Virtual fencing is an innovative alternative to conventional fences. Different systems have been studied, including electric-impulse-free systems. We tested the potential of self-applied acoustic stimulus in deterring the horses from further movement. Thirty warmblood horses were individually introduced to a designated corridor leading toward a food reward (variant F) or a familiar horse (variant S). As the subject reached a distance of 30, 15 or 5 m from a finish line, an acute alarming sound was played. Generally, a sudden and unknown sound was perceived by horses as a threat causing an increase in vigilance and sympathetic activation. Horses’ behaviour and barrier effectiveness (80% for F vs. 20% for S) depended on motivator (F/S), while the cardiac response indicating some level of stress was similar. The motivation for social interactions was too strong to stop the horses from crossing a designated boundary. Conversely, the sound exposure distance did not vary the barrier effectiveness, but it differentiated HRV responses, with the strongest sympathetic activation noted at a distance of 5 m. Thus, the moment of a sound playback has important welfare implications. Due to the limited potential of sound as a virtual barrier, auditory cues cannot be used as an alternative for conventional fencing.
The aim of the study was to assess the behavioural reaction and emotional arousal of warmblood horses in response to sounds of different origin, and to classify those sounds into neutral ones, those causing a behavioural change and those causing a behavioural and physiological stress response. We tested the hypothesis that the perception of a sound as neutral or potentially threatening does not simply depend on the sound origin per se, but rather on the context in which the sound occurrs (predictability), additionally enhanced by the novelty effect. Recordings of 40 sounds, known (KS) and unknown (US), from four groups: anthropogenic (AS), neutral animal (NAS), predator (PS), and inanimate environment sounds (IES), were played to 20 warmblood horses remaining in their familiar paddock. The duration, frequency or occurrence of certain behaviours (e.g. walking, feeding, standing alert, stopping current activity), the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured. The horses’ reactions were rather weak and short-term. Most of the sounds resulted in distraction (increase in alertness). The horses ate less, walked and stood alert longer, and had a higher HR after certain sounds were played. The strongest stress response (physiological and behavioural) to NAS, mostly US, was observed. PS caused behavioural disturbance, but no cardiac activity changes. The weakest responses were observed for AS and IES. Modern, stable-kept horses remain vigilant to auditory stimuli in their environment and differentiate their responses to different sounds. The perception of a threat posed by sounds depends on their unpredictability and novelty.
Undesirable and stereotypical behaviors may indicate abnormalities in the living environment of animals. They have a negative impact on the welfare of animals and hinder the handling and use thereof. Unfortunately, horse owners often fail to recognize the causes of behavioral problems in their animals. The aim of the study was to analyze the breeding conditions, type of use and individual traits of horses in relation to displaying undesirable and stereotypical behavior. The assessment was made based on 609 online questionnaires completed by horse owners from Poland (n=376), UK (n=145), USA and Canada (n=66), Australia and NZ (n=22). It has been shown that the undesirable behaviors are influenced by e.g. access to pastures, presence of other horses on paddocks and supply frequency of roughage. Problematic behaviors are particularly frequently displayed by animals with a lively temperament. Horses should be kept under conditions meeting their feeding, social and locomotor behavioral needs. The evaluation of their individual traits may help to assess the risk of developing abnormal behavior and thus, to prevent it. Raising the awareness of horse keepers and breeders of the causes of problem behaviors should be the key issue.
The commercial horse feed industry uses palatants to mask undesirable tastes of feeds and enhance product acceptance. However, an unknown odour or taste may also hinder feed intake, due to, inter alia, novelty. The objective of the study was to assess the horses’ response to novel diet: five different herbs added alternately to dry, wet or wet-sweetened oats. Twenty adult horses were given different diet combinations of a feed presentation and a herb: field mint, common yarrow, common chamomile, common sage and common nettle, consecutively, once daily. The response to novelty was assessed regarding traits showing the willingness to consume: times of olfaction and consumption, times and numbers of intervals in consumption and drinking water, and the mass of leftovers. The results show that properties of the herbs studied did not hinder the consumption and only the odour of the dry common sage delayed the intake. Wetting or wetting and sweetening the diet accelerated the intake. In conclusion, herbs in small amounts do not significantly affect the willingness to consume feed. Although wet and wet-sweetened diet presentations may be novel to horses, they increase the feed palatability and can be suggested for use when preparing horse diets.
This study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the horses’ heart rate parameters and locomotor activity in a herd or isolation, with or without the company of goats. Twenty horses were tested in a paddock, accompanied (or not) by three goats. The experiment comprised four tests (a control test of a herd of horses without goats, a horse isolation test without goats, a test of a herd of horses with goats and a test of an isolated horse with goats). The horse’s locomotor behavior, and the HR, RR, rMSSD, LF, HF, and LF/HF were recorded. The data analysis included a 15-min rest, procedural and recovery HR/HRV periods, and a 5-min period at the beginning of the test. The duration of the horses standing in the company of goats increased significantly. The rMSSD parameter was the significantly lowest in the test of a herd of horses with goats. The company of goats in a paddock does not eliminate the emotional effects of the phenomenon. However, the locomotor behavior decreases. Goats in a paddock can provide a positive distraction for horses in a herd as a decrease in emotional excitability can be regarded as having a relaxing impact on a different animal species.
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