Agonistic ethogram of the equid bachelor band

McDonnell, Sue M.; Haviland, J.C.S.

doi:10.1016/0168-1591(94)00550-x

Cited by 160 publications

(146 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Sebeok, 1979), be useful substitutes to real aggressions. This is especially the case for stallion-stallion encounters that involve ritualized interactive sequences (McDonnell and Haviland, 1995;Waring, 2003).…”

Section: Ritualised Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Snapping has been considered as a "submission" display (e.g. McDonnell and Haviland, 1995) or a sign of conflict of motivation (approach/withdraw from this impressive adult; Waring, 2003), the result being apparently that little aggression is observed towards young individuals (as in juvenile signals of dogs puppies, Bekoff, 1977).…”

Section: Development Of Social Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grogan and McDonnell, 2005;Hartmann et al, 2009;Hartmann et al, 2011;McDonnell and Haviland, 1995). Thus, in modern husbandry systems, single box housing prevails where horses experience both social isolation and confinement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…kept in stable social groups in appropriately spacious fields with foraging opportunities and watering sites), even if there are less quantitative data in these populations. For instance, McDonnell and Haviland (1995) kept together in pasture groups of 3 to 20 mature pony stallions and reported remarkably few and generally minor injuries despite sometime "spectacular" inter-male interactions (see also Christensen et al, 2002a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballus

Fureix

Bourjade²,

Henry

et al. 2012

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/about/ebr-terms 1 Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballusAbstract. Horses are highly social animals that have evolved to live in social groups.However, in modern husbandry systems, single housing prevails where horses experience social isolation, a challenge-to-welfare factor. One major reason for this single housing is the owners' concerns that horses may injure each other during aggressive encounters. However, in natural conditions, serious injuries due to aggressive encounters are rare. What could therefore explain the claimed risks of group living for domestic horses? Basing our questioning on the current knowledge of the social life of horses in natural conditions, we review different practices that may lead to higher levels of aggression in horses and propose practical solutions.Observations of natural and feral horses mostly indicate a predominance of low frequencies and mild forms of aggression, based on subtle communication signals and ritualized displays and made possible by group stability (i.e. stable composition), dominance hierarchy and learning of appropriate social skills by young horses. Obviously, adults play a major role here in canalizing undesirable behaviours, and social experience during development, associated with a diversity of social partners, seems to be a prerequisite for the young horse to become socially skilled.Given the natural propensity of horses to have a regulation of aggression in groups, the tendency to display more aggression in groups of domestic horses under some management practices seems clearly related to the conditions offered. We therefore review the managing practices that could trigger aggressiveness in horses. Non social practices (space, resource availability) and social practices (group size, stability of membership, composition and opportunities for social experiences during development) in groups of domestic horses are discussed here.2 Finally, we propose simple practical solutions leading to more peaceful interactions in groups of domestic horses, based on the knowledge of horses' natural social life which therefore should be enhanced (e.g. ensuring roughage availability, favouring group stability,, introducing socially experienced adults in groups of young horses;…). The state of the art indicates that many questions still need to be answered. Given the importance of the associated welfare issues and the consequences on the use of horses, further research is required, which could benefit horses… and humans.

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Section: Ritualised Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Development Of Social Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballus

Fureix

Bourjade²,

Henry

et al. 2012

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…Ellard and Crowell-Davis (1989) were the first to mention that the results of such a test with draft-horse mares did not match their observations of the dominance hierarchy of the same horses in the field. Accordingly, in recent studies (Heitor et al 2006aand 2006b, Ellard and Crowell-Davis 1989, Linklater and Cameron 2000, Berger 1977, Houpt et al 1978, Houpt and Wolski 1980, Goldschmidt-Rothschild and Tschanz 1978, dominance relationships in horses have been assessed by using approach-retreat interaction and the direction of threats and submissive gestures (McDonnell 2003, McDonnell and Haviland 1995, Feist and McCullough 1976. Curiosity about the influence of social rank on the horses´ feeding decisions between two, equally with high-quality surplus food filled buckets placed in different social feeding conditions, led us to create the test below.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social feeding decisions in horses (Equus caballus)

Krüger

Flauger

2008

Behavioural Processes

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Like many other herbivores, in a natural environment equids feed on rather evenly distributed resources. However, the vegetation in their vast habitats constantly changes. If food is plentiful only little competition occurs over food, and in non-competitive situations domestic horses tend to return to the same feeding site until it is overgrazed. In contrast, they compete over limited food for which the social status of the individuals appears to be important. Especially in ruminants several studies have proved an influence of social organisations, rank, sex and the depletion of feeding sites on the feeding behaviour of individuals. However, it is not yet understood whether and how social aspects affect horses´ feeding decisions. Curiosity about the influence of social rank on the horses´ feeding decisions between two, equally with high-quality surplus food filled buckets placed in different social feeding conditions, led us to create the test below. The observer horses were alternately tested with a dominant and a subordinate demonstrator placed in one of three different positions. We conclude that domestic horses use social cognition and strategic decision making in order to decide where to feed in a social feeding situation. When possible they tend to return to the same, continuously supplied feeding site and switch to an "avoidance tendency" in the presence of dominant horses or when another horse is already feeding there. Thus, the social rank and the position of conspecifics affect the feeding strategy of horses.

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A guide to the literature on aggressive behavior

1996

Aggr. Behav.

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Agonistic ethogram of the equid bachelor band

Cited by 160 publications

References 23 publications

Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballus

Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballus

Social feeding decisions in horses (Equus caballus)

A guide to the literature on aggressive behavior

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