Discipline: Ethology

Symposium review: scientific assessment of affective states in dairy cattle

Thomas Ede, Benjamin Lecorps, Marina A.G.von Keyserlingk, Daniel M.Weary

Published in 2019

Preview:  “Drawing upon a body of theoretical and applied work, we critically review the scientific literature on the assessment of affective states in animals, drawing examples where possible from research on dairy cattle, and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of scientific methods used to assess affective states in animals.”

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Welfare indicators

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Vocal individuality of Holstein-Friesian cattle is maintained across putatively positive and negative farming contexts.

Alexandra Green, Cameron Clark, Livio Favaro, Sabrina Lomax, Davi Reby

Published in 2019

This study of contact calls between calves and their mothers shows that they have an individual distinctive character that can attract the social support of fellow calves. Knowledge of these indices of individuality could help farmers to better distinguish between animals for welfare or production purposes.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Maternity, Vocalisation

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Improving the Recognition of Equine Affective States

Catherine Bell, Suzanne Rogers, Julie Taylor, Debbie Busby

Published in 2019

Study on the recognition by riders of signs of distress in horses experiencing negative emotions

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Anxiety, Fear, Stress

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Increased Rider Weight Did Not Induce Changes in Behavior and Physiological Parameters in Horses

Janne Winther Christensen, Suzie Bathellier, Marie Rhodin, Rupert Palme, Mette Uldahl

Published in 2020

Study of the influence of a rider's weight on a horse's behaviour, the symmetry of its gait and its physiological responses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Review: Feeding conserved forage to horses: recent advances and recommendations

P. A. Harris, A. D. Elli2, M. J. Fradinho, A. Jansson, V. Julliand, N. Luthersson, A. S. Santos and I. Vervuert

Published in 2016

This review brings together all the recommendations informed by recent science on the use of fodder for horses. It covers the different types of fodder, conservation methods, hygiene levels, feeding behaviour, composition, digestion and digestibility and the effects of these on health and performance.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Livestock farming system

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Cognition and learning in horses (Equus caballus): What we know and why we should ask more

moreLauren Brubaker∗, Monique A.R. Udell

Published in 2016

Horses (Equus caballus) have a rich history of relationships with humans. Across different cultures and eras, they have been used for work, entertainment, cultural rituals, food, therapy and companionship and they continue to fulfil many of these roles today. As horses are one of the most commonly trained domestic animals, understanding how they learn and how their relationship with humans and other horses impacts their ability to learn can influence their welfare, training, breeding and management. Since, unlike dogs and cats, domesticated horses evolved from prey animals, the horse-human relationship raises interesting and unique scientific theoretical questions. There is still much to learn about the cognition and behaviour of horses from a scientific perspective. This review explores current research in three related areas of horse cognition: human-horse interactions, social learning, and independent learning in horses. Research on these topics is summarised and suggestions for future research are provided.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Learning, training, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Motivate your horse. Clicker training and rewards

Hélène Roche

Published in 2013

How do you motivate your horse? What role can rewards play? Can you do without them once your horse has learned the exercise? What to do when the horse becomes too demanding? Are caresses and use of the voice rewards? These are all questions raised by positive reinforcement, which the clicker training technique can create. This book offers basic exercises as well as exercises to solve classical equestrian problems. It is based on numerous scientific reference works as well as a multitude of practical cases.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords : Learning, training, Human-animal relationships

Connaître son cheval. Comportements et postures. Que devez-vous savoir et observer?

Hélène Roche

Published in 2008

This book explains observation, the sensory world of horses, their round-the-clock activities, the ways they can communicate, their social structures and the constraints imposed by domestication and temperament. It teaches the reader how horses are broken in and how to observe them. It is intended for everyone wanting to increase their knowledge of horses.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Learning, training, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships