Poker Face: Discrepancies in behaviour and affective states in horses during stressful handling procedures

Squibb, Keith; Griffin, Kym; Favier, Rebecca; Ijichi, Carrie

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2018.02.003

Cited by 60 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…wide, from which hung 2m long coloured plastic streamers (Squibb et al, 2018). To complete this test, the subject walked through the frame, causing the streamers to touch the face and body of the subject as they passed through.…”

Section: Handling Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Crossing time began when the first fore-limb bore weight after the ground pole 2m in front of the obstacle. Crossing time ended when the last hind-limb bore weight on the tarpaulin for Test A (Ijichi et al, 2013), or when the tail of the subject had passed through the frame for Test B (Squibb et al, 2018). Horses that did not complete the test were recorded a Crossing Time of 180 seconds.…”

Section: Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour

Ijichi

Griffin

Squibb

et al. 2018

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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Human-animal bond is receiving increasing attention and is thought to confer benefits on wellbeing and performance in working animals. One important benefit of bonding is the "safe base" an attachment figure provides, which manifests in better coping and increased exploration during potential threat. However, there is limited research exploring the existence or benefits of human-horse bonds, though bonding is sought after by both pleasure and elite riders. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the presence of horses' owners confers a safe-base, therefore improving horse behaviour and physiological stress responses during novel handling tests. Horses completed two different handling tests, one with their owner and the other with an unfamiliar experimental handler (n = 46). Test and handler order was randomised and handlers were double blind to the performance of the horse with the alternate handler. Time taken to complete the tests and proactive behaviour were measured as indicators of performance and compliance. Core temperature, discrepancy in eye temperature, heart rate and heart rate variability were recorded to assess stress responses. If horses experience a "safe base" effect in the vicinity of their owner, they would be expected to show lower stress responses and greater behavioural compliance, compared to being handled by a stranger. There was no difference in behaviour or any physiological stress response between the handlers. This indicates that a calm, competent, but unknown handler may be equally effective to an owner during stressful procedures as neither equine performance nor affective state supported a safe-base effect. This supports previous research suggesting that the level of bond between human and horse may not be the most salient factor in coping or compliance during training and handling. These findings have implications for veterinary and clinical behaviour counselling, where novel human handlers must modify behaviour under potentially stressful circumstances.

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Section: Handling Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour

Ijichi

Griffin

Squibb

et al. 2018

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…The inability of owners to recognise patterns of behaviours of horses that underpin negative emotional states has been explored by [13] and has been confirmed to have major welfare implications. This is complicated further by the potential for individual horses to be more, or less, overt in their behavioural expression of underlying emotions, and for the effect of training to mask any emotional response that would otherwise be present [14]. Likewise, individual horses cope with stress in different ways [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the Recognition of Equine Affective States

Bell¹,

Rogers²,

Taylor³

et al. 2019

Animals

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A key welfare problem for horses is that people commonly fail to recognise, and consequently neglect to resolve, equine behavioural signs of distress, worsening the welfare of the horse and potentially putting the safety of the handler at risk as a result. Members of equestrian Facebook groups were asked to view six videos and assess the horse’s behaviour in each; the authors selected the videos and considered each video to demonstrate behaviour associated with negative affective states. An additional six equine behaviourists also completed the survey as an “expert comparison group” from whom we could define “correct” answers; their responses were consistent with each other and the views of the authors. Although the majority of respondents successfully recognised behaviour indicative of distress in some instances, behaviour associated with negative affective states was commonly missed; videos featuring natural horsemanship and bridle-less riding were particularly interpreted incorrectly to be positive experiences for the horses. Binary logistic regression analysis (72.1% success rate) confirmed that the different video types (ridden dressage, natural horsemanship, in-hand dressage, bridle-less riding, Western reining and behavioural rehabilitation) were strong predictors for obtaining a correct answer (p < 0.01) but that experience of equine-ownership was not. Of the equestrian activities preferred by participants, only proponents of clicker training showed an increased likelihood of obtaining the correct answer (p = 0.05). Even when behavioural signs suggestive of negative affective states were recognised, a minority of respondents stated that they would be happy for their horse to be treated similarly. In conclusion, behavioural signs of equine distress are poorly recognised; they therefore warrant an increased prominence in education and the outreach activity of welfare organisations, in order to reduce equine suffering.

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“…However, contrary to our expectations, we did not find any differences in these traits between stereotypic and control horses. Since reactive coping strategies are characterised by freeze responses and unresponsiveness, it might be more difficult to detect fear in these animals (Squibb et al, 2018). Surprisingly, however, we found that a greater proportion of cribbiters reacted to the tactile filaments compared with the control horses suggesting a higher tactile sensitivity, which to our knowledge has never been reported before.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 62%

“…Indeed, behavioural reactions to fear-induced reactions might be less strongly expressed (e.g. characterized by freeze responses and unresponsiveness) in those individuals compared to proactive ones Squibb et al, 2018).…”

Section: Curiosity/fearfulnessmentioning

confidence: 96%

Characterising stereotypies in horses : physiology, personality, learning abilities and ontogeny

Freymond¹

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Stereotypies are repetitive, relatively invariant patterns of behaviour usually defined as having no apparent ultimate and proximal function (Mason and Rushen, 2006) Stereotypies also exist in humans, can be either psychologically or environmentally induced, and are often associated with developmental disorders, such as autism, neurological disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's syndrome and severe psychiatric disturbances (e.g. schizophrenia) (McBride and Parker, 2015). In animals, stereotypies are commonly observed in a wide range of species, but so far only in captivity. They exist in various forms and are mainly caused by environmental deprivation. Cage-induced stereotypies exist among the 1,700 rodent species in captivity (kept in zoos or laboratories, or as pets), such as field voles (Fentress, 1976), bank voles (Ödberg, 1987), chinchillas, gerbils and different species of mice (Würbel and Stauffacher, 1994). Rodents show different forms of stereotypies, including bar-mouthing in mice, gerbils, bank voles and hamsters, jumping in mice, and digging and looping in gerbils and mice (Würbel and Stauffacher, 1994). In primates in captivity, the form and prevalence of stereotypies varies greatly across species. Self-injurious behaviour occurs from prosimians to apes (Trollope, 1977). Primate species also show regurgitation, reingestion and coprophagy behaviours. Captive carnivores commonly show locomotor stereotypic behaviours. Such stereotypies can change in form over time as the behaviour develops. Figure-eight pacing, for example, can develop from pacing back and forth along a fence line (Clubb and Mason, 2003). Locomotor stereotypies can exist in the form of swimming in circles and weaving from side to side as well (Hunter et al., 2002). Captive ungulates commonly show oral stereotypic behaviours, even if locomotors behaviours like weaving and pacing ("box walking") are common in horses. Oral stereotypic behaviours include bar-biting and sham-chewing by sows, tongue rolling by cows and crib-biting or windsucking in horses (Sambraus, 1985; McGreevy et al., 1995). Such oral stereotypies did also occur in exotic ungulates in zoos; for example object licking in antelopes (Ganslosser and Brunner, 1997) and tongue rolling in giraffes and okapi (Koene, 1999).

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Poker Face: Discrepancies in behaviour and affective states in horses during stressful handling procedures

Cited by 60 publications

References 26 publications

Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour

Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour

Improving the Recognition of Equine Affective States

Characterising stereotypies in horses : physiology, personality, learning abilities and ontogeny

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