Equine Behavior

What Affects Behavior?

Environment

Experiences

Diet

Exercise

Stress

Genetics

Gender

Type

Breed

Family

group

Smell Identify other horses

Mating

Locate water, feed

Vomeronasal organ

Pheromones

Ears & Hearing

Detect sounds

Determine location of sound

To provide sensory information

Hear in range 14 Hz to 25 kHz (humans 20 Hz to 20 kHz)

Auricle – 180o rotation

Ear position generally relates to visual attention

Touch

Responsive to pain,

pressure, cold and

heat

Sensitive areas

Eyes, ears and nose

Withers, ribs, flanks

and legs

Suffers fatigue

VISION

Primary detector of danger

Acute ability to detect movement

Monocular & Binocular vision

Monocular field of vision: 215o for each eye

Binocular field of vision: 60o-70o

Often raise head to observe close objects

Lower head to observe faraway objects

Monocular field

Up to 215o

Monocular field

Binocular field

60-70o

Marginal zone

Visual Signs

Ears

Tail

Mouth & lips

Eyes

Nostrils

Horse Behavior

Social Organization Harem groups –

Domestic horses,

Przewalski horse & some

zebra

Territorial breeders-

Donkeys & some zebras

Social Organization

Harem

Family

Mares

Stallion

Bachelor Group

Ten Natural Survival Traits

Depends on flight as its primary means of survival

One of the most perceptive of all domestic animals

Very fast response time

Can be desensitized from frightening stimuli

Horses forgive, but do not forget

Ten Natural Survival Traits

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

explore

B) Something to fear, so flee

Horses are easily dominated

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

move when they prefer not to

We or another animal inhibit movement when they want to flee

Ten Natural Survival Traits

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

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

Types of Horse

Behavior

Ingestive behavior

Eliminative behavior

Epimeletic behavior -

Care-giving & care-

seeking behavior

Types of Horse Behavior

Sexual

Polygamous

One offspring

Seasonal Breeders

Fetal behavior

Parturient behavior

Horse Behavior

Self-care behavior

Homeostatic influences

Grooming

Rest

Awake 80%

Drowsiness 8%

Sleep 12%

Autogroom

Mutual Groom

Types of Horse Behavior

Investigative Behavior

Play behavior

Exploratory behavior

Types of Horse Behavior

Allelomimetic Behavior

Mimicry

Types of Horse Behavior

Agonistic Behavior

Types of Horse Behavior

Dominance/Submission

(Social Order)

Horse Behavior

Spacing

Individual distance

Group distance

Social distance

Flight distance

Home range

Territorial

Activity

Diurnal

Travel up to 16 km/d

(10 mile/d)

Home range, can be up

to 1000 ha.(2500 acres)

Range: 0.8-303 sq. km

(0.5-188 sq. mile)

Average Time Budgets For

Horses

60%20%

10%

10%

Eat

Stand

Lie

Other

Behavioral Considerations in

Equine Handling HERD INSTINCT

HOMING INSTINCT

FLIGHT

DOMINANCE HEIREACHY

TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR

SELF-DEFENSE

HABIT

Good Stress – The

stressful condition in

which the horse can find

a solution that will

relieve the stress

Harmful Stress – A

stressful condition in

which there is no

possible solution or

escape.

Stress

Responses To Harmful Stress

Habituate

Develop abnormal behavior

Permanent fear memory

Equine Stereotypes

Oral

Cribbing

Tongue movements

Lip movements

Equine Stereotypes

Locomotion

Head movements

(bobbing, tossing,

shaking, swinging,

nodding)

Throat rubbing

Pacing

Weaving

Fence or stall walking

Equine Stereotypes

Locomotion

Circling

Stomping

Kicking

Pawing

Digging

Tail rubbing

Equine Stereotypes

Self-Mutilation

Self-biting (flank, chest, shoulder)

Wall-kicking

Lunging into objects

EQUINE VICES

AGGRESSIVE VICES

Biting

Charging

Crowding

Rearing

Kicking

Striking

Fighting

EQUINE VICES

METABOLIC VICES

Coprophagy or dirt eating

Cribbing

Mane and tail chewing

Wood chewing