10th International Equitation Science Conference

Authors: Christensen JW
Publication: The Equine Veterinary Practitioner, Volume 39, Issue 4, pp 8, Dec 2014
Publisher: Equine Veterinarians Branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association

Animal type: Horse
Article class: Abstract

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Abstract:

Early post-natal life is an important period for behavioural development, and the mammalian mother is of primary importance in the regulation of the offspring’s behaviour. This study investigated whether mares can be used to modify fearfulness in foals via social transmission of object habituation. Twenty-two mare-foal pairs at two studs were included. Prior to foaling, all mares were habituated to five standardized fear-eliciting situations (including both tactile stimulation as well as stationary and moving objects) using desensitization and a combination of positive and negative reinforcement. At birth, the foals were assigned to either a DEMONSTRATION group (DEMO; n=11) or a CONTROL group (n=11), balanced according to stud, birth date and sex. One day per week during week 1-8 post-partum, mares of DEMO foals demonstrated their habituation to the five different situations (10 min/day) while the foal was loose in the test arena. Mares of foals in the CONTROL group were handled and fed the same amount inside the empty test arena with their foals (also 10 min/day). Subsequently, foals were tested at 8 weeks and 5 months of age in four standardized fear tests which either included objects that were present during demonstrations (NOT1), novel objects (NOT2), suddenness (SUD) or tactile stimulation (TAC). Behavioural and heart rate reactions were recorded. Between 8 weeks and 5 months of age, the foals were left on pasture with their mares. At 8 weeks, heart rates of DEMO foals were significantly lower in all four fear tests (t-test, HR max (bpm, mean±se), e.g. NOT1: HAB: 85±3.5 vs. CON: 124±10.9; P=0.004 and NOT2: HAB: 82.1±3.3 vs. CON: 106±5.2, P=0.001). In addition, DEMO foals showed significantly reduced fear reactions and more exploratory behaviour in all tests, suggesting that the foals generalized their habituation to include novel objects. At 5 months, DEMO foals still showed reduced fear reactions, e.g. latency to walk across plastic (Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis Log-Rank (mean survival time (sec) ±se): DEMO: 35±10.4 (9% censored) vs. CONTROL: 108±9.4 (73% censored) P<0.001), whereas heart rates did not differ. The effect was probably achieved through a combination of maternal transmission of habituation and individual learning, since DEMO foals were free to interact with the training objects during the demonstrations. Interestingly, this stimulation early in life appeared to affect fear reactions also at 5 months of age.

Conclusion: Fearfulness in horses is important to human safety and horse welfare. This study found that it was possible to reduce general fearfulness in foals through a combination of social transmission from the mare and individual learning early in life.

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