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Equine Behavior

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What Affects Behavior?

Environment

Experiences

Diet

Exercise

Stress

Genetics

Gender

Type

Breed

Familygroup

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Smell Identify other horses

Mating

Locate water, feed

Vomeronasal organ

Pheromones

Ears & Hearing

Detect sounds Determine location of

sound

To provide sensoryinformation

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

Auricle 180o rotation

Ear position generallyrelates to visual attention

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Touch Responsive to pain,

pressure, cold and

heat

Sensitive areas Eyes, ears and nose

Withers, ribs, flanks

and legs

Suffers fatigue

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VISION

Primary detector of danger

Acute ability to detectmovement

Monocular & Binocular vision

Monocular field of vision:215o for each eye

Binocular field of vision:60o-70o

Often raise head to observeclose objects

Lower head to observe farawayobjects

Monocular field

Up to 215o

Monocular field

Binocular field

60-70oMarginal zone

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Visual Signs

Ears

Tail

Mouth & lips Eyes

Nostrils

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Horse Behavior

Social Organization Harem groups

Domestic horses,Przewalski horse & some

zebra

Territorial breeders-Donkeys & some zebras

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Social Organization

Harem

Family

Mares

Stallion

Bachelor Group

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Ten Natural Survival Traits

Depends on flight as itsprimary means of survival

One of the most perceptive

of all domestic animalsVery fast response time

Can be desensitized from

frightening stimuli Horses forgive, but do not

forget

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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 theirpeers. 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

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Ten Natural Survival Traits

The body language of a horse is unique to theequine species

Horse is a precocial species (newborn foals are

neurologically mature at birth)

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Types of Horse

Behavior

Ingestive behavior

Eliminative behavior

Epimeletic behavior -

Care-giving & care-seeking behavior

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Types of Horse Behavior

Sexual

Polygamous

One offspring

Seasonal Breeders Fetal behavior

Parturient behavior

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Horse Behavior

Self-care behavior

Homeostatic influences

Grooming

Rest Awake 80%

Drowsiness 8%

Sleep 12%

Autogroom

Mutual Groom

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Types of Horse Behavior

Investigative Behavior

Play behavior

Exploratory behavior

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Types of Horse Behavior

Allelomimetic Behavior

Mimicry

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Types of Horse Behavior

Agonistic Behavior

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Types of Horse Behavior

Dominance/Submission(Social Order)

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Horse Behavior

Spacing

Individual distance

Group distance Social distance

Flight distance

Home range

Territorial

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Activity

Diurnal

Travel up to 16 km/d(10 mile/d)

Home range, can be upto 1000 ha.(2500 acres)

Range: 0.8-303 sq. km

(0.5-188 sq. mile)

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Average Time Budgets For

Horses

60%20%

10%

10%

Eat

Stand

Lie

Other

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Behavioral Considerations in

Equine Handling HERD INSTINCT

HOMING INSTINCT

FLIGHT

DOMINANCEHEIREACHY

TERRITORIALBEHAVIOR

SELF-DEFENSE HABIT

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Good StressThestressful condition in

which the horse can find

a solution that willrelieve the stress

Harmful StressAstressful condition in

which there is no

possible solution orescape.

Stress

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Responses To Harmful Stress

Habituate

Develop abnormal behavior

Permanent fear memory

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Equine Stereotypes

Oral

Cribbing

Tongue movements

Lip movements

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Equine Stereotypes

Locomotion

Head movements(bobbing, tossing,shaking, swinging,

nodding)

Throat rubbing

Pacing

Weaving

Fence or stall walking

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Equine Stereotypes

Locomotion

Circling

Stomping

Kicking

Pawing

Digging

Tail rubbing

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Equine Stereotypes

Self-Mutilation

Self-biting (flank, chest, shoulder)

Wall-kicking

Lunging into objects

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EQUINE VICES

AGGRESSIVE VICES

Biting

Charging

Crowding Rearing

Kicking

Striking

Fighting

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EQUINE VICES

METABOLIC VICES

Coprophagy or dirt eating

Cribbing

Mane and tail chewing Wood chewing

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