◦ Travel Stress: Indicated by increased heart rate and salivary cortisol.
• Treatment: Slow desensitization and counterconditioning with treats long before a trip is required. Avoid punishment, as it makes loading dangerous.
• Treatment: Slow desensitization and counterconditioning with treats long before a trip is required. Avoid punishment, as it makes loading dangerous.
Sexual & Eating Disorders
Sexual & Eating Disorders
• Sexual Issues:
• Sexual Issues:
◦ Mares: Silent heat (stress/preference) or Nymphomania (often caused by granulosa cell tumors).
◦ Mares: Silent heat (stress/preference) or Nymphomania (often caused by granulosa cell tumors).
◦ Stallions: Poor libido due to overuse or past negative experiences.
◦ Stallions: Poor libido due to overuse or past negative experiences.
◦ Geldings: Stallion-like behavior (fighting/mounting) occurs in 50% of geldings due to prenatal brain masculinization.
◦ Geldings: Stallion-like behavior (fighting/mounting) occurs in 50% of geldings due to prenatal brain masculinization.
• Eating Disorders:
• Eating Disorders:
◦ Coprophagia: Normal in foals (first 8 weeks) to introduce flora; in adults, it suggests a low-roughage diet.
◦ Coprophagia: Normal in foals (first 8 weeks) to introduce flora; in adults, it suggests a low-roughage diet.
◦ Obesity: Caused by overfeeding concentrates and lack of exercise.
◦ Obesity: Caused by overfeeding concentrates and lack of exercise.
Foal Rejection
Foal Rejection
• Three Categories:
• Three Categories:
1. Avoidance: Mare is fearful but not aggressive; won't allow suckling.
1. Avoidance: Mare is fearful but not aggressive; won't allow suckling.
2. Intolerance: Often due to a painful udder or being a first-time mother.
2. Intolerance: Often due to a painful udder or being a first-time mother.
3. Aggression: Mare actively bites or kicks the foal (stallion-like behavior).
3. Aggression: Mare actively bites or kicks the foal (stallion-like behavior).
• Treatment:
• Treatment:
◦ Safety First: Protect the foal; provide colostrum within 12 hours.
◦ Safety First: Protect the foal; provide colostrum within 12 hours.
◦ Intervention: Restrain the mare for suckling; address medical issues like mastitis.
◦ Intervention: Restrain the mare for suckling; address medical issues like mastitis.
◦ Medication: Acepromazine or diazepam can help, but they may enter the milk.
◦ Medication: Acepromazine or diazepam can help, but they may enter the milk.
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