Are 6‐month‐old foals sensitive to dam's influence?

Henry, Séverine; Briefer, S.; Richard‐Yris, Marie‐Annick; Hausberger, Martine

doi:10.1002/dev.20225

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…This finding agrees with the results of a number of other recent studies, which suggest that individual personal traits may significantly modify behavior and physiological response in wide range of species including horses (Hausberger et al, 2004;Henry et al, 2007;Ijichi et al, 2013;LeScolan et al, 1997).…”

Section: Cortisol Concentrationssupporting

confidence: 94%

Effects of prompt versus stepwise relocation to a novel environment on foals' responses to weaning in domestic horses (Equus caballus)

Dubcová

Bartošová

Komárková

2015

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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a b s t r a c tArtificial weaning is often highly stressful for both mother and offspring. We investigated the effect of 2 different weaning and relocation schedules on growth rate and saliva cortisol concentrations in a group of loose-housed domestic horses. We predicted higher acute stress (cortisol concentrations), but a lower long-term effect on weight gain, which would indicate lower chronic stress in foals, if the foals were moved to the new environment immediately after separation from the mothers ("prompt relocation" [PR]) compared with relocation that was adjourned for a week ("stepwise relocation" [SWR]). Within 2 seasons, 56 foals weaned at age of 165-250 days were regularly weighed up to 140 days after weaning. Growth rate significantly differed between SWR and PR foals. The PR weanlings revealed relatively stable increase in their weights, whereas SWR foals experienced a significant drop in growth during the first 3 weeks after weaning. The weight differences were still apparent 5 months after weaning (predicted weight, least squares means AE standard error: 374.40 AE 1.75 kg in PR vs. 362.71 AE 1.66 kg in SWR foals). Cortisol concentrations changed significantly between and within different weaning procedures and were highest in PR foals after weaning and relocation. Compared with pre-weaning values, cortisol levels increased in PR but not in SWR foals, either after weaning or deferred moving. We found large individual variability in foals' growth and in cortisol concentrations for both weaning procedures. There was also a year effect in SWR foals. Stepwise changes of the physical and social environment (deferred removal to the remote facility) within a short period after abrupt weaning resulted in lower acute stress but induced long-term negative effects on foals' growth rate compared with joint weaning and relocation. Our results support rather prompt moving of the weanlings to the new facility, rather than to a stepwise location on horse breeding farms.

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Section: Cortisol Concentrationssupporting

confidence: 94%

Effects of prompt versus stepwise relocation to a novel environment on foals' responses to weaning in domestic horses (Equus caballus)

Dubcová

Bartošová

Komárková

2015

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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“…In horses, the exclusive relationship between foal-mare dyads induces foals to learn from their mothers since birth [23], but the strength of their mothers' influence decreases as the foals grow older [24]. However, one- and two-year-old horses are susceptible to the influence of unrelated adults [14].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pioneer studies showed that young domestic horses are sensitive to adult influences (e.g. mothers [23], [24], unrelated adults [14]). Here, we show for the first time that adult-young ratios are directly correlated to the expression of aggression and to the social cohesion of young horses in their family group, aspects that affect the social skills of young horses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult-Young Ratio, a Major Factor Regulating Social Behaviour of Young: A Horse Study

Bourjade

Roches²,

Hausberger³

2009

PLoS ONE

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BackgroundAdults play an important role in regulating the social behaviour of young individuals. However, a few pioneer studies suggest that, more than the mere presence of adults, their proportions in social groups affect the social development of young. Here, we hypothesized that aggression rates and social cohesion were correlated to adult-young ratios. Our biological model was naturally-formed groups of Przewalski horses, Equus f. przewalskii, varying in composition.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe investigated the social interactions and spatial relationships of 12 one- and two-year-old Przewalski horses belonging to five families with adult-young ratios (AYR) ranging from 0.67 to 1.33. We found striking variations of aggression rates and spatial relationships related to the adult-young ratio: the lower this ratio, the more the young were aggressive, the more young and adults segregated and the tighter the young bonded to other young.Conclusion/SignificanceThis is the first study demonstrating a correlation between adult-young ratios and aggression rates and social cohesion of young individuals in a naturalistic setting. The increase of aggression and the emergence of social segregation in groups with lower proportions of adults could reflect a related decrease of the influence of adults as regulators of the behaviour of young. This social regulation has both theoretical and practical implications for understanding the modalities of the influence of adults during ontogeny and for recommending optimal settings, as for instance, for schooling or animal group management.

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“…Thus one of the strongest bonds in the animal kingdom is, at least partly, a feeding bond. Interestingly, the detachment in the feeding bond goes together with a detachment in the affectionate bond [7]. More generally, food sharing has been described as a reciprocal act of physical affiliation [8] and an essential component for the development of pair bond [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Way to a Man's Heart Is through His Stomach: What about Horses?

et al. 2010

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BackgroundHow do we bond to one another? While in some species, like humans, physical contact plays a role in the process of attachment, it has been suggested that tactile contact's value may greatly differ according to the species considered. Nevertheless, grooming is often considered as a pleasurable experience for domestic animals, even though scientific data is lacking. On another hand, food seems to be involved in the creation of most relationships in a variety of species.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this study, we used the horse training context to test the effects of food versus grooming during repeated human-horse interactions. The results reveal that food certainly holds a key role in the attachment process, while tactile contact was here clearly insufficient for bonding to occur.Conclusion/SignificanceThis study raises important questions on the way tactile contact is perceived, and shows that large inter-species differences are to be expected.

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Are 6‐month‐old foals sensitive to dam's influence?

Cited by 21 publications

References 57 publications

Effects of prompt versus stepwise relocation to a novel environment on foals' responses to weaning in domestic horses (Equus caballus)

Effects of prompt versus stepwise relocation to a novel environment on foals' responses to weaning in domestic horses (Equus caballus)

Adult-Young Ratio, a Major Factor Regulating Social Behaviour of Young: A Horse Study

The Way to a Man's Heart Is through His Stomach: What about Horses?

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