A systematic review of equine personality

Regulation EC 1/2005 has stricter rules for transportation of unbroken (untamed) vs. broken (tamed) horses, but does not provide adequate tools for their identification. This study aimed to develop and validate such a tool. A behavioural test (Broken/Unbroken Test (BUT)) based on approaching, haltering, and leading was applied to 100 horses. Physiological and additional behavioural data were also collected, and the horses’ status (broken/unbroken) was assessed by the expert who administered the BUT. Each horse’s behaviour during the BUT was scored by four trained observers blinded to the horse’s history. The BUT score showed excellent inter-observer, intra-observer, and test–retest reliability (all intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) > 0.75). It was also negatively associated with respiratory rate, avoidance distance, and time needed to approach, halter, and lead the horse (p < 0.05 for all). The optimal BUT score cut-off for discrimination between broken and unbroken horses (gold standard: expert judgment) showed 97.8% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity. There was almost perfect agreement between BUT-based and expert classification of horses (ICC = 0.940). These findings confirm the BUT’s construct and criterion validity. The BUT could provide officials with a feasible, reliable, and valid tool to identify a horse’s broken/unbroken status and, consequently, direct stakeholders towards correct transport procedures.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Validation of a Test for the Classification of Horses as Broken or Unbroken

Menchetti

Costa

Minero

et al. 2021

“…Interestingly, many studies on different species have revealed a correlation between tamability and increased variation of coat colors [90][91][92] as well as between certain behavior traits and allele distribution in coat color loci. In horses, the association between self-reliance and the genotype in the ASIP locus has been identified [93,94]. The precise molecular mechanisms linking behavior and color phenotypes, have yet to be found.…”

Section: Coat Colormentioning

confidence: 99%

From the Eurasian Steppes to the Roman Circuses: A Review of Early Development of Horse Breeding and Management

Klecel

Martyniuk

2021

The domestication of the horse began about 5500 years ago in the Eurasian steppes. In the following millennia horses spread across the ancient world, and their role in transportation and warfare affected every ancient culture. Ownership of horses became an indicator of wealth and social status. The importance of horses led to a growing interest in their breeding and management. Many phenotypic traits, such as height, behavior, and speed potential, have been proven to be a subject of selection; however, the details of ancient breeding practices remain mostly unknown. From the fourth millennium BP, through the Iron Age, many literature sources thoroughly describe horse training systems, as well as various aspects of husbandry, many of which are still in use today. The striking resemblance of ancient and modern equine practices leaves us wondering how much was accomplished through four thousand years of horse breeding.

“…For example, Thoroughbreds and Arabians rank high in traits like anxiousness, excitability, and nervousness while breeds such as the American Quarter Horse and draft breeds rank low [ 77 ]. A review of equine personality by Rankins and Wickens [ 78 ] outlined multiple temperament traits and dimensions that exist in horses, as personality is genetically based and modified by the horse’s environment and previous experiences. Equine personality is of interest to behaviour and welfare scientists as well as equine practitioners, as certain traits can impact injury risk, training processes, learning, and the hors–human relationship.…”

Section: Equine Personality and Attachment Stylesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Equine personality is of interest to behaviour and welfare scientists as well as equine practitioners, as certain traits can impact injury risk, training processes, learning, and the hors–human relationship. Personality is entrained based on environment and experience during the critical periods of development in which an animal’s behaviour and personality are more easily modified by external events such as socialization [ 78 ]. Exposing a fearful horse to a novel environment will decrease the learning capacities of the horse, as fearful horses are more likely to switch from goal-directed behaviours to a habitual process or routine [ 51 ].…”

Section: Equine Personality and Attachment Stylesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Understanding of Horse–Human Interactions to Optimize Welfare

Merkies

Franzin

2021

Horses (Equus caballus) have been domesticated for millennia and are regularly utilized for work, sport, and companionship. Enhanced understanding of human–horse interactions can create avenues to optimize their welfare. This review explores the current research surrounding many aspects of human–horse interactions by first highlighting the horse’s sensory capabilities and how they pertain to human interactions. Evidence exists that suggests that horses can read humans in various ways through our body odours, posture, facial expressions, and attentiveness. The literature also suggests that horses are capable of remembering previous experiences when working with humans. The interrelatedness of equine cognition and affective states within the horse’s umwelt is then explored. From there, equine personality and the current literature regarding emotional transfer between humans and horses is examined. Even though horses may be capable of recognizing emotional states in humans, there remains a gap in the literature of whether horses are capable of empathizing with human emotion. The objective of this literature review is to explore aspects of the relationship between humans and horses to better understand the horse’s umwelt and thereby shed new light on potential positive approaches to enhance equine welfare with humans.